Culture Matters: Building the Wise Firm

Trying to raise a child could be compared to being in a large boardroom during the negotiations of a hostile takeover. Over the last seven years that I have been blessed (or in negotiations) with my child, I have noticed that I have acquired new skills and honed existing ones, some of which are often utilized in the professional world.

Living out our commitment to our communities is a critical part of reaching our firm’s 2020 Vision: “We deliver unrivaled focused expertise. We collaborate to proactively guide and serve our people, clients and communities to realize their full potential.” Even our Wise Firm culture is founded on We and Service. It’s safe to say that we are a firm that believes in giving back and serving others and that it’s not just talk. One of my favorite ways we do this is through our Summer of Service program.

It is difficult for me to describe how the culture at HORNE has affected me without first giving you some historical context about me. I was born in New Delhi, India. I spent eight years working my way up to manager at a Fortune 500 company but then gave up my career in order to marry my husband, who lived in Houston. After we were married I got my first job in America and I have to admit it was not what I was expecting.

When I graduated college, I was pretty excited to start my career as a full time team member at HORNE. I had previously interned with HORNE so I was able to gain a little insight into what life is like here but I was also nervous as I knew my responsibilities would increase. Not only would my responsibilities in my job increase but little did I know, my responsibility to our culture would also increase.

As a new mom going back to work, I was worried about how I would adjust. Trust me, I love my job and wouldn’t want to do anything else, but having my daughter introduced an entirely new sense of responsibility and a major priority shift. So yes, I was worried that my job would suffer and others would guilt me into thinking I wasn’t working hard enough.

With the world’s biggest sporting event among us, I would like to take you back to the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

American air rifle shooter, Matt Emmons, was competing in the three-position event in which participants shoot multiple shots from 50 meters away in varying positions­­—stomach, knees and feet. Emmons stood on his feet for his last shot of the competition. Leading by three points, his last shot only needed to come close to the bull’s-eye to guarantee him the gold medal. He took a deep breath and fired. Bull’s-eye! 

We’ve all heard the pros and cons of group projects. It’s a great experience if all team members bring something to the table and work well together. But, what if that isn’t the case? It’s easy for the attitude to emerge of going on standby. You know, the attitude of just standing by to see what happens next. Or waiting to see who will make the next move.  

I thought I understood culture.  I thought I understood organizational change and development. I mean, I have a degree in anthropology after all. But boy was I wrong.  

After a few months at HORNE, I looked around and thought that we were “fluffy.” That our ideas and ideals were too lofty and that our heads were in the clouds. I thought that we changed our mind too much, and that it reflected negatively on leadership because we couldn’t make up our minds and stick with our decisions. I can’t help but think I’m not the only one that was looking at it with the wrong perspective.

What is a leader? According to Merriam-Webster, a leader is “a person who leads…who has commanding authority or influence.” Am I a leader? Who can be influenced by little ole me?