Culture IS The Strategy IS:

A compelling business parable of two manufacturing companies navigating leadership transitions, cultural breakdowns, and bold turnarounds. Culture Is the Strategy reveals how small, intentional acts—rooted in trust, purpose, and people—create lasting competitive advantage and drive bottom-line results.

Culture isn’t a buzzword. It’s your biggest competitive advantage.

In Culture Is the Strategy, authors Annette Dowdle and Jeff Faber deliver a compelling business parable set inside two very real-seeming companies—one family-owned, the other private-equity-backed—each facing a cultural crisis. Through vivid storytelling and real-world insight, the book reveals how intentional leadership and small everyday actions can rebuild trust, repair morale, and drive measurable business outcomes.
 
Whether you’re a CEO, HR leader, investor, or manager on the front lines, this book offers a blueprint for cultural transformation that’s as practical as it is inspiring.

Meet the Builders of Culture

Follow J. Arthur, a newly minted CEO, as he struggles to fill his father’s shoes and maintain the soul of a once-thriving manufacturing business.

 

Enter Claude, the affable cultural glue who returns to help salvage relationships and restore a sense of purpose.

 

Meanwhile, in another state, Sherry—a former employment attorney turned HR powerhouse—wages her own battle to resuscitate a wounded workforce.

 

Their journeys intersect in a transformative acquisition that proves the true ROI of culture.

You'll Learn how to:

  • Identify and fix culture cracks before they become catastrophes
  • Design talent strategies that attract, retain, and empower top performers
  • Measure the financial value of culture using a proven ROI framework
  • Avoid common leadership pitfalls that alienate teams and tank productivity
  • Build a workplace where people want to show up—and stay

If you believe that culture eats strategy for breakfast, this book shows how to put culture on the menu.