Culture Exists Whether You Shape It or Not

Every business has a culture. The difference is whether it’s intentional or accidental.

Leadership behaviour shapes culture far more than any written statement ever will. I’ve seen stressed business owners with no time for themselves rush through meetings, check emails mid-conversation, and indirectly say to employees that their time and input aren’t important. Even when meetings are scheduled, if there’s no presence or attention, the interaction quickly becomes negative rather than supportive.

On the other hand, I’ve seen leaders who make time, without distraction, create environments where employees time matters and feedback is exchanged openly and constructively.

There’s an old saying that one rotten apple spoils the barrel. Culture usually isn’t that extreme but the principle is worth thinking about. The behaviours that spread fastest in teams are often the negative ones. Stress, impatience, disengagement, and avoidance are contagious. And when leaders say one thing but reward another, confusion sets in and trust slips away. People don’t pay much attention to what’s written on the wall, they watch what’s tolerated and what’s reinforced. As my family would always say, actions speak louder than words.

Rowan makes an important point that if culture isn’t defined, the loudest person defines it. I’ve seen this happen repeatedly. One person’s negativity can shift an entire team just as easily as positive energy can lift it. I see this clearly in my team sport. At football training, it’s obvious when the mood changes the moment music goes on, or when one person’s drive pulls others with them. Energy is contagious. One person lifts, then another joins in, and suddenly the whole group has put their individual moods aside and moved together.

The same thing happens in business except when it goes unmanaged, negative behaviours like laziness or gossip often go unaddressed. Avoiding uncomfortable conversations doesn’t make these behaviours disappear. It allows them to fester. What starts as casual gossip can escalate into bullying. One person can become isolated, disengaged, and eventually leave not because they couldn’t do the job, but because the environment became unsafe or uncomfortable.

Culture isn’t built in workshops or written into policies and procedures, it’s built in everyday behaviour. It’s shaped by what leaders prioritise when they’re busy, how issues are addressed when they’re uncomfortable, and what gets ignored because it feels easier to avoid. Left unattended, culture shifts and over time, that shift determines whether people feel safe, engaged, and willing to engage or whether they quietly check out. Being intentional about culture doesn’t mean controlling people or forcing positivity. That's fake after all. It means paying attention, having the conversations that matter, and recognising that culture is always forming, whether you choose to shape it or not.