How Strong Company Culture Drives Success – w/ ADVISA’s Brad Smith [podcast video]
As featured on The Currency of Knowledge podcast from County National Bank
Culture as Competitive Advantage: How Leaders Create Engagement, Retention, and Results
“Culture is what most of your people say and do most of the time.”
Organizations don’t win on strategy alone—they win on the day-to-day behaviors their culture makes likely.
In this episode of Currency of Knowledge, Brad Smith of ADVISA joins hosts Christopher Phillips and Holleigh Baker to unpack how organizational culture, leadership effectiveness, and actionable people data combine to drive engagement, retention, and business performance.
Episode Highlights
Why culture creates competitive advantage
Every industry measures success differently:
- Deposits and loans in banking
- Widgets produced in manufacturing
- ARR in tech
But as Brad explains, those metrics are outputs of a deeper chain reaction:
Leader effectiveness → Employee engagement → Customer experience → Business results
When leaders clarify direction, connect work to purpose, and coach effectively, employees engage. Engaged employees create better customer moments. Better customer moments drive sustainable results.
“Magnets both attract and repel. Healthy culture attracts the people you want and repels what doesn’t fit.”
The ATLAS framework
ADVISA helps organizations operationalize culture with the ATLAS framework, a roadmap for turning values into measurable behaviors.
- Activation from Above: Culture accelerates when leaders model what they expect.
- Trust & Shared Purpose: Employees need trust and clarity about why their work matters.
- Leadership Effectiveness: The fulcrum. Managers translate vision into daily action.
- Actionable People Data: Tools like the Predictive Index empower data-driven hiring and coaching.
- Systems that Support Leaders: Processes and rhythms that make good leadership sustainable.
Learn more about the ATLAS Framework.
From “Wall Art” to Daily Behaviors
A values poster won’t change performance – consistent behaviors will.
Brad recommends treating culture as a continuous improvement process:
- Diagnose – Use tools like ADVISA’s Leadership + Culture Assessment® to reveal strengths and gaps.
- Define – Translate values into specific, observable actions.
- Equip – Train leaders with coaching and people data tools.
- Reinforce – Align recognition, onboarding, and reviews with your desired culture.
- Repeat – Culture is never “done.” Measure. Adjust. Repeat.
“The work is the culture. Get that right, and the rest falls into place.”
The Predictive Index in practice
In the podcast, Christopher and Holly describe how surprisingly accurate their Predictive Index (PI) results were – and how they use them to improve communication and teamwork.
ADVISA helps clients apply PI insights to:
- Hire for fit: Align drives with job demands.
- Coach effectively: Tailor communication to each employee’s motivators.
- Build balanced teams: Leverage natural strengths across profiles.
Case snapshot: Culture that scales
A 50-year-old excavation company nearly doubled revenue in four years after working with ADVISA.
Why? Because they focused on leadership and culture, creating an environment where talented operators wanted to work.
When culture becomes a shared language, it strengthens:
- Employee engagement
- Customer relationships
- Community reputation
That’s the essence of becoming an employer of choice – a growth strategy that sustains itself.
Ready to make culture a competitive advantage for your organization?
Turn culture into a competitive advantage with ADVISA. We’ll help you clarify direction, equip your leaders, and align systems that drive engagement and results.