23rd June 2025
Spotting Leaders Who Shape Culture & Those Who Don’t
Leadership isn’t just about strategy and execution, it’s about influence. Some leaders intentionally craft and nurture a strong organisational culture, while others unknowingly erode it. So, how can you spot the difference? More importantly, what can you do about it?
Culture-conscious leaders shape their organisations through deliberate action, while culture-passive leaders let external pressures dictate their workplace environment. Let’s break down the signs.
1. The Intentional Culture Leader
These leaders embed culture through their words, actions, and decisions. They understand that culture isn’t just an HR initiative; it’s the invisible force guiding behaviours and attitudes across the organisation.
They’re easy to spot:
- They walk the talk. Their personal behaviour aligns with the values they preach. If they advocate transparency, they practice open communication themselves.
- They reinforce cultural norms in everyday operations. It’s not just about posters and mission statements; they embed culture into hiring, promotions, and strategic decisions.
- They have consistency in crisis. During tough times, they don’t abandon their values for short-term wins. They lead with integrity and authenticity.
- They cultivate psychological safety. Employees feel empowered to speak up, challenge ideas, and contribute without fear of repercussions.
Companies led by intentional culture builders see stronger employee engagement, lower turnover, and a workforce that thrives beyond just hitting KPIs.
What to do if you spot them: Learn from them! Work under them, observe their leadership style, and apply their cultural mindset in your own sphere of influence.
2. The Passive Culture Leader
These leaders don’t necessarily mean to weaken the organisation’s culture, they’re simply unaware of its importance or fail to recognise their role in shaping it. They often focus purely on business outcomes without considering how their decisions impact workplace dynamics.
Warning signs include:
- They prioritise results over values. Their leadership revolves around revenue, efficiency, and performance metrics, culture is an afterthought.
- They avoid difficult conversations. When cultural issues arise (such as toxic work environments or exclusionary practices), they look away instead of addressing them head-on.
- They don’t model company values. If an organisation promotes teamwork, but the leader operates in silos, employees will follow suit.
- They treat culture as an HR function. Instead of embedding culture into leadership decisions, they delegate cultural efforts to HR teams without real leadership engagement.
Culture under passive leaders tends to become reactive rather than proactive. Employees take cues from workplace norms rather than leadership principles, and toxicity can spread unnoticed.
What to do if you spot them: Influence from within. If you’re part of their team, drive cultural conversations, highlight the importance of workplace values, and lead by example. If needed, escalate discussions to those who can make meaningful changes.
Leadership Culture Starts with Awareness
Culture doesn’t lead itself, leaders shape it, whether intentionally or not. The strongest organisations recognise that leadership and culture are inseparable.
If you’re an organisational leader, ask yourself:
- Am I consciously shaping our workplace culture?
- Do my actions reinforce our values or contradict them?
- When culture challenges arise, do I address them or ignore them?
By identifying the right leaders, and being intentional about your own leadership impact, you can ensure culture remains a powerful force, not an accidental outcome.
Generator Talent Group
Categories: Uncategorised
