For over a decade, I worked in operations management inside a publicly traded company valued at roughly $2.4 billion and listed on the New York Stock Exchange. I’m not sharing this to impress anyone. I’m sharing it because that environment permanently changed how I see performance, leadership, and business execution. Once you’ve operated at that level, you can’t unsee it.
Public Companies Operate at a Different Frequency
When you work inside a publicly traded company, the performance frequency is non-negotiable. Everything is measured. Everything is documented. Everything is reviewed. Everything is accountable. Deadlines matter. Details matter. People matter. There’s no room for chaos, ego, or improvisation disguised as “hustle.”
If leadership performance drops, the numbers expose it. If systems fail, the market reacts. If culture breaks, the company doesn’t survive. That pressure creates discipline — not fear, but structure.
Leadership Was the Difference — Not Talent
What surprised most people from the outside was this: The leaders were humble. No oversized egos. No chest-beating. No “I’m the boss” energy. Why? Because ego kills performance.
In that environment, leadership meant:
- removing friction
- protecting the team
- solving problems before they became crises
- keeping everyone aligned
The results spoke for themselves. Revenue wasn’t luck. It was culture.
Everyone Mattered — Every Role
Inside that company, there was no real hierarchy in how people were treated. Titles existed for coordination — not superiority. Whether someone worked in operations, accounting, IT, or facilities, everyone understood the same truth:
If one role fails, the system fails.
Clean workspaces mattered. Processes mattered. Respect mattered. That’s how you keep thousands of people moving in the same direction.
Why Small Businesses Often Make Me Uncomfortable
After leaving corporate life and working with small businesses, I noticed something immediately — and honestly, it was hard to stomach. The lack of structure. The lack of discipline. The lack of systems. The unchecked ego.
Many businesses don’t fail because of competition. They fail because they don’t know how to operate. Not because the owners aren’t hardworking — but because they’ve never been trained to run a company properly.
There is no excuse today:
- Information is everywhere
- Tools are accessible
- Systems are proven
What’s missing isn’t opportunity — it’s operational maturity.
Performance Is a Habit, Not a Personality
When you come from a high-performance environment, you don’t turn it off when you leave. You carry the standard with you. You don’t accept sloppy execution. You don’t accept vague accountability. You don’t accept “good enough.”
Not because you’re difficult — but because you’ve seen what right looks like.
Culture Creates Results — Always
Companies don’t accidentally reach billion-dollar scale.
They earn it through:
- leadership discipline
- respect for people
- relentless execution
- shared accountability
You can feel it when you walk into the building. You can see it in how people talk to each other. You can measure it in the outcomes. Culture isn’t motivational posters. Culture is how work gets done when no one is watching.
The Lesson I Took With Me
When I left corporate life, I didn’t leave the standards behind. I kept the frequency. I kept the discipline. I kept the respect for people.
Because once you’ve seen what aligned leadership looks like, there’s no going back. And once you understand that business is a team sport, you stop tolerating chaos — no matter the size of the company.
Final note
This isn’t criticism. It’s perspective.
And perspective is earned — not Googled.
Written by: Shiri Prasad – Powered by Faith – Designed by AI.
