Everything You Think You Know About Culture Is Wrong

Everyone seems to acknowledge that culture is important to the success of any organization, but the truth is it can feel fuzzy, vague, obtuse—and any other descriptors you want to use to describe that feeling of being confused but embarrassed to admit it.

Others may nod knowingly as if they understand, even if they couldn’t explain it to the rest of us. Still others might dismiss any talk of culture as irrelevant to getting results. After all, as long as the widgets get made or the services get delivered today, what difference does culture (whatever that is) make?

Leaders often think like this in spite of the fact that culture is like the air we breathe—it’s all around us. When it is healthy, we take it for granted. But when the culture, like the air we breathe, is tainted, we feel it in our chests. At the heart level, we sense something is off, even if we’re not sure exactly what.

Yet because we have to get things done, we keep pushing forward in spite of the discomfort. However, so many of the challenges leaders face are actually caused not by the surface symptoms they see but by deeper culture problems.

Perhaps you’ve seen or experienced some of these surface symptoms of an unhealthy culture:

Poor communication. People either don’t communicate well, or their communication is downright toxic.
Low morale. Work isn’t a joy anymore; it’s a job. People watch the clock and dash for the exit when it’s quitting time.
No ownership. They play the blame game and fail to take responsibility. They don’t feel connected or take pride in their work. They give less than their best, and it shows.
Little customer focus. Because the team feels confused and neglected, they pass that along to customers who may still buy, but only as long as they have to.
Diminished marketplace relevance. Innovation disappears and the company slides toward irrelevance as everyone wonders, Where have all the good ideas gone?
Frustrated leaders. Leaders get frustrated because their people aren’t doing what they want, which causes workers to withdraw, creating an ongoing cycle of frustration.
Demoralized workforce. Workers pick up on the frustration of their leaders and feel unappreciated. Their apathy shows in their work as they begin looking for ways to leave.
Talent loss. A and B players exit and take their talent elsewhere, leaving the C and D players to become the bulk of the workforce.
Competing visions. Everyone seems to be on his or her own page, or reading a different book entirely. No one seems to have a clear sense of direction.
Missing mission. Without a shared mission, people look out for themselves. Work becomes a means to a paycheck, disconnected from any higher purpose.

Chances are good you could add to this list. You’ve likely seen or even painfully experienced several of them, but you may not have realized the root cause: a culture problem. As a result, you may have felt the frustration of trying to solve a slippery workplace problem that slips from your grasp the harder you squeeze.

Unfortunately, like any illness left untreated, the symptoms won’t just get better by themselves. Failing to address cultural challenges can lead to major complications down the road—yes, even the death of an organization.

The good news is that a healthy culture does not need to be elusive. As a leader, you can move your team or organization from where you are now to where you want to be. But first, you must be willing to think differently, because everything you think you know about culture is wrong.

Believe me. I get it. It can be frustrating to feel culture is important but struggle to know what to do about it. And none of us like to admit when we’re wrong.

The Most Important Thing

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know everything, a fact which has led me to ask a lot of questions. For most of my adult life, I’ve either built my own businesses or helped business leaders maximize talent, lead with authenticity, and create their own success.

As a result, I have gained something for which there is no substitute—experience. As an entrepreneur, I’ve started and grown five companies in five different industries including marketing/advertising, tech development, and real estate. With those five companies came five different sets of mistakes and hard lessons learned.

In many ways, the last decade has been my leadership laboratory where I’ve been able to test ideas and refine approaches with leaders in real-world scenarios. In other words, I’ve learned a thing or two that I can pass on to you.

The bottom line is this—I’ve found two things to be true:

Culture is the most important thing in business, and
Organizations become shadows of their leaders.

For those who think I am overestimating the role of culture in business, consider this: culture is the context in which everything else takes place. Everything. Else.

Culture is not just one important component but the critical component to success.

In the coming weeks leading up to the publication of my book, The 4 Dimensions of Culture and the Leaders Who Shape Them, I’ll dive deeper into what culture is and what it isn’t, and how you can intentionally shape the culture of your team or organization to achieve maximum impact.