Shaping Culture from the Inside

Admin Account
Aug 15
4 min read

Whether You’re the Coach or Just Playing on the Field

Introduction

So far, we’ve covered what workplace culture is and why it matters and explored how different teams need different cultures to succeed. Now, it’s time to bring it all home: how do you actually shape culture?

In this final part of the series, we’ll look at how culture is influenced by the everyday actions of team members and the more deliberate levers used by leaders. Because no matter your job title, you contribute to the culture — for better or worse.

Culture Is Everyone’s Job (But Leaders Set the Tone)

Let’s return to the quasi-team metaphor one last time. In a sports team, the coach can define the game plan, but the players still shape how it’s played. In a family, parents set the tone — but each member affects the dynamic. In a friendship group, there's no formal leader, but the vibe is a shared outcome.

It’s the same in the workplace. Leaders have more influence, but culture lives in the daily habits, conversations, and decisions of everyone on the team.

“You don’t build a culture with grand gestures. You build it in the moments no one is watching.”

– Unknown

How Team Members Influence Culture

You don’t need permission to influence culture. Here are ways any team member can shape it:

1. Model What You Want to See

If you want a culture of openness, ask questions and admit what you don’t know. If you want mutual respect, show it first.

2. Reinforce the Right Behaviours

Celebrate teammates who do things the right way — not just those who deliver results. A quiet “nice one for owning that mistake” goes further than you think.

3. Challenge What Doesn’t Fit

Call out the eye-rolls in meetings, the toxic banter, or the inconsistent follow-through. Culture shifts when someone decides not to let it slide.

4. Create Micro-Rituals

A 3-minute “gratitude round” in the Friday team meeting. A shared wins Slack channel. Culture lives in habits — and anyone can start one.

5. Protect Psychological Safety

Make space for quieter voices. Don’t talk over others. Ask the person who hasn’t spoken yet. These moments build trust in the system.

How Leaders Drive Culture

Leaders shape culture whether they mean to or not. People notice what you say, but they pay even closer attention to what you do — especially when it’s hard.

Here are the key levers available to people leaders:

1. Who You Hire and Promote

Nothing signals your culture more loudly than who you reward. Hire for values, not just skill. Promote those who lift others, not just deliver individually.

2. What You Tolerate

You don’t need to endorse bad behaviour to let it spread — you just need to ignore it. Culture is shaped as much by what you walk past as what you act on.

3. How You Handle Failure

Do you punish mistakes, or treat them as learning opportunities? Teams mirror your response.

4. What You Prioritise Under Pressure

Do you sacrifice values to hit the deadline? Do you skip 1:1s when things get busy? Culture isn’t set when it’s easy — it’s revealed when it’s hard.

5. The Stories You Tell

Whether it’s onboarding stories or all-hands shoutouts, the examples you share reinforce your culture’s blueprint. Use them deliberately.

“Every action you take is a vote for the culture you’re creating.”

– Inspired by James Clear

A Culture Health Checklist

Whether you’re shaping culture from the front or the middle of the pack, here are a few simple questions to ask yourself:

What behaviour have I rewarded recently?
What poor behaviour have I allowed to slide?
What kind of energy do I bring to meetings?
Who’s speaking most — and who’s staying quiet?
What example am I setting when I’m under pressure?

Wrapping Up

You don’t need to be the CEO to shape culture. You just need to care enough to notice it — and be brave enough to influence it.

Culture is built one behaviour, one conversation, and one expectation at a time. When everyone understands their role — whether they’re coaching from the sidelines or on the field playing — culture becomes not just something we inherit, but something we create.

That’s a wrap on the series. If you’ve stuck with all three parts, you now know:

What culture is, and why it matters more than strategy
How different teams need different cultures
How to shape it from wherever you sit

The final question is: what will you choose to do with your culture next?

To round out the series, I’ve also included three practical artefacts I think you’ll find useful:

A Culture Influencer Cheat Sheet — 10 simple actions for shaping culture, whether you’re a team member or a leader.
A Culture Health Self-Assessment — a 10-question diagnostic to help your team reflect on how your current culture is tracking.
A Mini Playbook — three quick rituals you can implement today to start reinforcing the culture you want.