What if leaders prioritized the workplace over the work?

I remember the day I realized I was passionate about workplaces.

I was sitting in a comfortable booth with a view of the Wisconsin State Capitol, in the common area of a coworking space. Next to me was a graphic throw pillow featuring a jeep with “never stop exploring” on its bumper, and a nest full of llamas and an alpaca on its roof. Had I known the entire office would be shut down during the pandemic, I might have snagged that pillow.

Amber, the first employee I’d hired for the business two years earlier, sat across from me and we discussed our career goals. That day I realized I had a new goal: create a great place for people to work.

Nearly twenty years earlier, I dropped my business major after taking only a few prerequisites. At the end of a particularly stressful day at my internship with an energy lobbying firm in Washington, D.C. I returned to the student housing complex and told my roommate some staff members had spent the night in the office because they had so much work to do. Then and there, I logged into the Student Information System and dropped my business major. “Business is not for me,” I declared. “These business people work too much.” Witnessing a workplace that prioritized profit over people almost turned me off of business forever.

In the presence of that quirky pillow featuring members of the camel family, Amber and I started talking about the purpose of business. I was keenly interested in her perspective on this because she was in the second year of her MBA program, and I was painfully aware of my lack of formal business education. We talked about mission, economic output, profit, and impact. My epiphany came when the topic shifted to people.

The more people I hired, the more I felt the responsibility to provide a good experience for them. I started the business to solve a problem for an industry I loved. And while I still passionately believed in the vision I created, I knew I’d be unhappy if I fulfilled it without careful regard for the people who made it possible. Now, when I spend time reflecting on what brings me joy and sets the stage for the life I want to live, it includes the phrase “creating a positive, productive work environment that is people-centered.”

Regardless of how much it may rely on technology, every business needs people. People are the essential ingredient for the thing we call a “workplace.” Even if the “place” is virtual. Yet, the organizational function historically dedicated to people—human resources—has developed an underwhelming reputation within most organizations, and especially with Gen Z and Millennials. You can’t mention the department name in most conversations without quickly hearing the trope that human resources exists to protect the company, not the people within it.

This is why, I believe, the business world has revived its obsession with culture. My favorite definition of culture comes from Indeed: “the set of behavioral and procedural norms that can be observed within a company… makes up the “personality” of a company and defines the work environment.” This is more than human resources, and I believe culture—the DNA of a workplace—is the responsibility of the highest levels of leadership. Larger organizations may even have a leadership position dedicated to workplace culture, but that doesn’t take away from the influence and responsibility of its other leaders.

In the 4+ years I’ve been leading a business, I’ve become increasingly invested in the type of environment I’m creating, and more observant of the culture in other workplaces. Last fall I wrote a position description for myself (the CEO), and People and Culture was the first core function listed. Distinctly absent from the document was anything related to performing the specific work we do that generates revenue. Why? I have people for that. And they will only join and stay if the workplace serves their needs—especially in this economy.

If you pair a strong workplace with a clear vision and mission, finding people to do the work shouldn’t be that hard. Most skills can be taught, and most people like to learn. Yet, traditional business education appears to focus only on the mechanics of organizing people and machines to do work that produces revenue in excess of expenses. Little attention is paid to the environment in which work is done—the workplace. You will, however, find that focus in leadership curriculum. My graduate leadership program included an entire year dedicated to organizational learning. Turns out I had some relevant business education after all.

To enhance our workplaces, attract quality talent, and thrive as organizations in a world where work can be completed from anywhere by anyone, we must recognize that people-centered leadership is just as important as business acumen. Creating a great place to work is a competitive advantage.