What You Do Is Who You Are book club questions

1. 1.

   Horowitz argues culture is set by actions, not words. Identify a moment in an organization you've been part of where a leader's action — under pressure — defined the actual culture.

2. 2.

   The historical examples Horowitz chooses — Toussaint, Shaka Senghor, Genghis Khan, samurai — are unusual for a business book. What does that choice signal about his argument, and do the examples hold up?

3. 3.

   What's a shocking or counterintuitive rule that might signal what you actually value in your organization? Could you enforce it consistently?

4. 4.

   Horowitz distinguishes between culture and ethics — great cultures have produced terrible outcomes. How do you think about that separation in practice?

5. 5.

   The book argues that diversity is a culture problem. If you've seen this in practice, what specifically made the culture inhospitable, and was it fixable?

6. 6.

   Horowitz is honest about his own failures as a CEO. Which failure of his resonates most with what you've seen or done in leadership roles?

7. 7.

   Shaka Senghor transformed a prison culture with no formal authority. What principles from his example apply to changing culture when you're not at the top of the hierarchy?

8. 8.

   What story does your current organization tell to newcomers about who the heroes are and what gets rewarded? Is it the story you want to be telling?

9. 9.

   The book argues that cultural artifacts — specific practices, stories, symbols — carry more meaning than mission statements. Which specific practice in your organization most clearly communicates what you value?

10. 10.

    Genghis Khan's meritocracy worked in service of conquest. What does it mean to separate the cultural mechanisms from the ends they're pointed toward?

11. 11.

    Horowitz writes about the tension between preserving culture as you scale and letting it evolve. At what point is cultural evolution healthy versus cultural drift?

12. 12.

    What would it look like to build a culture in your organization that would make you proud if it became a historical case study in 50 years?

How to run the discussion

• Pick six to eight, not all of them. An hour of real discussion covers fewer questions than anyone expects, and racing the list is what makes a book club feel like homework.
• Open with what people noticed, not what they concluded. Asking for a verdict first hardens opinions before anyone has heard each other.
• Let the disagreement run. The questions below that split a room are the ones worth the time; the ones everyone answers the same way can be skipped.
• Ask the quiet person a specific question. A direct, narrow question is far easier to answer than an open invitation to contribute.