What Bedrock Has To Do With Culture and Leadership

If you want to build something big, first, go deep. In every big city, each high-rise building attaches to the bedrock of the earth, far below the ground surface.

Years ago, during the dot-com boom of the late ’90s, I commuted each workday to San Francisco’s SoMa district on the N-Judah line. Day after day, I would peek through the window to watch the crew laying the foundation for the new Gap Inc. headquarters building. During one construction period in particular, I watched as huge drilling rigs bored through layers of topsoil. These shafts would provide access for anchoring the building’s foundation to the bedrock below.

Anchoring the foundation to bedrock is essential to building a high-rise able to withstand decades of natural wear and tear. Without this, years of winds and downpours will cause these structures to falter and eventually sink or tumble to the ground.

Sometimes I’ve wondered, upon hearing the name brand of our company — Bedrock — if people would think I’ve gone and joined a construction firm (which would be surprising given my career). Well, not exactly. But there is a connection.

Bedrock is solid, ancient, consolidated rock. It’s often far below the ground surface. Reaching it requires digging or drilling through soils, sands, gravel, and loose rock.

Before getting to what this has to do with culture and leadership consulting, let’s first dig into a little human biology.