In today’s rapidly evolving business environment, especially within the technology sector, the importance of a strong company culture cannot be overstated. As organizations navigate challenges like The Great Resignation, where over 50 million U.S. employees left their jobs last year, maintaining high levels of employee engagement has become crucial for long-term success. One business leader who has consistently emphasized the significance of culture is Glenn Lurie, who has held leadership roles at AT&T, Synchronoss Technologies, and currently at Stormbreaker Ventures. Lurie’s leadership philosophy, encapsulated in the “3 P’s”—People, Purpose, and Passion—offers invaluable insights for today’s executives.
1. Simplify Your Message to Unite the Team
In large organizations, aligning every employee with the company’s goals can be a daunting task. During his tenure as President and CEO of AT&T’s Mobility & Consumer Operations, Glenn Lurie was responsible for overseeing thousands of employees. One of his biggest challenges was ensuring that everyone was “rowing in the same direction.” Lurie emphasizes the importance of simplicity in leadership, stating, “With the large organizations I had, it’s about simplicity of message a the vidal few. You need to get your messages out over and over. You gotta think about these things and do them in a simple fashion. … I live by, and the team lives by, the thing we call the three Ps. … It’s people, purpose, and passion.”
Lurie’s 3 P’s philosophy became a cornerstone of AT&T’s Mobility team’s efforts to create a unified and motivated workforce. By simplifying the message to focus on people, purpose, and passion, Lurie and his team were able to create a shared culture where everyone understood their role and the common language of the organization. This approach is particularly relevant for tech companies today, where rapid innovation often requires a cohesive and agile team to drive success.
2. Prioritize Your People
The first “P” in Lurie’s framework—People—highlights the critical importance of valuing and taking care of employees. Lurie firmly believes that a satisfied and engaged workforce is essential for any company’s success. He asks leaders to consider, “Are you taking care of the people you work with?” This question reflects his deep commitment to ensuring that every employee feels valued and supported.
During his time at AT&T and later at Synchronoss, Glenn Lurie applied this principle by fostering a people-centric culture, where employees were encouraged to take ownership of their work and contribute to the company’s success. Research supports Lurie’s approach, showing that when employees are happy at work, they can be up to 12% more productive. In today’s competitive tech industry, where talent is one of the most valuable assets, prioritizing people is not just a leadership strategy but a necessity for retaining top talent and driving innovation.
3. Connect Employees to Their Purpose
The second “P,” Purpose, is about helping employees understand how their work contributes to the broader goals of the organization. Lurie explains that “Purpose is about how you fit in. So, what do you do every day that helps your supervisor be successful? … Where do you fit?” This connection to a larger purpose is a powerful motivator, as it allows employees to see the impact of their work on the company’s success.
Throughout his career, whether at AT&T, Synchronoss, or now at Stormbreaker Ventures, Glenn Lurie made purpose-driven leadership central to creating a motivated and committed workforce. By ensuring that every employee understood their role within the organization, Lurie was able to foster a sense of belonging and accountability. This focus on purpose is especially important in the tech industry, where projects can be complex and long-term, requiring a deep commitment from all team members to achieve success.
4. Build a Team of Passionate Employees
Passion, the third “P” in Lurie’s philosophy, is the driving force behind a productive and innovative workplace. Lurie believes that passionate employees, who love their job and understand their purpose, are crucial for creating a vibrant and dynamic company culture. He describes passion as “that crazy person that you’ve worked with that comes to work every day fired up and is contagious to the whole organization. . I love those people. Because they make everyone else in the room feel the same way.”
Creating a team of passionate individuals was key to the success of the organizations Lurie led, including AT&T and Synchronoss. His emphasis on passion helped build an environment where employees were not only productive but also inspired their colleagues to strive for excellence. In an industry where creativity and innovation are paramount, fostering passion within the workforce can be the difference between success and failure.
5. Lead by Example to Set the Tone
Leadership is about more than just setting goals; it’s about embodying the values you want to see in your organization. Glenn Lurie believes that leading by example is crucial for building a strong company culture. He advocates for daily self-reflection to ensure that leaders remain accountable to their and the companies values. “One of the first things I do every time I talk to a group is make sure we all understand that we’ve got to take care of our people,” Lurie says, highlighting the importance of consistency in leadership.
Whether at AT&T, or working with the Stormbreaker portfolio , Glenn Lurie has led by example by applying the 3 P’s at every level of the organization, from senior management to entry-level employees. This approach helped create a culture of accountability, where everyone was committed to the company’s goals and values. For today’s tech leaders, this lesson is particularly relevant, as it underscores the importance of authenticity and integrity in building a successful and sustainable organization.
The Impact of the 3 P’s on Company Culture
Glenn Lurie’s 3 P’s—People, Purpose, and Passion—are more than just leadership principles; they are the foundation of a robust company culture. By simplifying the message, prioritizing people, connecting employees to their purpose, fostering passion, and leading by example, Lurie created a culture at AT&T, Synchronoss, and now influences the next generation of tech leaders at Stormbreaker Ventures. These principles not only drove productivity but also retained top talent and spurred innovation.
In today’s tech industry, where the pace of change is accelerating, these lessons are more relevant than ever. By following the example set by Glenn Lurie across his varied career, business leaders can build strong, cohesive teams that are equipped to navigate the challenges of the modern workplace and achieve long-term success.
