30+ Awards for Company Culture: How to Become a Top Leader & Create a Top Workplace – Robert Glazer, Acceleration Partners

About this episode

Robert Glazer has won over 30 awards for company culture with his company Acceleration Partners. In this conversation, the successful CEO shares his most important learnings about leadership, capacity building, and creating an award-winning workplace culture.

From Entrepreneur to Author

Glazer came to writing through his practical experiences as a leader. The insights from building his own company culture and the learnings gained about leadership and capacity building flowed into his three books. For him, writing was a natural step to share his proven methods.

Personal Development vs. Team Leadership

A central point in Glazer's philosophy is the distinction between developing yourself as a leader and creating frameworks for team growth. As a leader, you must not only continuously work on yourself but simultaneously develop the structures and processes that enable your team to grow and succeed.

Remote Leadership: Different Rules, Same Principles

When deciding between remote and in-person teams, according to Glazer, it's not about right or wrong, but about consciously choosing the appropriate leadership style. Remote leadership requires different approaches to communication and trust-building, but the fundamental principles of good leadership remain the same.

What Makes a Good Leader?

Honesty tops Glazer's list of leadership qualities. Good leaders are characterized by transparency, authenticity, and the willingness to address difficult truths. This honesty builds trust and forms the foundation for strong team dynamics.

Capacity Building as the Key to Success

Glazer defines capacity as the ability of individuals and teams to continuously grow and adapt to new challenges. When building capacity, leaders should focus on promoting both the professional and personal development opportunities of their team members. This requires an individual approach that considers different strengths and development areas.

The Right Balance: Leadership Style vs. Values Match

When selecting leaders, many face the question: Should I choose someone with a good leadership style or someone who fits my company values? Glazer recommends a balanced consideration of both aspects, with values compatibility often being more decisive in the long term.

Team Building and Diversity

Before you build capacity, you need to assemble a solid team. Diversity plays an important role here – not just as a moral imperative, but as a practical success factor. A diverse team brings different perspectives and solution approaches that make the company stronger.

Defining and Living Culture

For Glazer, culture is more than just nice words on the wall. It must be clearly defined, communicated, and above all, lived. Everyone in the company must understand why culture is important and how it manifests in daily work.

Finding the Right Candidates

In personnel selection, it's not just about technical qualifications, but primarily about cultural fit. Glazer has developed methods to determine which applicants truly match the company values and will contribute to the team's long-term success.

Overlooked Leadership Qualities

Many important leadership qualities are often overlooked or underestimated. These include empathy, the ability to listen, and the willingness to let others succeed. These "soft" factors are often more decisive for long-term success than purely technical competencies.

Practical Application

Glazer's new book is aimed at leaders at all levels who want to develop their teams and themselves. It offers concrete, field-tested strategies that have proven successful in his own company and led to over 30 awards for company culture.

Robert Glazer's learnings show that successful leadership and award-winning company culture are not accidental, but the result of conscious decisions and continuous work on the right levers.