Company Culture Starts With Leadership
Company culture isn’t built by simply writing down a set of values. It takes shape through the decisions leaders make, how they communicate, and how they treat their people every day.
In a recent Authority Magazine interview, BookSmarts founder and CEO Jenny Groberg shared how her approach to leadership has shaped the culture at BookSmarts—and what she has learned about building company culture through growth, change, and challenging seasons.
Values Have to Show Up in Your Decisions
For Jenny, one of the defining values at BookSmarts is fearlessness. But living a company value means more than talking about it.
Leaders eventually face decisions that test what they say they believe. Jenny shared examples of choosing her employees’ well-being over revenue and opportunities when the two were in conflict.
Those decisions send a message to the team: the values of the company still matter when following them isn’t convenient.
Make It Safe to Ask for Help
A strong culture also gives people room to say when they don’t know something.
At BookSmarts, regular one-on-one meetings, team communication, and opportunities to ask questions help employees get support when they need it. Instead of treating questions as weaknesses, the goal is to make them part of learning and collaboration.
When people feel comfortable asking for help, they can solve problems together instead of struggling with them alone.
Communicate Through Change
Change can create uncertainty, especially when a company is growing.
Jenny emphasizes communicating early and openly about what is changing, why it is happening, and what the plan is moving forward. Giving people that context helps them understand the bigger picture instead of leaving them to fill in the blanks themselves.
That transparency has been especially important as BookSmarts has grown its team and created new employment and development opportunities.
Believe in Your People
Another part of building company culture is showing people that you trust them.
Jenny shared that during a major transition, she made a deliberate effort to communicate confidence in her COO and team. When leaders show that kind of trust, it gives employees room to step up, take ownership, and grow into what they’re capable of doing.
As Jenny explains in the interview, people often rise to the level of encouragement and confidence placed in them.
Build a Team-First Culture
The strongest company cultures aren’t built around one person succeeding.
At BookSmarts, the focus is on what the team can accomplish together. Jenny describes a culture where employees ask how they can help one another and recognize that supporting another team member ultimately helps everyone—including the clients they serve.
That team-first approach is also connected to a larger purpose. Jenny wants BookSmarts to create meaningful work and opportunities for people, particularly those who may need additional support or confidence as they build their careers.
Culture Is Built Every Day
There isn’t one meeting, policy, or statement that creates a strong company culture.
It comes from consistently showing people what matters through everyday decisions—protecting your team, communicating honestly, asking for feedback, trusting people to grow, and being willing to make changes when something isn’t working.
Jenny shares more about the experiences that shaped her leadership and her five recommendations for building a thriving company culture in her full interview with Authority Magazine.
Read the full interview: Building Company Culture From the Top Down: Jenny Groberg Of BookSmarts Accounting On How the Personal Example of Exceptional Leaders Shapes Companies That Thrive.
