Many years ago, I was invited to advise a large educational publishing company in Mexico. I met with the Director of Publishing. We had met the year before, after he attended one of my innovation workshops. We exchanged pleasantries, talked about his goals, and eventually he told me what he was looking for.

Then he said something I’ve never forgotten:

 “I’m not looking for the best.”

What he meant was: “I’m looking for a lower price.”

Leaders are the standards they reinforce

That statement stayed with me because it revealed something much bigger than a procurement decision. It revealed a standard. “The best” is subjective. But exceptional people aren’t.

They’re the people with high standards. They’re curious. They take ownership. They care about the quality of their work. They push themselves and the people around them to improve. When you bring people like that into your organization, they do more than solve problems. They become examples. They raise the expectations of everyone around them.

As a leader, every hiring decision, every vendor you choose, every partner you work with sends a signal about what your organization values.

When you say, “I’m not looking for the best,” you’re not just negotiating on price. You’re communicating that excellence isn’t the priority.

Standards are contagious. So is mediocrity.

Culture isn’t what you write on the wall. Culture is what leadership repeatedly rewards, tolerates, and reinforces.

Bottom line: Culture isn’t what you say it is; it’s what you repeatedly reward, tolerate, and reinforce. Leadership is setting the standard.