Dear Leaders,
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the role leaders play in building culture. Establishing a culture of excellence goes far beyond mission, vision, and values. Culture is the one thing that isn’t always evident in the data. That’s because it’s established, reinforced, and refined by what leaders tolerate and decide far more than by what they say. When words and actions fail to align, leaders who intend to create a culture of excellence should sound the alarm with urgency.
Leaders are tasked with making a variety of decisions about so many things, both large and small. Whether those decisions are about expectations, resources, recognition, or accountability, they send a clear message to members of the organization. It is often the implicit messages, not the explicit ones, that set the tone for an organization’s culture, and the leader is ultimately responsible for every message communicated. Some messages build trust, clarity, and alignment. Others reinforce low expectations, reduce accountability, and emphasize complacency.
Whether leaders realize it or not, people are paying attention. They notice what we prioritize, what we protect, what we address, what we ignore, and what we allow to continue. Over time, those decisions become more than isolated choices. They become signals. And those signals shape culture. Every decision matters, whether large or small, when building a culture of excellence or dismantling one of complacency and apathy.
As leaders, we must stay mindful of how our decisions, actions, or neglect can impact our efforts to cultivate a culture that truly represents who we are as leaders. As we think about our decisions, here are some key points to keep in mind when it comes to culture building:
1. Decisions reveal priorities.
If we say stakeholders matter, but never protect time to listen, support, or follow up, our decisions may communicate something different.
2. Decisions shape expectations.
What leaders address consistently becomes part of the standard. What leaders avoid can quietly become accepted practice. Culture is often formed in the gap between what we say we value and what we actually reinforce.
3. Decisions build or weaken trust.
People may not always agree with every decision, but they are more likely to trust leaders when decisions are thoughtful, consistent, transparent, and connected to a clear purpose.
4. Decisions create the lived experience of culture.
Culture is not just what is written on the wall. It is what people experience every day through communication, accountability, fairness, support, and follow-through.
Leadership requires us to remember that decisions are never neutral. They either reinforce the culture we want or contribute to the culture we may later have to repair. As leaders, it is important that we reflect often on how our decision-making impacts the culture we are building in our organizations. Ask yourself:
What message are my recent decisions sending?
Do my decisions reflect the values I say matter most?
What am I currently protecting through my decisions?
What am I unintentionally permitting through my silence or delay?
So this week, I encourage you to pay attention to the messages your decisions are sending. Not just the major decisions, but the everyday ones too. The meeting you keep. The conversation you have. The issue you address. The standard you uphold. The person you support. The follow-up you complete. Because over time, those decisions tell the story of what we value.
And that story becomes the culture.
Keep leading with heart, soul, and from the inside out!
Yours in Leadership,
Latoya