Why Culture Shifts Don’t Stick—And What Strong Leaders Do Differently

Let’s be honest: KPIs are everywhere.
 

You put dashboards on dashboards. Teams are tracking metrics like their lives depend on it.
Culture is squarely on the radar too—hence Gemba walks, value posters, town halls (and yes, you’ve done that too).

But if leadership doesn’t shift first, neither of those things will.

The Missing Third Success Factor

At Catalyst, we talk about three success factors that actually drive real change:

1. Outcomes (what goals you're aiming for)
   
2. Culture (how people experience the work)
   
3. Leadership (how leaders show up every day)
   
   

Most organizations focus on outcomes (KPIs) and culture (walking the floor). But leadership? That’s the blind spot.

There’s a leadership development gap that speaks volumes: 83% of companies say developing leaders at all levels is important—but less than 5% have actually implemented leadership programs at every level (Genuis Group).

That’s the gap between knowing what matters and doing what matters.

When Culture Fails, It’s Rarely a Process Problem

We got a call from a CEO recently—frustrated and looking for answers. They’d just had another serious food safety issue, and once again, the team hadn’t followed the protocols.

“We need help fixing our systems,” they said.
“Our people aren’t doing what they’re supposed to.”

But here’s what we told them:

“You don’t have a process problem. You have a people problem.”

Most teams do know what to do. But when the environment around them feels uncertain, unsafe, or unpredictable—when they don’t know who will back them up—they hesitate. They play it safe. They stay quiet.

That’s not a performance issue.
That’s a leadership issue.

Because if the culture doesn’t feel safe, no system will save you.

Until leaders change how they show up, you won’t change outcomes—or culture. That’s the difference between compliance and commitment. And leadership is what makes that difference stick.

Why Intent Without Integrity Backfires

Psychology research shows that half the battle is belief—but the other half is behavior. When leadership doesn’t embody the values, people feel tension—like the culture is aspirational, not authentic.

That’s why the most meaningful change starts with leaders who look in the mirror—not just across the shop floor.

What to Do Instead

• Start by asking how you show up when no one’s looking—not how you perform under praise
  
• Let your inner values drive your outer behaviors—even if no one is watching.
  
  

Because shifting culture isn’t flip a switch. It's a practice that begins with leaders who do things differently—even when it’s hard.

Want Help Embedding Real Change—Not Posters?

• Download the Readiness Compass Tool—to see if your team’s actually ready for behavior-level culture shifts
  
  
• Join our Enrichment session, “Dealing with Difficult People,” where we practice how to uncover the meaning behind friction—not mask it
  
  
• Talk with us about your leadership journey—because transformation starts with the first courageous step.  Set up a call HERE. 

Reference

• Genius Group. Leadership Statistics: Insights for Business and Teams (2024). Source: https://joingenius.com/statistics/leadership-statistics/ (Accessed August 2025)