Lesson 1: Make Values Your Organization's DNA | Steve Stoute
February 3, 2026
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4:55Now PlayingLesson 1: Make Values Your Organization's DNA | Steve Stoute
YouTube Description
as posted by the channelIf you’re ever in Seattle, you might stop by the infamous Gum Wall. What started with a few stray pieces eventually grew into a 50-foot stretch of brick completely covered in old chewing gum. Apparently, even the most conscientious people thought, “Well, everyone else is doing it.”
The Gum Wall serves as a sticky reminder of how bad behavior can spread, a phenomenon CEO Steve Stoute has witnessed. In this video lesson, he stresses the importance of defining your values and identifying people who can uphold them.
What Values Define
Values guide you to your North Star (your ambition). They provide the framework your company operates in.
To come up with core values, ask yourself: What are the top 5–7 guiding principles every employee should understand and embrace?
If people start ignoring the values, that bad behavior can become contagious. You might:
Lose the “A-players” who took them seriously.
Become a company you didn’t intend to be.
Who Should Uphold Values
The CEO can emanate the values and create momentum.
Long-time employees can continue the tradition and hold new people accountable.
Human Resources can reinforce the values through performance reviews.
Hiring managers can pass on the values through the people they hire.
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About Steve Stoute:
Steve Stoute is an advertising and music industry entrepreneur. Stoute serves as Founder and Chief Executive Officer of UnitedMasters and Translation. With funding from Alphabet, Andreessen Horowitz and 21st Century Fox, the companies are converging music, technology and storytelling.
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