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Stop Blaming Your "Company Culture." Your Culture is Just a Mirror of YOU. 🪞 Let's be blunt. As founders, we love talking about "culture." We buy a carrom board for the office, stock the pantry with free biscuits, and write "work-life balance" on job descriptions. Then, when the office becomes a place of burnout, gossip, and missed deadlines, we blame the "toxic culture" as if it’s bad weather that just appeared. Here’s the simple, tough truth: Your company’s culture is not the weather. It’s a giant mirror. It reflects YOUR actions, YOUR fears, and YOUR habits. The snacks and games are just decorations. The culture is what you, the founder, truly are. Look closely. 👇 THE MIRROR EFFECT 🪞 ➡️ If you talk about a "70-hour work week" to chase growth… The reflection is a culture of burnout. You're telling your team that their health and family time are less important than the next deadline. ➡️ If you avoid saying "no" to a client or telling a teammate they underperformed… The reflection is a culture of politics and excuses. You're teaching everyone that it's safer to whisper and make excuses than to be direct and honest. This is how "chalta hai" (it's okay/let it be) attitude begins. ➡️ If you hide bad news and only share victories… The reflection is a culture of anxiety. You're not "protecting" them. You're creating an information vacuum where rumours and fear grow faster than your company. ➡️ If you need to approve everything, from a leave application to a social media post… The reflection is a culture of dependency. You're not being a "detail-oriented boss." You're training smart people to stop thinking and wait for your permission for everything. ➡️ If you constantly change your mind based on the last article you read… The reflection is a culture of chaos. You're not being "agile." You're telling your team that nothing is important enough to actually finish. You cannot fix this with a bigger party or a good bonus. 💸 - People can't enjoy a free biryani if they have a knot in their stomach. - The beanbag chair isn't comfortable if they're scared of the person who paid for it. How to Fix the Reflection? You can't hire an HR manager to fix this. It's an inside job. It starts with you. Do a Real Self-Audit. 🤔 For one week, watch yourself. When do you send WhatsApps? How do you react when someone brings bad news? Do you listen, or just wait to speak? The patterns will become obvious. Lead by Example. (The real "Lead from the Front"). Want your team to have work-life balance? You log off at 6 PM. Want transparency? You be the first to say, "I made a mistake, and here’s what I learned." Your team follows your actions, not your words. Look at how Nithin Kamath talks about health at Zerodha or the respect people have for Ratan Tata's focus on employee welfare. That’s the reflection they chose to create. Address Your Own Issues. 🧠 The company will reflect your personal baggage. If you are a workaholic, you will build a company of workaholics. If you fear conflict, you will build a company that avoids tough conversations. The best investment for your culture might be a coach for yourself. Stop trying to repaint the walls. 🖼️ The only way to change the reflection is to change the person standing in front of the mirror.