How to Achieve Leadership Excellence and Drive Cultural Transformation

Strategy doesn’t beat culture. Culture doesn’t beat strategy. You need both or you lose. Period. Let’s get brutally honest: Most executive teams obsess over “how to win” — but ignore “how we behave while trying to win.” And that’s exactly why great strategies fail in great companies. According to McKinsey, 70% of strategic transformations fail — and the top reason isn’t poor planning. It’s people resistance and cultural misalignment. Let’s decode this brilliant framework (above) into real, actionable insights: 1. Leadership = the engine Everything starts here. If leadership is unclear, misaligned, or ego-driven — both strategy and culture will be compromised. Only 22% of employees say leaders have a clear vision that they understand and believe in (Gallup, 2023). That’s not a strategy problem. That’s a leadership alignment crisis. What to do: -Align your top team around ONE north star. -Make strategy-culture sync a leadership KPI. -Coach leaders to model cultural behaviors in execution. 2. Strategy provides the map It answers: - Where are we going? - Where do we play? - How do we win? But a map is useless if no one’s willing to drive the vehicle. And most teams stall because they’re “mapped” but not mobilized. Mistake I see often? Strategy gets documented. Not translated into people’s roles. What to do: -Break “how to win” into functional scorecards. -Let each team own their playbook. -Reinforce strategy in weekly narratives, not annual decks. 3. Culture provides the ride Culture isn’t posters. It’s what people do when no one’s watching. It flows from values → people → behaviors. The culture you tolerate is the culture you get. Fact: A bad culture can execute short-term. But it can’t scale. 91% of HR leaders in a PwC survey said their culture doesn’t support strategy execution. No wonder transformation fatigue is real. What to do: -Audit your culture against the real strategy (not the old one). -Celebrate behaviors that fuel direction, not just outcomes. -Eliminate legacy behaviors that drain momentum. 4. Execution = where alignment shows up (or breaks down) Great execution isn’t about speed. It’s about strategic cohesion. Every misstep in execution reflects a broken link — in either the map or the ride. If strategy and culture aren't co-designed, execution will always feel like pushing a boulder uphill. My takeaway after coaching 100+ C-level leaders: Culture is how strategy breathes. Strategy is how culture moves. You want results? Marry the two. Or risk losing both. I coach executives and leadership teams to bridge this gap. Because PowerPoints don’t execute. People do. If your strategy feels stuck — let’s talk. #ExecutiveCoaching #StrategyExecution #CultureTransformation #LeadershipAlignment #OrganizationalHealth #CLevelLeadership

Success leaves clues. So does business failure. The difference between thriving companies and failing ones? Implementing transformation in the wrong sequence. Leaders who struggle with a dysfunctional workplace often miss a fundamental truth: cultural transformation can follow a specific, predictable process. The 4 D's of Cultural Change are a game-changer: 1. DEMONSTRATE Culture change begins with what you DO, not what you SAY. Your team watches every move you make, especially during stress and conflict. I've coached founders with toxic cultures who transformed their companies by starting with their own behavior. One founder began openly acknowledging when he was wrong - within weeks, his team followed suit. No mandate needed. Your actions broadcast priorities louder than words. Want psychological safety? Publicly thank someone for challenging your idea. 2. DEFINE Only after consistently demonstrating behaviors should you name the behavior as a desired cultural value. You're not inventing culture – you're articulating what's already emerging. Founders I've coached only formalize values after weeks of modeling those behaviors. By then, the team understands what the words mean through experience. Words create powerful shortcuts once behaviors are established. 3. DEMAND This is where most leaders mistakenly start – with demands before demonstration. And this is why so many leaders get frustrated trying to change culture. I've seen countless founders demand "intellectual honesty" before modeling it themselves. They get compliance but not commitment. After months of sharing their own errors, demanding the same behavior actually sticks. Your demands gain moral authority when they match your behavior. 4. DELEGATE The final step is building systems that maintain culture without your constant presence. Culture becomes truly embedded when it runs without you. The most successful founders I coach implement: • "Learning from Failure" sessions in team meetings • Peer recognition systems tied to values • Performance evaluations based on cultural alignment, not just results The most powerful cultural systems allow team members to hold each other accountable. Most leaders want culture change without personal change. They follow frameworks without doing the inner work. Through coaching dozens of founders, I've observed this consistently: The leaders who create lasting culture embody the transformation first. This requires uncomfortable self-awareness: Seeing your own patterns clearly. Understanding how your behavior creates ripple effects. Being willing to change first. At Inside-Out Leadership, we help founders combine leadership development with deep inner work. The result? Leaders who transform their cultures sustainably by transforming themselves first. When you demonstrate change, define it clearly, set expectations, and build systems... You don't just change culture. You transform your company from the inside out.

Culture eats strategy for breakfast. If your strategy is misaligned with your culture, it will fail. To drive strategy effectively, you must first cultivate a culture that supports and enhances it. Key Strategies to Change Your Culture: * Clear Communication: Transparent communication minimizes resistance. Articulate the change's reasons, benefits, and expected outcomes. Encourage feedback and dialogue at all levels. * Leadership Commitment: Leaders must act as role models, demonstrating the behaviors and attitudes they expect from their team. * Employee Involvement: Engage employees in the process by involving them in decision-making and addressing their concerns. This fosters a sense of ownership and commitment to the new culture. * Training and Development: Provide opportunities for employees to develop skills and behaviors that align with the new culture through educational programs and workshops. * Recognition and Rewards: Align recognition and reward systems with the new cultural values to reinforce the desired behaviors. * Continuous Assessment: Regularly assess the effectiveness of culture change initiatives and be open to making adjustments based on these assessments. Example from Our Experience: During our carveout from Global Payments, our objective was to be the world's best service organization. This involved updating our vision, mission, and values while communicating the change through monthly all-hands meetings, emails, videos, and posters. We improved job descriptions, installed recognition programs around our theme of Living at 212º (Happy to share more about our theme), and introduced new service people and processes. AI technology resolved easy help desk calls, freeing staff to deliver white-glove service. We also learned how to enhance our service quality from the Wynn Resorts service team. We took big steps as we launched our strategic change to ensure the culture was aligned. Changing your company culture is a continuous process. By integrating these strategies, you can create a culture that supports your strategic goals and drives sustainable growth. I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences on driving cultural change in the comments below! #CultureChange #Leadership #CorporateStrategy #EmployeeEngagement #Carveout #PrivateEquity