Culture Starts at the Top: The Crucial Role of Leaders

In a packed conference room with 120 leaders, surrounded by posters displaying their core values, the Incito team embarked on a mission to help reshape the way leadership works – in preparation for a high growth future. We found ourselves at the beginning of a transformative journey, guiding the emergence of leadership behaviors that would redefine the culture that will be needed to support a high growth strategy.  The shift is from a focus on process and projects to a new commitment to people first leadership. Simon Sinek says, “Values are verbs, not nouns. In order to build the culture we envision, we have to enact our values in how we show up every single day.” If leaders expect team members to exhibit the values of the organization, they must lead the way and show what the values look like in everyday behaviours and decisions.

Behaviours are the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for organization values. They provide  the framework and metrics for assessing leadership and the culture it creates.  However, defining these everyday behaviours can prove to be a challenging exercise. Behaviours are tangible expressions of values, the actions we can see or hear, and are the building blocks of a thriving organizational culture.  They are objective, meaning that two people could describe it the same way. Behaviours can be recorded by a video camera. 

As we guided the groups of leaders through the exercise, we explored three distinct angles to gain a comprehensive understanding of the behaviours that represent the organization’s desired culture:

Table Stakes: What are table stakes behaviours of these values?

Table stakes behaviours are the essential actions expected of everyone in the organization, regardless of their position.  These behaviours are the foundation upon which a value-driven culture rests. For example, consider the value of Communication, a table stakes behaviour might be: “I share regular updates with my team and my leader at key milestones and whenever significant changes happen.” These behaviours are the bare minimum required for aligning with the organization’s values.  They are critically important and yet probably not enough to deliver the change needed for an ambitious strategy.

Role Model: What are the role model leadership behaviours?

Leaders, in their capacity as stewards of the organization's values, are expected to exhibit a distinct set of behaviors. These are the behaviors that set an example for others to follow or create a climate where others can be their best. Continuing with the value of Communication, a leadership behavior might be: "When I delegate tasks to team members, I make clear requests by ensuring I share the deliverable, the context, and the deadline and ask for agreement." These behaviors are a source of inspiration for the rest of the organization and help others develop into future leaders.

Strategic Behaviours: What are the behaviours of these values that will be essential to achieving the organizational strategy?

In alignment with the organization's strategic goals, there are specific behaviors that hold particular importance. These are the actions that propel the organization forward, steering it toward the realization of its strategic objectives. Taking the example of the value of Communication again, a strategic behavior might be: "I share our vision and North Star at the beginning of every team meeting to reset our perspective on the topics we are about to discuss and decide on." These behaviors act as the engines driving the organization towards realizing its purpose and vision.

It's evident that for an organization to truly live its values, it requires leaders to lead by example, to be the stewards of the values. As the saying goes, "actions speak louder than words”, behaviours speak louder than value posters on the walls.  The behaviors demonstrated by leaders are clear evidence of an organization's commitment to its values. They serve as the guiding light, not just for other leaders, but for every individual within the organization.

In the room with the leaders and our team, a shift began taking place.  The leaders began to shift their thinking about values as ideals and theory to tangible actions they could be taking to make a difference in shaping the future of the business.  Here, leadership is not just about managing tasks; it's about inspiring and empowering, about setting the standard for what it means to live and breathe the organization's values and the way people work.

As we venture further into this transformative journey, it becomes abundantly clear that culture indeed starts at the top, and the role of leaders in shaping that culture is indispensable. They are the true stewards of the values that define the organization, and it's through their actions that these values find their fullest expression.

We invite you to think about the journey your organization is on – what are the behaviours needed now that will build for the future you want?