At our recent Annual Team Meeting, guest speaker Matt Marcotte reminded us that true leadership isn’t built on rules or pressure, it’s built on belief. Marcotte explained this well, “Things like belief and trust don’t happen on paper. They happen in hearts.”
Marcotte’s message inspired us to revisit some of the most impactful lessons from his book, Built on Belief: Why Cultures of Commitment Are the Competitive Advantage. His insights resonated deeply with Pivotal and continue to challenge how we think about leadership, culture, and success.
It’s well established that great leadership and employee engagement go hand in hand. When companies intentionally define and communicate their beliefs, they create an environment where employees feel connected, trusted, and aligned with a shared purpose. There’s never been a more critical time to focus on engagement than now. In a world where connections continue to fade, clarity of purpose helps employees find meaning in their work. According to Gallup, U.S. employee engagement fell to 31% in 2024, the lowest level in a decade. That decline reflects what happens when work feels transactional rather than purposeful. Forbes also found that companies with strong cultural alignment are four times more likely to have employees who feel connected and engaged.
While employee engagement across the workforce may be low in general, at Pivotal, it’s not just a buzzword; it’s reflected in how our team feels about their work and our culture. In our recent team survey, we scored an average of 9.53 out of 10 on how meaningful our team finds their work, and every team member said our culture aligns with their values. For our clients, this translates to an unparalleled and unexpected level of customer service unique among recruiting firms. By embedding belief into our culture, leadership ensures that engagement is sustained because employees understand the “why” behind their work.
Belief Over Compliance
Compliance may bring short-term success, but belief fuels long-term growth. Marcotte emphasizes in his book that building belief goes beyond procedural adherence. By clarifying and communicating the beliefs that define their brand, leaders enable employees to move from merely following rules to genuinely committing to the mission. This commitment not only drives internal engagement but also turns employees into advocates, strengthening the brand externally and making culture a true competitive advantage.
By clearly articulating their purpose and beliefs, companies provide a framework for employees to understand the “why.” When belief is cultivated, employees no longer just follow instructions; they contribute with conviction. This is the heart of belief-driven leadership: when belief is established, it sparks courage in employees, enabling them to take ownership and contribute confidently to the company’s purpose. At Pivotal, this shift is real: our strong cultural beliefs guide how we work, interact, and make decisions every day, helping our team move from compliance to conviction. Marcotte puts it best: “Profit is our reward for doing the right thing. And the right thing involves focusing on and investing in our internal customers.”
Belief builds courage. Courage creates ownership. And ownership, not compliance, sustains lasting success.
For leadership teams, one question remains central: Are our actions fostering compliance or cultivating conviction?
To explore these ideas further and gain deeper insight into building a culture of commitment, check out Matt Marcotte’s book, Built on Belief: Why Cultures of Commitment Are the Competitive Advantage.