The Culture Code

The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups

By: Daniel Coyle

Narrated by: Will Damron

Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best seller

The author of The Talent Code unlocks the secrets of highly successful groups and provides tomorrow’s leaders with the tools to build a cohesive, motivated culture.

Named one of the best books of the year by Bloomberg and Library Journal

Where does great culture come from? How do you build and sustain it in your group, or strengthen a culture that needs fixing? In The Culture Code, Daniel Coyle goes inside some of the world’s most successful organizations - including the US Navy’s SEAL Team Six, IDEO, and the San Antonio Spurs - and reveals what makes them tick. He demystifies the culture-building process by identifying three key skills that generate cohesion and cooperation, and explains how diverse groups learn to function with a single mind. Drawing on examples that range from Internet retailer Zappos to the comedy troupe Upright Citizens Brigade to a daring gang of jewel thieves, Coyle offers specific strategies that trigger learning, spark collaboration, build trust, and drive positive change. Coyle unearths helpful stories of failure that illustrate what not to do, troubleshoots common pitfalls, and shares advice about reforming a toxic culture.

Combining leading-edge science, on-the-ground insights from world-class leaders, and practical ideas for action, The Culture Code offers a roadmap for creating an environment where innovation flourishes, problems get solved, and expectations are exceeded. Culture is not something you are - it’s something you do. The Culture Code puts the power in your hands. No matter the size of your group or your goal, this book can teach you the principles of cultural chemistry that transform individuals into teams that can accomplish amazing things together.

©2018 Daniel Coyle (P)2018 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"If you want to understand how successful groups work - the signals they transmit, the language they speak, the cues that foster creativity - you won't find a more essential guide than The Culture Code. This is a marvel of insight and practicality." (Charles Duhigg, New York Times best-selling author of The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better)

"I've been waiting years for someone to write this book - I've built it up in my mind into something extraordinary. But it is even better than I imagined. Daniel Coyle has produced a truly brilliant, mesmerizing read that demystifies the magic of great groups. It blows all other books on culture right out of the water. Read it immediately." (Adam Grant, New York Times best-selling author of Option B, Originals, and Give and Take)

A must read for all leaders

I highly recommend this book. It introduce new leadership concepts from various examples. I plan on buying the book just to study some of the ideas.

This book is a game changer. Unbelievable

I truly understand the title of the book. The explanations and examples used are mind blowing. I have read the book 3 times.

Extremely insightful. Must-read for leaders

This book examines how group dynamics can make the group greater than the sum of it's members, and how a group becomes that way. Well worth listening to.

WONDERFUL LISTEN

Such a great book and numerous examples of humility and all for the betterment of the team! I love hearing books like this!

Insightful

Highly recommend. There are loads of good ideas in this book and they are presented in a way that is easy to understand.

an engaging approach to culture

this was a great read/listen. a nice distillation of the key principles for thriving teams in many domains. well narrated as well

Insightful

Amazing break down of cultures I took part in at Disney and Pixar. Inspiring and clear.

Perfect Mix

Based on the narratives within the book, the leadership qualities needed to become influential and a vital part of a team, this book is a home run. The fluidity of the book also adds to the progression and allows for simples fixes in our everyday interactions. I would definitely recommend this for any leader. It’s an easy listen as well. Kudos to the entire team that placed this together.

Enjoyable writing, More storytelling than science

I learned from Coyle’s insight, and I enjoyed the writing. The author is clearly a gifted storyteller. My impression is that it sounds more scientific than it is. This is a tough with social science of course. Yet, I craved a stronger demonstration of scientific rigor or slightly less confidence in his conclusions. Overall would recommend.

Fascinating, informative, and actually helpful!

If you could sum up The Culture Code in three words, what would they be?

Informative, Fascinating, Helpful

Who was your favorite character and why?

Favorite story was that of the football and basketball coaches

What about Will Damron’s performance did you like?

Pleasant voice to listen to. Good slight variations for different people.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Pretty consistent interest

Any additional comments?

It was great and so interesting. The only thing that I'd improve is maybe making the structure a little clearer and making it feel like less of one story after another.