Build a Winning Culture on Innovation, Learning, and Humility

In a business climate punctuated by disruption, many companies choose familiar paths. SharkNinja, a global product design company, aims for a different route of “outrageously extraordinary” performance, based on continuous learning and mindful leadership.

The keeper of that culture, SharkNinja Chief People Officer Elizabeth Norberg, spoke on a panel at the SHRM Executive Network's Visionaries Summit 2024. She was joined by Bob Rothman, President of Gap International, a global management consulting firm. Noberg highlighted these key pillars of SharkNinja's culture strategy:  

Relentless prioritization

Being an HR executive is a balancing act. You’re juggling numerous priorities while also managing stakeholder and customer expectations. The important thing is to recognize what’s most important.

“You’ve got to maniacally focus and prioritize. Don’t expect to go through your entire to-do list” each day, advised Norberg.

In fact, how you manage your workload as an executive will have a direct impact on culture. Leading from a place of strength and a positivity will help your team operate smoothly.

The SharkNinja culture was developed based on a series of key performance indicators (KPIs) that the company identified as most important. The team reviews these KPIs yearly as an executive team and rates their company progress against it. Norberg attributes a core part of the company’s success to a pervasive “We can do it” approach.

A learning mindset

The frame of mind you keep is especially important for success. Norberg noted that the voice inside your head makes a big difference on how effectively you lead—as does the voice you use with employees.

“The words you use create that world around you,” Norberg said.

Norberg advises operating with the mentality of humility and continuous learning.

“The phrase ‘outrageously extraordinary’ was born around setting a high bar, relentless goals, being the explorer, and always pushing to win big,” Norberg said. “It doesn’t come from hubris... It’s about: 'How can we continuously learn?' ”

Thinking differently

As a leader, she said, it’s essential to leave old assumptions at the door to make room for new ways of thinking.

 "Working with Gap International has been transformative for SharkNinja. They challenge our old assumptions and help us shift our mindset, enabling us to constantly achieve breakthrough results," Norberg said.

Crowdsourcing solutions

Norberg said SharkNinja also leans heavily on its employees to identify potential growth moments. One unique strategy: The team conducts hackathons to identify problems that need to be solved—a method that can be applied to any aspect of human capital.