The 5Rs of Successful Habit Formation: Transforming Culture with Clarity

Hello Senior Leaders,

Is Your Team High Performing or not? Discover at the end of this newsletter!

Culture is the sum of all the habits, behaviours, and routines that exist within your organisation. But how do we create a culture that enables success? The answer lies in forming habits that align with our goals.

I recently had a conversation with a senior leader who was struggling with aligning what should happen with what was actually happening in their organisation. It struck me how common this challenge is. We all want a more inclusive, engaged culture where people contribute meaningfully every day. But how do we make that happen in reality?

The key is habit formation. Successful organizations don’t just hope for cultural change—they build it intentionally. And the best way to do that is by embedding habits using the 5Rs of Successful Habit Formation:

1. Reason – Why Start and Why Keep Going?

Before a habit forms, there has to be a compelling reason to start.

• What is the reason behind this habit or behaviour?
• How does it make you or your people feel?
• On days when motivation is low, what will keep you going?

If your people don’t have a meaningful reason to engage in a habit, they won’t sustain it. Think about your own experiences—when you started something new, what kept you going when things got tough?

2. Readiness – Are You Truly Ready?

You might say you're ready, but real readiness means:

• Having the skills, tools, and training to take action.
• Being committed and believing that success is possible.
• Having external accountability—someone to help keep you on track.

If you aren’t ready today, what is holding you back? Often, we overthink or delay actions because we don’t feel fully prepared. But perfect readiness rarely comes; sometimes, we have to take the first step and learn as we go.

3. Routine – Clarity and Consistency

This is where most organisations struggle. Without a clear, repeatable routine, habits never take root.

• Do your teams know exactly what needs to happen daily, weekly, and monthly?
• Is this documented so there is no ambiguity?
• How involved are your people in defining these routines?

I like to think about this in the same way professional athletes or highly successful individuals do. Think about footballers—many of them have specific pre-game rituals. Some put on their left sock first, others always listen to the same song before a match. These aren’t just superstitions—they are routines that create consistency and predictability, which leads to success.

4. Repetition – Doing It Enough to Make a Difference

We often assume that doing something once or twice is enough. But real change happens through repetition.

• How often is the routine followed?
• Is the level of commitment enough to achieve the desired results?

Consider fitness as an example—if you want to get stronger, doing one push-up a day won’t be enough. The same applies to leadership and culture. If you want people to feel engaged, you can’t just check in once a month. You need consistent connection and engagement.

5. Results – Defining Success

Finally, we need to know what success looks like.

• What does success look like, feel like, and sound like?
• How will you know when you’ve arrived?
• Have you built in time for reflection and adjustment?

Without clear success measures, progress feels vague. If you don’t define what “good” looks like, how will your teams know they’re making progress? Regular reflection ensures you stay on course and make necessary adjustments.

Making It Personal

I am currently running my own experiment using the 5Rs. I’m testing this process in three areas of my own life, treating myself as a guinea pig. Why? Because if I can’t make it work for myself, how can I expect others to embrace it?

The same applies to leadership. If you want your teams to form habits that drive cultural change, start with yourself.

So, let’s take a moment to reflect:

• Do your people have a reason to start and keep going?
• Are they truly ready?
• Is the routine simple and clearly understood?
• Is the routine being repeated often enough?
• Do they have absolute clarity on what success looks like?

If we simplify and clarify what should happen, and ensure that what should happen is actually happening, we will create the culture we desire.

Let's commit to making culture clear, simple, and repeatable.

A High Performing Team is something we all crave, this is not achieved through luck but application of the 5R's can help, however, how High Performing is your team already?

It may come as no surprise that MOST teams are not high performing, is yours one of them? Gain valuable insight and practical advice by completing our FREE High Performing Teams Quiz: CLICK HERE TO TAKE QUIZ

Have Fun,

Lee