Culture doesn’t shift with words - it moves when systems do!

I’ve worked with organizations where the word "culture" is everywhere - on posters, in onboarding slide decks, even printed on water bottles.

But ask people how things really work—how decisions are made, who gets heard, what happens when you challenge the norm—and you’ll often get a very different story.

Culture doesn’t live in branding. It lives in behaviors, in structures, in access, patterns and consequences.

As I go deeper into my work with systemic coaching and consulting, one thing is clear: Culture only becomes real when systems start to shift. Until then, it's just theater!

So before launching another values campaign or sending that well-meaning email about "psychological safety," let's pause and ask a tougher question:

What kind of leadership are we really modeling - and what behaviors does our system truly reward?

1. Cultute is not a poster on the wall!

If it doesn’t shape how you meet, decide, and lead - IT IS NOT culture.

Culture isn't a slogan. It's the lived pattern of power, safety, feedback, and accountability.

I’ve seen leadership teams invest in beautiful brand campaigns and deck out the office with motivational quotes. Some even rename Slack channels to align with their "core values."

And yet, nothing changes. Because if the system stays the same, the culture stays stuck.

When culture is treated like a communications project instead of a leadership practice, people disengage. Trust erodes. Cynicism takes root.

💡 Practise this:

Before you broadcast culture, audit your operating system:

• How are decisions actually made?

• Where does hierarchy silence dialogue?

• Are leaders getting feedback—or just giving it?

2. If it doesn't hurt, it is not a value!

Real values cost something: comfort, convenience, money, even people.

I often ask teams: "Which of your values has cost you something recently?"

When the answer is "none," they're not values. They're brand statements.

The moment of tension - when you let go of a deal that doesn't align, when you pause to include more voices even if it slows you down - that's when culture shows up.

💡 Practise this:

• Pick one value. Ask your team:

• "What would it actually look like to live this—even when it's uncomfortable?"

• Then, take one action that makes it real.

3. Silence isn’t consent - it’s a signal!

The quieter your workplace, the higher the risk.

When leaders tell me "we haven’t heard complaints," I get nervous.

I’ve worked with teams that appear harmonious on the surface—but underneath, people are exhausted, disengaged or silently checked out.

Silence doesn’t mean people don’t care. It means they’ve learned that honesty carries a cost.

People speak up when there’s psychological safety, when there’s purpose, and when they know their voice matters.

💡 Practise this:

• Ask a team member to share one candid observation about your leadership culture.

• Don’t defend. Don’t explain.

• Just thank them. Then act on something.

4. Perks are not culture - boundaries are!

You don’t build culture by handing out yoga passes. You build it by fixing what depletes people.

I’ve seen companies offer meditation apps and gratitude boards while still glorifying urgency, praising overwork and celebrating managers who "power through."

Culture isn’t built on perks. It’s built on practices.

If you talk about balance but text your team at 10pm, you’re not creating wellness—you’re creating confusion.

💡 Practise this:

• Find one energy-draining system (endless approvals, unclear roles, shifting priorities).

• Fix that first.

5. Culture flows from the core, not the middle!

Middle managers don’t create culture—they carry it.

But they can’t carry what hasn’t been modeled.

I’ve seen brilliant managers burn out trying to enforce a culture the senior team doesn’t embody.

Culture doesn’t trickle down. It radiates out.

Aligned organizations are led by people who practice what they say—in meetings, in conflict, in decision-making.

💡 Practise this:

• Invite a mid-level manager to sit in on your leadership meeting.

• Ask them afterward: “Where were we aligned with our values - and where weren’t we?”

• Use what they say to close the gap.

6. Culture begins where ego ends!

If you want to change culture, you have to start with yourself.

I work with leaders who say, "We want more collaboration, more openness, more feedback." But not all of them are ready to give up control.

Culture shifts when leaders stop trying to be the smartest voice in the room and start creating space for others to lead.

Curiosity over certainty. Listening over telling. Shared power over control.

That’s where culture grows.

💡 Practise this:

• Next time you're about to jump in with a solution—pause.

• Ask: "What might I be missing?"

• Let someone else speak first.

💡 Closing:

Culture doesn’t shift with storytelling. It shifts with structure!

If you want trust: make decisions in daylight.

If you want inclusion: reward challenge, not compliance.

If you want values: live them where it’s hardest.

Culture moves when leaders do. Not with words. With action.

Interested in transforming your team’s culture from the inside out?

At GROW Corporate Coaching|Consulting, we work with leaders and organizations to translate values into systems, shift culture through aligned action, and build the kind of environments people want to grow in.

Reach out today. Let’s build the system your culture deserves!

#StartToGROW

With inspiration from thought leaders including Peter Senge, Edgar Schein, Amy Edmondson, Frederic Laloux, and the Harvard Business Review (“To Change Company Culture, Focus on Systems-Not Communication”, 2021).

#StartToGROW