The word culture comes from the Latin cultura, derived from colere — meaning "to till" or "to cultivate." Early Romans used it to describe tending the earth. By the Renaissance, thinkers like Francis Bacon extended it metaphorically to the cultivation of the human mind. Today we use it to describe something equally organic and alive: the relational soil in which people either grow or wither.

Not all cultures are created equal.

In my work on Connection Culture, I identify three distinct types of relational environments in organizations:

• Cultures of Control — Leaders exert power through fear, status, and coercion. People comply, but they don't commit.
• Cultures of Indifference — No one is necessarily cruel, but no one truly connects either. People feel like cogs in a machine. Apathy quietly erodes performance.
• Connection Cultures — People feel valued, understood, and part of something meaningful. This is where human beings — and organizations — thrive.

A Connection Culture is built on three elements:

• Vision — A shared identity and sense of purpose that unites the team
• Value — Genuine care for the people doing the work
• Voice — An environment where people feel safe to speak up, contribute ideas, and be heard

These aren't soft ideals. They produce hard results in business, sports, education, and the arts.

I've written about organizations that embody Connection Culture in action:

• Costco — how its culture drives loyalty and performance
• Ford — Alan Mulally's 7 practices that rescued a struggling automaker
• TCU — TCU’s Connection Culture
• U2 — the uncommon unity behind one of music's most enduring bands
• Golden State Warriors — Steph Curry's team-strengthening playbook

The lesson from all of them? Great culture isn't accidental. It's cultivated, just as the Romans intended.

What kind of culture are you tending to?

Photo by Francesco Gallarotti on Unsplash