CultureWerk
The Twelve Pillars of Leadership Multiplication
by
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Most leadership books promise to change how you think about leadership. This one aims higher—it will show you exactly how to build leaders and create cultures so resilient they can survive even poor leadership, protecting everything you've worked to create. You already know the exhausting reality: you're the first one in, last one out, solving problems that shouldn't exist, managing people who should be managing themselves, and lying awake wondering what disasters await when you finally take that vacation. You've built something successful, but it all depends on you being there. That's not leadership—that's a life sentence. Warren Buffett once said he likes investing in companies with such great brands that "any dummy can run them, because one day they will." That's the secret the best leaders know: build cultures strong enough to survive any bad leader (because undoubtedly there will be one), and you've built something truly valuable—and given yourself your life back. But here's the paradox that keeps most leaders stuck: they're terrified of developing people too well because those people might leave. The classic fear-based question—"What if we invest in developing them and they leave?"—paralyzes organizations. But the real question is: "What if we don't develop them and they stay?" When you create a culture where people grow faster than anywhere else, where they're genuinely heard, where they're empowered rather than micromanaged—salary doesn't even crack the top five reasons they'd consider leaving. Sure, occasionally someone gets an unmatchable offer. But here's what actually happens: your people start turning down 30-40% salary increases from competitors. They build killer resumes from the experiences you've given them, then choose to stay anyway. Why? Because they love the culture you've built. And with bonuses earned from exceeding goals in your empowered environment, they often make more than those "higher" offers anyway. Do the math—the ROI on developing people who might leave crushes the cost of keeping mediocre people who never grow. This book shares lessons learned the hard way—through 25 years of failures and successes across five continents, from startups to Fortune 500 companies. The discovery: organizational culture, not individual leadership, determines whether companies thrive through transitions or collapse when the wrong person takes charge. More importantly, this book reveals how to build those cultures. You'll master what's called Culturewerk: the practical craft of creating environments where people naturally develop into leaders, where teams flourish regardless of who's in charge, and where the culture itself becomes your competitive advantage. Master Culturewerk, and you'll never again be the only one who can solve the big problems, close the important deals, or keep the team from imploding. The framework you'll discover—the 12 Cultural Pillars—isn't theory. These are battle-tested Culturewerk principles forged in real boardrooms, factory floors, and international negotiations from Hungary to Brazil, from Prague to Tel Aviv. You'll learn exactly how to build cultural antibodies that protect against destructive leadership while creating environments where leadership multiplication happens naturally. What You'll Achieve With This Book: If you're a senior executive or business owner, you'll finally stop being the chief firefighter. You'll build cultures that run themselves, freeing you to focus on what you actually want to do—whether that's strategy, innovation, or finally taking that month-long vacation. Your organization will increase in value precisely because it doesn't depend on you anymore. If you're an emerging leader, you'll become the person every company desperately needs—the one who can build bulletproof teams despite dysfunction above. While your peers complain about bad bosses, you'll be building cultures that thrive regardless. This rare skill will accelerate your career faster than any credential ever could. If you're a founder or entrepreneur, you'll maximize your company's value by making yourself unnecessary to its success. Investors pay premiums for businesses with strong cultures that don't depend on founders. You'll build exactly that—a company that runs better when you're not micromanaging it. But here's what matters most: You'll get your life back.
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About the Book
What if you could build organizations that thrive without you? In CultureWerk, you’ll discover the 12 Cultural Pillars that transform exhausted executives into architects of self-sustaining success. These aren’t consultant theories—they’re hard-won lessons from Tom Kereszti’s journey through five continents, turning disasters into triumphs for companies like Colgate-Palmolive, Benckiser, and Strauss Group. You’ll learn the same frameworks that helped transform a money-bleeding Prague operation into a profit powerhouse. The partnership approach that outmaneuvered Sara Lee and Kraft in acquisition battles. The trust-building secrets Navy SEALs use to turn ordinary people into extraordinary teams. Why Disney-Pixar created billions while Daimler-Chrysler destroyed value—and how to ensure you’re on the right side of that equation. But here’s what matters most: you’ll finally understand why your best people leave (hint: it’s not the money), why your team waits for you to solve everything (you trained them to), and how to break the cycle that’s keeping you trapped. This book won’t just change how you lead—it will free you from the prison of being indispensable. You’ll build something more valuable than a successful business: a legacy that multiplies through others. Your future self—rested, strategic, and watching your organization thrive without your constant intervention—starts here. You’re the only one who can close the big deals and fix the real problems—that’s not leadership, that’s a life sentence. Discover the 12 pillars that transform organizations and executives into architects of self-sustaining cultures where leaders emerge naturally at every level. “CultureWerk is not another leadership book built on theory—it’s a masterclass forged in the real world. Tom Kereszti doesn’t just talk about culture; he shows you how to engineer it, protect it, and multiply it so your organization can thrive long after you step out of the room. What makes this book rare is its focus on leadership multiplication, not leadership dependency. Too many organizations rise only as high as their most visible leader. CultureWerk teaches you how to embed leadership so deeply into your culture that your people grow, your teams self-correct, and your mission outlives any single personality. Through the Twelve Pillars, Tom delivers a practical, global, and deeply human blueprint for building teams that perform with excellence and sustain impact across generations. This is the kind of book that changes how you lead on Monday morning—not just how you think on Sunday night. If you are serious about building a culture that scales, lasts, and multiplies leaders at every level, CultureWerk is not optional—it’s essential.” — Chris Robinson USA Today Bestselling Author, From Drift to Drive Executive Vice President, Maxwell Leadership “Different companies, different industries, strategies, technologies, and products — peel it all back, and what ultimately seals a company’s success is its culture. This book focuses precisely on that — on what truly transforms organizations into lasting legacies. It brings together the vast experience, deep insights, and extensive knowledge that Tom — whom I’ve had the privilege of knowing since our days at Strauss — possesses.” — Erez Vigodman Co-Founder Terra-A AG, Former President & CEO of Teva Pharmaceuticals, ADAMA and Strauss Group. “I get asked to “endorse” a lot of books these days, and I always count it an honor. This book is quite different in the fact that I know the author personally and have had the privilege of seeing firsthand the fruit of his life up close. As a member of my church, Tom is a brilliant man, originally born in Hungary immigrated to the USA and this books carry’s a potent fusion of ‘old world’ Austro/Hungarian nobility, fused with ‘new world’ USA entrepreneurial pragmatism. Tom’s writing is witty, insightful, warm, challenging, uplifting and informing all at the same time. CULTUREWERK is a masterpiece blueprint for success and legacy in your life. It will challenge you the reader to shatter the ceilings and limitations over your life, while simultaneously inspiring you to reach for new heights. New horizons await you. CultureWerk will equip you to pioneer new territories and ultimately discover the greater you that God always intended for you to find! I heartily endorse this great work!” — Jürgen Matthesius founder Awaken church
About the Author
CEO Tom Kereszti transformed failing companies into thriving enterprises across six continents for Fortune 500 giants. From New York’s streets to global boardrooms, he developed servant leadership frameworks that multiply leaders at every level. His CultureWerk approach offers battle-tested strategies for sustainable organizational excellence.