Company Culture: The Foundation of Your Organization

"To each, there comes a time when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to their talents." — Winston Churchill.

What is that "very special thing" for business leaders today? It’s cultivating company culture. While balance sheets and market strategies might take center stage in board meetings, company culture works behind the scenes as the invisible hand shaping your organization’s success.

I personally believe that organizations can be the greatest force for good in the world today. The opportunity before every leader with the power to influence employees, vendors, customers, and their wider community is nothing short of extraordinary.

Influence serves as the driving force for meaningful change, and business leaders possess this transformative power at their fingertips. By leveraging this influence thoughtfully and purposefully, leaders have the ability to shape the fabric of our society and drive meaningful, positive change on a global scale.

Without Strong Culture, Strategy Alone Cannot Save You

Yet, in an era of hybrid workflows, dispersed teams, and rapid innovation demands, many leaders underestimate the strategic power of culture or fail to adapt theirs for evolving challenges. This oversight can prove costly—not just in productivity or turnover but in your organization's ability to thrive in a competitive landscape.

Why Culture is Your Strategic Advantage

Every company has a culture, whether deliberate or accidental. The question is, is yours working for or against you? Strong company cultures aren’t just a "nice-to-have"; they’re a direct driver of success. Here’s why company culture matters more than you think:

• It fuels top talent attraction and retention. A Glassdoor survey found 77% of professionals consider a company’s culture before applying for a job.

• It boosts productivity. Engaged employees are over 20% more productive than their disengaged counterparts (Gallup).

• It aligns your organization. A cohesive culture serves as the North Star guiding decision-making, collaboration, and innovation.

  
  

For CEOs and business leaders, culture is not just a human resources matter—it’s a strategic asset. Viewing culture through this lens was a game-changer in my own career.

Over the years, I’ve worked within both toxic environments and exemplary ecosystems. What separated the two invariably boiled down to leadership—the tone they set and the behaviors they rewarded or overlooked.

This begs the question—what kind of culture are you fostering?

Confronting Today’s Challenges in Workplace Culture

The modern workplace landscape brings unique challenges, particularly for organizations navigating global or remote teams. Here’s how leaders should tackle the biggest hurdles they’ll face when shaping organizational culture today.

1. Shifting to Remote Work

Many organizations have struggled to maintain their cultural identity amidst the hybrid work evolution. Without day-to-day interactions in the office, bonds can weaken, and core values can become diluted.

Solution: Reinforce company values through intentional digital meetups, clear communication, and tools that promote collaboration. Platforms like Slack and Notion aren’t just logistical aids—they’re opportunities to showcase your cultural DNA with every interaction.

2. Balancing Agility and Consistency

Innovation demands flexibility, but unchecked, it risks diluting the principles that ground your business.

Solution: Anchor your agility in shared values. Define three to five non-negotiable tenets of your culture and ensure they influence hiring, goal-setting, and decision-making.

3. Facing Cultural Fragmentation in Global Teams

With operations spanning regions, cultural discrepancies may creep in, causing inconsistency in employee experiences.

Solution: While local diversity should be embraced, a unifying corporate culture needs to set the baseline standard. Leverage storytelling, cross-office exchanges, and leadership development programs to ensure cohesion while respecting nuances.

4. Maintaining Cultural Strength During Crises

Under pressure, culture is either revealed or reinforced. Times of organizational disruption, whether layoffs or mergers, can erode trust and alignment.

Solution: Act transparently. Communicate not just the “what” but the “why” behind organizational decisions. Employees respect authenticity, even amid challenges.

6 Rules for Building Strong Culture Leadership

Building a powerful company culture doesn’t happen overnight. It requires deliberate effort, investment, and consistent execution. Here are six key takeaways for business leaders serious about cultivating a culture fit for long-term success:

1. Lead by Example 

Your employees take their cultural cues from your behavior. Want a culture rooted in accountability? Start by owning your mistakes.

2. Communicate Clearly and Often 

Culture thrives on communication. Deliver your values consistently through internal messaging, town halls, Teams, or Slack posts.

3. Hire and Onboard Intentionally 

Onboarding is where culture starts. Introduce new hires to your core values as part of their training—make them feel like part of the family from day one.

4. Align Recognition to Values 

Reward behaviors that embody what your culture stands for. For example, if collaboration is a pillar, celebrate team wins more than individual accolades.

5. Measure Cultural Health 

Just as you track KPIs, you must track cultural health through feedback, surveys, and retention metrics. Culture audits can reveal hidden friction before it manifests as turnover.

6. Adapt as You Grow 

Culture isn’t static. Regularly reflect on your cultural values to ensure they align with your everyday experiences and actions. Staying agile in this way ensures relevance without losing the essence.

Invest in Culture—Because the Stakes Can’t Be Higher

If your organization’s culture isn’t actively cultivated, no pivot in strategy, no amount of funding, and no superstar recruit can fully compensate for that gap. The strongest companies—those that transcend industries and eras—share one trait in common: a relentless commitment to culture.

Think of culture as the soil in which your company’s ambitions grow. It determines whether your strategies flourish or wither.

It’s never too late to start cultivating the culture you need for tomorrow. Your next big move starts with aligning leadership and cultural values. 

For deeper insights into leading with purpose and shaping culture in volatile times, tune into The Pursuit of Value Podcast. Explore how others are redefining success and equity in the workplace.

Winston Churchill was right—leaders are tapped on the shoulder to do extraordinary things. For this generation of CEOs and business leaders, building a culture that unites, inspires, and endures might just be yours.