There seems to be a new buzzword in some food and beverage industry discussions, especially those around food safety, and that word is “culture.” The central question in these discussions is around how to “build” a food safety culture. One of the most common answers is it has to “come from the top,” meaning companies with management that invests in food safety endeavors at their plants supercharge that food safety culture creation.

Building a good environment, one that is favorable, where people feel good about coming to work is definitely what a company should want to build. Installing a company culture that includes positivity can spur productivity and send a message to the rest of the industry that good things are happening at your corporation. But embodying this type of leadership can be easier said than done.

As an early 20-something year old, I worked at a bookstore and was amazed at the amount of management books there were. This was during the height of popularity of business books like “Who Moved My Cheese?” and the works of former GE CEO Jack Welch. These books were the most asked for besides whatever new Harry Potter title had just hit the shelves.

I couldn’t fathom what was in those leadership books that made them so sought after. My inexperienced self would ask, “How hard could it be to manage people?” I think those of us who have spent a good amount of time employed in the working world, both managing and being managed, can answer that.

Managing people is difficult because it is essentially conducting a series of relationships that require approaches that are not one-size-fits-all. Some people might need more direction, some might have all the engine they need to get the job done, and some might just want to know you are there to help if needed.

However, what gets lost—often until a speaker or article reminds us—is that people are at the center of every business. And it’s people that will most likely either drive or stall your business growth. So, as some of us take a brief break from the rest of the year in this summer month of July, let’s take a moment to think about these relationships and what we can do to foster them to be the lifeblood of success.