I’ve been on the corporate hamster wheel — the one where growth becomes the primary driver, and often the only one. Culture took second place, with the quiet hope that it would just work itself out.

Every six months, with alarming regularity, we ran a culture survey. The expectation was that things would improve. Each year the results were shared with management, followed by a directive to build an action plan addressing whatever showed up in the feedback. But here’s the reality: none of it was supported from the highest rung of the organizational ladder. Senior leaders rubber-stamped a few initiatives they hoped would move the needle, then handed the bulk of the work to middle management. Little coordination. Little focus. A wing and a prayer.

After several rounds of this cycle, it hit me. We were doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results — the textbook definition of insanity. Most of us in middle management were convinced the next round of results would be the same, if not worse.

But here’s the deeper problem: we were moving too fast to do anything differently. Doing something different would have required us to slow down, and we simply weren’t willing. Our new private equity ownership wouldn’t allow it. Oh, they “believed in culture” — their words. But there was little action to back them up. You can say whatever you want about culture, but without the intentionality, focus, and restraint to see it through, you’ll default back to whatever appears to drive your business. Annual recurring revenue. Customer satisfaction. Net promoter scores. You’ll drift back to what the C-suite believes matters most. Culture survey results, unfortunately, never make that short list of KPIs.

A Leader Who Chose Differently

Bobby Herrera, founder and CEO of Populus Group, was recently interviewed on the Culture Creators podcast, where he described how he intentionally slowed his organization down to build culture rather than chase growth.

Unlike Bobby, many leaders can’t see the forest for the trees. After you’ve grown and scaled your organization to where it is, slowing down feels impossible — unreasonable, even foolish. In today’s competitive environment, it’s hard to imagine why slowing down would ever be a good thing.

Bobby shared a number of insights, but three stuck with me — in part because they align so closely with the work I do alongside Jenni Catron and The 4Sight Group as we help leaders through the LeadCulture framework. Bobby named three pillars of culture: build identity, guide behavior, and speak a common language.

Build Identity

Jenni defines culture as “who we are and how we work together to achieve our mission.” The first part of that definition is “who we are.” You have to know who you are at your core to be successful. Without that grounding, you’ll spend your days chasing the wind.

And I’ve watched so many organizations do exactly that. Chasing the wind to find the next big thing. Chasing the wind to keep up with the competition. Chasing the wind to be first to market. Chasing the wind to deliver AI to your customers. Fill in the wind however you’d like.

Don’t get me wrong — every organization, whether a for-profit business, a nonprofit, or a church, has to keep its eyes on where things are headed. But without grounding, it’s just what it sounds like: chasing the wind.

I once worked for a leader whose approach was fire, aim, ready. He was constantly changing gears — following the wind of a leadership team that kept placing new and different demands on him. What he lacked was the grounding to name who we were, what we were called to do, and — most importantly — to stay the course. As one of his direct reports, I discovered that one of my primary roles was to keep his shotgun approach from reshaping my day-to-day leadership. I had to stay grounded in my identity, our organization’s overarching purpose, and my team’s marching orders. Had I not, I would have created daily whiplash for my team. Others under his leadership followed the wind right alongside him — and whiplash was the name of the game.

The market will change. The culture around us will throw curveballs. But the organizations that survive and thrive are the ones that are crystal clear about who they are and why they exist in the world. Staying grounded there frames everything else.

Guide Behavior

The second part of Jenni’s definition is “how we work together” — how we behave. You’ve likely heard it said: what we tolerate, we replicate. The flip side is just as true: what we celebrate, we replicate. If you allow gossip and division, poor performance, and a lack of accountability, that’s exactly the behavior you’ll see multiply throughout the organization.

And like everything else, leaders lead the way here. Everyone creates culture, yes — but leaders have twice the ability to shape it. That’s why the behavior of leadership matters so much. If your leaders lack integrity, do you really expect an organization filled with integrity? If your leaders get defensive rather than receiving feedback, do you honestly think you’ll build a feedback culture? Not likely.

As leaders, we have to first model the behavior we want to see. And a critical component of guiding behavior is building a culture of feedback — because growth doesn’t happen without change, and change requires us to adjust our behavior to see different results. John Maxwell puts it this way: “A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.”

It starts with leaders. Then it permeates the culture.

Speak a Common Language

Language is the primary vehicle of culture. It’s the system through which a community encodes, transmits, and preserves its values, beliefs, norms, and shared history. That’s been true throughout human history.

In fact, one of the fastest ways to change a culture is to change its language. There’s no better example than the Tower of Babel in Genesis. Culture was going sideways, and God’s remedy was to confuse their language. Before that encounter, they spoke one language and had conspired to reach heaven on their own terms. Resetting their language broke down the culture they were operating in — a reset of biblical proportions.

Language still defines who we are and how we behave. Now, simply introducing a few new words or phrases won’t change culture on its own — it requires the other two pillars: who we are and how we work together. And this is where the third part of Jenni’s definition comes into play: “to achieve our mission.”

Mission is the language of our organizations. It puts into words who we are and how we work together. It sets the sail for where the ship is heading. And alongside mission, the everyday language of your organization shapes the culture you want.

Back to Bobby. He intentionally changed the language at Populus. They don’t hire or recruit — they select. They don’t onboard — they welcome. They don’t train — they develop.

You might say those words mean the same thing. Maybe at first glance. But when you select rather than hire, you’re looking for team members who align with your culture and values — people who fit. That’s not recruiting; that’s selection. When you believe the people joining you are among the most talented anywhere, and you expect them to invest years in a healthy culture, you don’t onboard them — you welcome them. And when you’re making a long-term investment in someone you believe will shape the next decade of your organization, you don’t just train them. You develop them — hoping, believing, and investing in your next director or VP.

The Question for All of Us

Culture is who we are and how we work together to achieve our mission. So here’s the question: are you willing to slow down and make that your primary focus?

Because here’s what happens when you do — the people on your team start working with you to grow, achieve, and hit every one of those KPIs you’re so focused on today. Wouldn’t it be more fulfilling — and far less stressful — to lead an organization full of people partnering alongside you, carrying the weight with you, rather than mustering the strength to carry it alone?

If you believe that, you’ll likely need to slow down a bit and invest a little more in your culture. The investment will pay dividends. It just may take a bit more time.

Oh, and by the way — by implementing this intentional culture shift and focusing heavily on their selection and welcome processes, Bobby Herrera drove Populus Group’s attrition rate to more than 50% below the industry average.

How much would that save your organization?

Ready to slow down and build a culture that lasts? If your organization is stuck chasing growth while culture takes a back seat, you don’t have to figure it out alone. At The 4Sight Group, we partner with leaders through the LeadCulture framework to help you build identity, guide behavior, and speak a common language — so your team starts carrying the weight with you. Reach out to start the conversation about culture and leadership coaching for your organization.