Most people have heard of the acronym KISS, which stands for Keep It Simple Stupid. That’s what inspired my title for today’s article. Although my title doesn’t translate to a catchy acronym, it captures the essence of what lies behind the brilliance of the most successful organizations. In the words of former General Electric Chairman Jack Welch, “Culture breeds great results.”

Whether you’re talking about Google, Apple, or the New York Yankees baseball franchise, culture, more than any other factor (be it talent, resources, etc.), will determine the level of success and longevity you achieve. When taking over a struggling organization, an exceptional leader’s first order of business will be to institute a culture change. This is often done faster within sports organizations than in the corporate world because it is so much easier to clean house in the world of sports teams.

When I hear people talk about why coaches are successful, they always focus on the details that set these coaches apart from their brethren and often miss the big picture. In the case of current San Francisco 49er coach Jim Harbaugh, the toughness he has brought to his team is often cited as the reason for his success. When people talk about current Seattle Seahawk head coach Pete Carroll, we often hear both his enthusiasm and his defensive experience. With Chip Kelly, the successful University of Oregon coach who recently took over the Philadelphia Eagles, we often hear about the offensive genius that he is, often comparing him to a mad scientist.

All of these observations have a lot of merit, but when I look at these three trainers in particular, it’s something much less sexy that they all share that I credit as the cause of their many successes. First and foremost, IMHO, is the culture that they have been able to instill in their teams that allows their footballing acumen to shine through and produce the results that they have achieved. There are differences within each coach’s team culture, but all three are masters at instilling a culture of hope along with a strong work ethic.

Here is a text exchange I had with one of me Most respected assistant football coaches (who just so happen to be under one of the coaches listed above) during last year’s regular season:

Me: From the looks of your last two games, I’d say the culture is finally taking hold.

Him: I hope so, we need to stay consistent, as we’ve talked about, raise expectations to know rather than expect, very powerful when it happens!

When your culture takes root (regardless of whether it is a positive or negative culture) it will reinforce itself. Those who care to make sure they have a positive culture will indeed make their work much easier and more productive. As former IBM CEO Louis Gerstner emphasized, “What I learned at IBM is that culture is everything.”

Nobody with common sense would build a house without first making sure that it has a solid foundation. The culture of your business, team or family is your foundation, so it is of the utmost importance that you create a strong culture in your organization that you can build on.

You can follow Sam on Twitter: @SuperTaoInc