Running a company is a humbling reminder that you’re not the main character in the story. You might be the founder, the strategist, the one setting direction, but you’re still just one part of a much bigger narrative. Every employee has their own arc, their own “why,” and their own idea of what success looks like.
The trick isn’t to make everyone live and breathe your story. It’s to make room for theirs, and finding the space where those stories align. That’s when culture stops being a slogan and starts becoming a living system.
The Illusion of Alignment
As leaders, we sometimes mistake alignment for control. We build frameworks, slide decks, and mission statements, expecting them to trickle down into motivation. But people show up for meaning. Humans have always shown up for meaning. They don’t get out of bed in the morning for mission statements.
At Source86, our recent BHAG 2025 Summit reminded me of this truth. Over several days of reflection and connection, our team explored what truly fuels performance. Not processes. Not metrics. People. Their purpose, their motivations, and their sense of belonging.
What we discovered was simple, but transformative: when people understand what drives them personally, you make room for how to align that energy with the company’s purpose. That’s alignment by choice, not instruction. And that’s what sustains culture long after the offsite ends.
What Every Employee Really Wants
No matter where we are in the world, what motivates us isn’t all that different. Across continents and cultures, our team landed on the same four needs:
- Recognition: to feel seen and appreciated.
- Professional growth: to keep learning and moving forward.
- Financial security: to build stability for ourselves and our families.
- Work-life balance: to be present where it matters most.
You’ll notice that none of these are exotic. They’re actually universal; we’re all driven by one or more of these. What differs is how people pursue them, and what companies do to support them. Culture’s job is to make sure you don’t hurt yourself or others trying to achieve them along the way.
I realized that my job as a leader isn’t to provide all of this; it’s to enable it. I know we all usually hate that word. Most of the time, it’s passive. But not right now. Sometimes “enabling” means investing in upskilling or mentorship. Sometimes it’s creating financial confidence or flexible work structures. And sometimes, it’s just acknowledgment. A simple “I see you” at the right time. It doesn’t cost a penny to tell someone they did a great job, and if they’re driven by accolades, you’ll fuel them for weeks with just those two words.
Those moments don’t just make people feel good; they make teams stronger, more ambitious. You think you’re feeding them, but you’re making them hungrier in the best way possible. More. Better. Always. And when people feel recognized, they act with intent. When they feel safe, they take ownership. When they feel like they’re winning, they want to win more. And when they feel trusted, they perform at their best.
Growth Lives in Uncertainty
Every company wants predictability. Every employee wants clarity. Yet growth, by nature, requires both to be challenged.
We discussed it like a hurdle race. You’re always moving forward, but you can’t avoid the ups and downs. You have to face the hurdles. Each new initiative, each hire, each product launch is a leap of faith. There’s no guarantee of what’s next, only the clarity of purpose that helps you take the next jump.
That’s why the most important role of leadership isn’t to promise certainty; it’s to provide context. To create an environment where people can move confidently, even when the ground shifts. Because when people understand why they’re running the race, they stop needing every step to be mapped out.
The Human ROI of Culture
At Source86, we talk a lot about systems, processes, and reliability. But what I’ve learned is that reliability doesn’t start with systems. It starts with people.
When individuals feel connected to their purpose, reliability becomes instinctive.
You see it in how teams communicate, how they problem-solve, and how they hold each other accountable. Culture, in that sense, isn’t an HR initiative. It’s an operating model.
You can’t always measure the ROI of culture on a spreadsheet, but you can feel it in the way the organization moves:
- Fewer gaps between teams.
- Faster, more thoughtful decisions.
- A sense of belonging that outlasts the meeting.
That’s the compounding interest of culture. You don’t see it day one, but it pays dividends in resilience, accountability, and trust.
From Company Purpose to Collective Purpose
The biggest shift I’ve seen – in myself and in our company – is realizing that leadership isn’t about carrying the company on your shoulders. It’s about creating the space for others to carry it with you. And when you’re living in the world of supply chain, each and every one of us needs strong shoulders.
Our purpose as a company is to be the backbone of our customers’ supply chains. But that backbone is built from people. People who care deeply about their product, their craft, their colleagues, and their communities.
I think when people understand how their personal “why” connects to the collective “why,” they stop working for the company and start working with it. You’re both vessels for each other. If you’re heading the same way, get on board, and if you’re not, it’s ok to jump ship. We’re all captains. But some of us here are just heading for the same island.
Alignment is just easy with ownership. It’s the reason our culture continues to strengthen with every new chapter.
Final Thought
After 4+ years of building Source86, I’ve learned that you can’t build culture. You can only give it the right environment to grow, actually, a lot like some of the ingredients we sell.
1% better every day. At least one connection every day, [definitely more than] one conversation each day.
And one shared goal (big and small) at a time.
We have dealt with a lot of uncertainty. I can say with 109% certainty that there will be so much more to come. Sounds tiring. Sounds exhausting. But it’s not. Not when you have an invisible infrastructure that holds a company together when the market shifts or when geopolitical events block the lanes for your metaphoric and, in our case, very literal vessels. For us at least, culture keeps us moving. It keeps us shipping. We never stop exploring. We get up for meaning.
At Source86, that’s what we’re building. A company where reliability begins with people, and where the strongest supply chain starts with the strongest mindsets in the game.
