69. Why your company needs new rituals w/Shishir Mehrotra (YouTube, Coda)

When it comes to old established rituals, people often follow them without question. Just like in families and communities, rituals are passed down in companies through the generations. Only rarely do we stop and think 'How does this thing we're doing move me closer to my true objective?'

As a leader, it's your job to know which rituals continue to hold meaning and which should be cast aside. And if you want to establish a new ritual, you need to show exactly why it's important.

I believe you should purposely design rituals that can evolve with your company. Fail to do this and rituals may emerge that hold you back.

These are exactly the questions you should ask when you design rituals for your company: 'What do I want to encourage? What do I want to discourage?' But you also need to ask, 'Who am I encouraging, and who am I discouraging?'

Sometimes, breaking out of an old ritual that is holding you back is as simple as asking yourself, 'Is this the game we're really in?'

When it comes to the idea of rituals, leaders have to get to the point where they brush their teeth, they put on their deodorant, and they understand their privilege—they're aware of their privilege, so they're actively checking themselves.