Throughout their careers, business professionals typically experience a number of different work environments—some better than others. Personally, I have worked everywhere from brand-new state-of-the-art broadcast facilities to windowless makeshift offices converted from supply closets. None of those workspaces ever gave me goosebumps (and I love a well-organized closet).

When I walked into the Minnesota Twins front office, I began to understand what the “best workplace” hype was all about. Recently voted number nine of the top 150 places to work in Minnesota by its employees, Target Field was so bright and beautiful it nearly blinded me.

While being escorted by a staff member to the conference room—an area surrounded by walls of glass and overlooking the ball field—I asked her why she thought it was such a great place to work. “Just look at it!” she exclaimed, pointing toward the field, emerald green and illuminated in the early-morning sun.

Surroundings do play a part, but the best places to work are not just about the physical spaces where we spend around a third of our waking hours. Great leaders are responsible for creating top-rated workplace cultures. Minnesota Twins President Dave St. Peter is one of those extraordinary individuals.

He began his career with the Twins as a college intern. Though he didn’t enter into it dreaming of being president one day, St. Peter has now served in that role for half of his 25-year tenure with the team. When asked what makes a successful leader, St. Peter shared these five fundamentals:

1. Never let anyone outwork you. The middle-class values St. Peter learned as a kid growing up in North Dakota are still with him today. He believes a strong work ethic plays a key part of leadership success and has created an environment where everyone values hard work, from the front office to the field.
2. Do the right thing. Operating with character and integrity at all times is imperative to St. Peter; he believes without a doubt that this has benefited his own career and the careers of others. Doing what’s right means leading by example—something his staff respects and that inspires them to follow suit.
3. Be accessible. St. Peter doesn’t do business from an ivory tower. Being available and accountable to both internal and external stakeholders has always been a priority for him. At the top of his list: Getting back to emails and voicemails in a timely fashion.
4. Tend to your relationships. A significant portion of St. Peter’s time is devoted to cultivating relationships with broadcasters, civic partners, community groups and season ticket holders. He believes that building and growing relationships is central to any level of business success.
5. Don’t get tripped up by ego. In the professional sports world, St. Peter has seen others’ egos get in the way and he has been humbled many times himself. The takeaway: Great leaders don’t achieve success by themselves. “My role is to assemble and bring together the most talented group of people we can,” St. Peter said, “and ultimately trust that it will lead to organizational success.”

Hear more about Dave St. Peter and Minnesota Twins workplace culture in episode five of the LEVERAGE Podcast.