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                Real Leadership: Culture By Design

                Michelle Sales/20 July 2025
                1 minute read time

                Culture is often talked about like a fixed asset - something an organisation has or doesn’t have. But in reality, culture is shaped every single day by the behaviour of leaders. And when those behaviours aren’t intentional, culture grows by default - not design.

                I worked with a leadership team in a rapidly growing company that was proud of its startup energy and values-driven beginnings. But as the organisation scaled, the culture started to fray. Staff were confused about expectations. Decisions were inconsistent. Engagement dropped. The founders felt like the soul of the company was slipping away.

                It wasn’t that they didn’t care about culture - they just didn’t know how to maintain it at scale. That’s when we reframed the conversation: Culture isn’t something you manage. It’s something you model.

                We began by getting clear on individual leadership values. Each executive reflected on key questions: What do I stand for? What do I want this culture to feel like? Where am I out of alignment?

                Next, they shared their values and stories with one another - why these things mattered, what shaped them, and how they wanted to lead. These conversations unlocked a deeper level of connection. The team wasn’t just aligned on strategy - they were aligned on who they wanted to be as leaders.

                From there, we co-designed a leadership charter: a set of guiding behaviours that each leader committed to. Not as a compliance checklist, but as a lived practice. Things like: “We give and receive feedback with courage.” “We model the values we ask others to uphold.” “We own our impact - intended or not.”

                Over the next few months, these commitments came to life. They were reflected in how meetings were run, how recognition was given, and how tough conversations were handled. New recruits were introduced to the culture through stories and conversations, not slide decks. Peer coaching became part of leadership development.

                And the impact? People started trusting again. The clarity and consistency created momentum. Silos broke down. Engagement climbed. Culture evolved. Stronger. Clearer. More sustainable.

                Culture by design means leading from the inside out. It’s about embedding who you are into how you lead - every day, in every interaction. That’s how culture lives. And that’s how it lasts.

                #RealLeadership #LeadershipTeam #LeadershipDevelopment #NewLeadershipProgram #MichelleSalesLeadership

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                Michelle Sales/20 July 2025