Description: Explore how Huntress, a rapidly growing remote cybersecurity firm, fosters a culture of true connection and inclusivity. Learn how simple acts of leadership can make a profound impact on employee engagement and organizational success.

I’m standing in a luxurious lobby outside a conference auditorium. There’s a beautiful fruit platter and pastry spread to my left, and attendees are lining up for free coffee to my right.

It’s July in Los Angeles, and I just finished my keynote for Huntress, a global cybersecurity firm that’s rapidly growing. Just a few years ago they were a tight-knit team of 20. Now they have nearly 300 employees – all remote.

This is their annual in-person conference when they fly in every employee from all over the world to spend three days aligning around the company mission, celebrating wins, planning for the future, having a whole lot of fun, and most importantly, connecting.

A handful of millennial attendees are the first to grab me after my presentation on human connection, and we’re engaged in a deep conversation around the role of empathy in leadership. Another attendee walks up mid conversation, and then another. The group is growing and the conversation expands as more perspectives enter.

I ask how, from their perspective as employees, Huntress managed to maintain such a connected culture despite being fully remote since inception.

An attendee gestures towards one of the men who walked up mid-conversation.

She says, “You didn’t show him any special deference when he walked up.”

I’m confused.

I say, “I mean, you were talking and I didn’t want to break my concentration.”

“Right,” she says. “You didn’t feel the need to change your attitude or anything when he walked up. Because he looks just like the rest of us. He’s wearing shorts and a t-shirt. What you don’t realize is, this is our CFO. He’s one of the most important people in the company that hired you to come here and speak.”

I turn to my right and look him in the eye. He smiles and introduces himself. We shake hands.

She continues, “That’s why this culture is so amazing. Because from the leadership down, everyone shows everybody else the same level of respect.”

As she talks, it hits me.

In most companies you instantly know you’re speaking with an executive, because they dress different. They act different. And so everyone changes the way they act around certain people.

At Huntress, however, there are no status roles. They have a culture of belonging not just in theory, but in practice. And it starts with the executives setting that example.

Simple Acts, Profound Impact

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When we speak about fostering a culture where everyone feels heard, understood, and valued, Huntress has hit the nail on the head. And it wasn’t because they had elaborate programs or extensive training sessions.

It was as simple as treating everyone with the same level of respect, regardless of their role or status within the company.

If you’re building a team or you already lead one, take a good look at your culture. How much is based on status? And how much is that status affecting the way people behave and act?

You might find that eliminating the pretense of status leads to more respect, open sharing, and a greater diversity of perspectives that drive innovation and carry your business into the future.