One of the most common questions leaders ask us is: 

“How am I going to achieve the results I’m looking for?” 

Whether it’s financial targets, performance expectations, or operational efficiency, the pressure to deliver results is relentless. While this challenge has existed for decades, the way we approach it today has changed drastically. 

In the past, organisations focused on driving specific behaviours by telling people exactly what to do (what we call ‘Command and Control’). The assumption was, that if team members followed a prescribed set of actions, the desired outcomes would naturally follow. But we know that behaviour isn’t something a leader can simply dictate. It goes deeper than that. And that something deeper is culture. 

Why culture matters more than ever

Culture is the foundation that drives the right behaviours. It’s a living, breathing thing and is more than just compliance or checking boxes. Having the right culture is about alignment and aligning your culture with your strategy so that people don’t just understand what’s expected of them, but they have bought into and believe in it.

When team members buy into your organisation’s purpose, vision and values, they don’t just follow blindly— they actively embody and engage with them daily. Engagement, as we know, is key to successful teams and organisations. It’s what drives effort — the willingness to go above and beyond, to contribute more, to take pride in their work and to deliver results that exceed expectations.

So how do we define purpose, vision and values?

• Purpose: The fundamental reason your organisation exists beyond making a profit. It defines the impact you want to have on the world and inspires people to contribute to something meaningful.
• Vision: A clear and aspirational statement of where your organisation wants to be in the future. It provides direction and helps align efforts toward long-term success.
• Values: The core principles and beliefs that guide behaviour within your organisation. They shape decision-making, influence company culture and create a strong sense of identity.

Defining culture: The way we do things here

One of the biggest misconceptions about culture is that it’s intangible or hard to define. In reality, it’s quite simple:

Culture is the way we do things here.

It’s the behaviours, values and attitudes that define your organisation. It’s the collective mindset that shapes how decisions are made, how challenges are approached and how success is achieved.

When culture is strong and aligned with the organisational strategy, it becomes a powerful driver of performance. It creates a sense of belonging, purpose and commitment that transforms a workplace from tasks and transactions into a space of shared goals and meaningful work.

Leading with culture in mind

As a leader, your role isn’t just to set targets and enforce policies — it’s to live the culture. You set the tone. You role model the behaviours that define your team and the organisation. You create the environment where people feel motivated to contribute their best work — not because they have to, but because they want to.

So, if you want to achieve outstanding results, start with culture. Get it right and the behaviours will follow. Then, when the right behaviours become second nature, success is inevitable.

If you’d like to learn more about culture, explore our Leading Culture online module!