We’ve all felt it: that invisible current running through a workplace. It shows up in what gets celebrated, who gets listened to, and how decisions really get made. That’s culture.
Culture is the collection of shared behaviors, beliefs, and unwritten rules that guide how things get done. It’s not what’s on the posters in the hallway. It’s what people whisper to the new hire in the breakroom.
Culture is both seen and unseen. It lives in policies and practices (seen), but it also lives in stories, habits, silence, and reluctance. It’s shaped by leadership, but owned by everyone. It can feel impossible to pin down, and yet it defines everything.
Why Understanding Culture Matters
Understanding culture matters because it drives behavior, shapes results, and often explains why your change is (or isn’t) working.
Culture explains the “why behind the what”
- You can have the best strategy, process, or change plan, but if behaviors don’t align, it stalls.
- You rolled out a new process.
- People keep doing it the old way.
- Culture explains why.
Culture is the invisible force that amplifies or undermines performance
Think of culture as the air your teams are breathing. You can’t always see it, but they’re reacting to it every day.
- In a culture of trust, people speak up.
- In a culture of fear, people play it safe.
- In a culture of learning, change is fuel.
- In a culture of blame, change is a threat.
Culture determines what’s possible during change
When you understand the culture, you can work with it, not against it. Culture tells you where the real influence lives, who people follow, what messages land, and which behaviors are rewarded (even unintentionally).
Culture shows up in results (especially the ones you’re not proud of)
Every stalled initiative, missed target, or toxic team dynamic is likely rooted in a cultural norm that hasn’t been named or addressed.
- “We value collaboration”
- But your meetings reward individual status
- Culture wins
- Collaboration loses
Leaders always shape culture, by action or inaction
Whether you’re intentional or not, your behavior as a leader models what’s acceptable, expected, and rewarded. Understanding culture lets you lead with purpose.
Culture is the Map
Understanding culture gives you a map of how things really work, not just how they’re supposed to work. And if you’re trying to lead meaningful change, there’s no substitute for that kind of insight.
Change Leader’s Guide to Culture
In this series of articles, we’ll explore how culture can be surfaced and shifted, especially during times of change. Whether you’re leading a transformation or navigating one, understanding culture is step one.
More: Sources & Nerdy Stuff
For those of you who want to deepen your education and understanding, here’s a list of sources and resources I’ve used in my education to inform this work.
Culture drives organizational performance
Source: Kotter & Heskett (1992), Corporate Culture and Performance
- Companies with strong, adaptive cultures significantly outperform those with weak or misaligned cultures in revenue growth, stock price, and net income.
- Leaders who understand and intentionally shape culture are more likely to sustain high performance.
- Takeaway: Understanding culture allows leaders to align strategy and operations in a way that supports, not sabotages, performance.
Culture is a key lever in leading successful change
Source: Cameron & Quinn (2011), Diagnosing and Changing Organizational Culture
- Leaders who assess and understand the existing culture can tailor their change strategies to fit the organization’s readiness and values.
- Misalignment between change efforts and organizational culture is one of the otp reasons change fails.
- Takeaway: Cultural awareness increases the likelihood that change initiatives stick, because they’re anchored in how people actually work and think.
Culture shaped leadership effectiveness and credibility
Source: Schein (2010), Organizational Culture and Leadership
- Culture is both created and reinforced by leadership behavior.
- Leaders must understand the cultural norms in order to introduce new values or behaviors without triggering reluctance or confusions.
- Takeaway: Leaders who are “culture blind” may unintentionally contradict the norms and values that define credibility in their own organization.
Psychology safety and engagement are culturally driven
Source: Edmondson (1999), Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams
- Teams perform better when they feel safe to take risks and speak up, which is shaped by cultural norms around failure, voice, and feedback.
- Leaders play a central role in modeling and reinforcing those norms.
- Takeaway: Understanding and shaping culture creates the conditions for innovation, learning, and employee engagement.
Summary
Across disciplines, the consensus is clearUnderstanding culture isn’t a soft skill; it’s a strategic necessity. Leaders who grasp cultural dynamics can lead change more effectively, adapt their style to the context, and create workplaces where people thrive.
