When you think of a company with an awesome organizational culture, what comes to mind Disney? Zappos? Twitter? (I hear the tweety-birds have rooftop meetings.) Whatever your preference, all three companies dedicate time and resources to build a culture that is not only great, but lasts as they scale.

Company culture is important. Period.

Culture sets the tone for employees to operate and interact – it is the personality of your business. As they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day. And, the same is true for your organizational culture. Here are 5 tips to help you build and grow a winning organizational culture.

1. Leadership is everything.

You know ye old adage, lead by example? Truer words could not have been spoken. Everyone (esp. leadership) is the embodiment of the company. Ask yourself: what do you want your company to value? How important is transparency? How important is fun? Customer success? Employee success? You get the picture. Whatever your answers are to those questions, be sure to act on those answers and communicate them to your employees.

2. History doesn’t have to repeat itself.

Unless you want it to. What I mean by this is that you can draw on your past experiences to determine what works and what doesn’t. Garner feedback from others, and in doing so, you will see what cultivated success in your organization and what can be improved

3. Emphasize team building.

Now this doesn’t have to be super cheesy – we are not talking about sitting in a circle singing Kum-bi-ya (unless that works for you, of course). But, team building is important. Chances are you won’t have one person that is awesome at everything. Let alone one who can handle everything for the company. That said, employees rely on one another, and should be comfortable doing so. Whether it’s planning a one-hour weekly activity or having quarterly retreats, let employees spend time together to increase team cohesion and effectiveness.

4. Encourage open communication.

Regardless of your organizational type (e.g. matrix, lattice, flat) employees should feel comfortable providing relevant feedback and ideas. Plus, open communication fosters an environment of trust. Shoe and clothing company Zappos clearly states that they have a culture that thrives on “open and honest relationships.” And, with hundreds of millions of dollars in profits, clearly this kind of culture is paying off. No pun intended.

5. Hire right.

Just as it is important to lead by example, it is equally important to rely on employees when carrying out that example. Employees are your culture advocates. They will support, promote, and believe in it. Ya know, the stuff that makes your culture f-ing fantastic. SO, all the more reason to hire employees that fit with your company values.

Organizational culture is a BIG differentiator for your business. It will not only attract and retain employees but can also get you noticed. (Again, think about all of the stories you’ve read about Disney, Apple, Google, etc, etc.) Whether your company is starting up, already running or in need of a change, use these tips to help your office become the happiest place on earth. Wait, Disney’s already claimed that one. Second happiest is good, right?