What Ken Chenault has said about Organizational culture

Chenault calls the paraphrased Napoleon line about defining reality and giving hope one of the best definitions of leadership.

“I found it in a biography of Napoleon, and I paraphrased it to make it more simple”

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk: 713: Ken Chenault - Leadership Lessons from 17 Years as American Express CEO: How to Earn the Top Job, Hire Great Leaders, Build Culture, Challenge the Status Quo, and Lead with Character (Nov 2, 2026) · Listen from 24:29

Chenault says teams should celebrate differences but some values are non-negotiable, citing the military and sports as models.

“we should celebrate our differences But when you're with a group, the reality is there's some values that are non-negotiable if you're going to be a team”

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk: 713: Ken Chenault - Leadership Lessons from 17 Years as American Express CEO: How to Earn the Top Job, Hire Great Leaders, Build Culture, Challenge the Status Quo, and Lead with Character (Nov 2, 2026) · Listen from 42:03