"The Culture Code" by Daniel Coyle
Successful cultures (like Navy SEALS, the San Antonio Spurs, the Upright Citizens Brigade, Pixar, and more) and what makes them work.
The Culture Code explores what makes some of the world’s most successful groups thrive. Drawing from examples like the Navy SEALs, Pixar, the San Antonio Spurs under Coach Gregg Popovich, the improv group Upright Citizens Brigade, and even kindergartners in a spaghetti tower challenge, Coyle identifies three essential skills that generate strong group culture:
build safety,
share vulnerability,
and establish purpose.
He shows how these traits show up in wildly different environments, whether it’s a crash-landing flight crew in Sioux City or a nuclear submarine crew with flat hierarchies and open dialogue.
One standout quote to me came from Pixar’s Ed Catmull, who says, “B-level work is bad for your soul.” Both Catmull and Coyle argue that teams, not ideas, are what matter most. A bad team will ruin a good idea, and a great team can elevate a mediocre one. Coyle wraps the book with a personal story about middle schoolers who discovered a love of writing when their environment changed, reinforcing his point: with the right culture, people don’t just perform better, they grow.
READ IT IF: You’re interested in culture, lead a team, and are open to change and growth.