I recently spoke with a friend who is CEO of a successful construction company. They have grown tremendously over the past decade by focusing on the right things.

What do I mean by the right things? For one, they are transparent from a leadership standpoint. They have created an inclusive culture, one where diversity is embraced, collaboration is essential, and the opinion of everyone in their company is equally respected. Whether the idea comes from someone who just joined their company or from someone who is a seasoned senior executive, each idea is examined and evaluated as it pertains to business at hand. Will this idea improve customer experience, increase efficiencies, add to company growth, or lead to new opportunities?

It is this spirit of collaboration and culture of trust that has allowed their company to grow tenfold over the past decade. Yes, building a culture of trust can pay huge dividends. I’ve been fortunate to witness this firsthand in working with this company over the past few years.

So how does this culture lead to growth and ultimately increase valuation? For one, everyone is on the same page and pulling in the same direction. This company has also invested millions of dollars in ensuring all employees are continually rewarded for their efforts, whether the incentive is short-term or long-term. Employees can see a clear path that connects effort to reward. We’ve all heard of the old “open door” policy, but in this culture there are no doors. Only people working excitedly and collaborating to best serve their clients and build strong, trusting relationships with one another.

Recently this company was tasked to evaluate potential acquisitions to further enable their growth and create new opportunities for business. They spoke with several potential companies, and found that while many of their potential acquisitions had a strong reputation with clients and were profitable, what was lacking was that transparent culture and the ability for senior leadership to put systems in place that valued their key people and ensured a trusting, loyal relationship with those employees.

There are too many companies in the U.S. still operating under a “black box” mentality, where all of the key information and responsibilities still lie with ownership and maybe a couple of key people. Many companies have also neglected to evaluate their redundancy systems, so that if an owner or key person essential to the company can no longer perform their role, the company can still move forward without a hitch, or at worst with a slight hiccup before continuing its surge forward.

Please take time to evaluate your culture. Is it a true culture of trust? Do you have redundancy systems in place that ensure continuity and succession should something happen to leaders? Ask yourself: Am I being clear about the direct connection between effort and reward? Am I building systems in place that ensure my company is an exciting and fun place to work? Do I value the opinions of everyone in my company, and am I encouraging my leadership to do the same?

It’s been said that Sam Walton, the legendary founder of Walmart, got some of his best ideas by driving to the back of his loading docks late at night and early morning and seeking the advice of his truck drivers. Makes perfect sense to me.