This is an article I posted back in 2009. Rescued from the archives, it is just as relevant today as it’s ever been.

1. Your vision is crystal clear.

Your corporate vision and mission inspire everyone. Your employees know why the company exists, where the company is going, and what it is trying to achieve in the future.

2. Your leaders have mad leadership skills. (and chicks dig skills)

You embrace change. You have a “let’s get it done” mentality tempered with reason, knowing when to hold back and when to move forward. You have entrepreneurial spirit and your leadership style is perfect – neither too directive nor too hands-off. You lead and you manage change. You don’t administrate or micromanage. You create leaders instead of followers.

3. Your corporate culture is inspiring.

Your people encourage each other. There’s shared values. There’s trust. There is no blame. You focus on opportunities instead of problems. Your employees are energized. Everyone has fun at work. Diversity is celebrated. Failures are acceptable because that means people are learning. Everyone has confidence in you — and your systems.

4. There’s no bureaucracy.

Your company doesn’t let bureaucratic organizational structures drag you down like most corporations. You’re transparent. There are no boundaries between management and staff. You’re quick at making decisions. You have proven systems but your tools and systems encourage creative thinking.

5. Your people have initiative.

Your employees are empowered. They are motivated and encouraged. Your people feel their contributions make a difference. You engage everyone in the organization effectively; people work cooperatively and creatively, they go beyond their job description and they don’t accept ‘OK’ anything.

6. There’s great vertical communication.

You are approachable. You have an open door policy. Your employees understand the big picture and they feel that their contributions are important to reaching the company’s goals. There’s no uncertainty. Your staff knows what you are thinking and planning.

7. There’s no “I” in team.

Everyone loves collaboration and they are committed to the team. Your teams are small – and small means they can be agile enough to respond to challenges and sensitive enough to give a damn. You have a shared reward system in place and the shared and worthwhile goals strengthen your team. They want to play as a team and you facilitate their growth.

8. There’s great idea management.

You encourage idea manufacturing. You encourage the cross-pollination of ideas. There’s creativity and ideas (good & bad) always being shared. No-one pretends to “know-it-all” nor has a “not my problem” attitude. You have strong knowledge management strategies and systems in place. Everyone asks a lot of questions and enjoys discovery. You’re curious about everything, most importantly your customers. You strive to understand what makes them tick, you understand their goals and dreams, and you try to think of new ideas to help take them there.