The often-quoted phrase "Leaders create culture, culture drives behaviors, behaviors produce results" is popular in companies large and small. While often attributed to various organizational behavior experts, leadership consultants, and sports coaches, the phrase does not have a single definitive author. Despite its unclear origin, the message it conveys is crystal clear.
"Leaders create culture, culture drives behaviors, behaviors produce results" powerfully communicates a widely accepted concept in leadership and management theory – that leaders play a pivotal role in shaping organizational culture, which influences employee behavior and ultimately impacts organizational outcomes.
Think about that for a moment. Leaders are catalysts of change and vanguards of culture in organizations. Everything they do – and conversely fail to do – has an outsized impact on those around them and the performance of their teams. Consider these statistics:
Gallup research highlights that about 70% of the variance in employee engagement scores is attributable to leadership.
McKinsey & Company reports that strong leadership can improve company performance by up to 20% to 25%.
Harvard Business Review suggests that effective leadership can account for as much as 40% of an organization's performance.
Despite overwhelming evidence supporting the importance of leaders, many leaders often struggle in their roles. In my experience, companies frequently promote individuals into leadership roles based on previous accomplishments but often fail to fully support them in the transition, assuming that their history of success guarantees future achievement.
New leaders – or those with newly expanded responsibilities – often struggle with team dynamics, stakeholder management, and strategic development. They wrestle with prioritization challenges, change resistance, and interpersonal conflict. As these leaders struggle, their teams and organizations can be left adrift, disengaged, or at a minimum, perform sub-optimally.
Investing in a leadership advisor can help a leader get on track. Through fit-for-purpose coaching and team-building sessions, practical solutions can be developed, executed, and tracked, ensuring their effectiveness and demonstrating their impact.
Talk is great, but actions produce results for an organization. If you are a leader who needs help, or if your firm is struggling with the performance of your teams, get in touch. Remember, "Leaders create culture, culture drives behaviors, behaviors produce results," but leaders can’t create themselves. We can help.
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