9 Ways to Elevate Culture in Any Organization—Starting Today

Culture isn’t built in a day. But it is built every single day.

It’s in the small things—how people talk in the hallway, how meetings feel, how safe (or unsafe) it is to voice an opinion.

It’s in the big things too—how leadership responds to failure, how wins are celebrated, how trust is either built or eroded.

And whether you’re leading a corporate team, a nonprofit, a small business, or a church, culture is your competitive edge.

So, how do you shift the culture in the right direction?

Here are 9 things you can do RIGHT NOW to turn the tide.

1. Over-Communicate (Then Communicate Again)

"The biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place." —George Bernard Shaw

Most leaders think they’ve communicated enough. They haven’t.

A Gallup study found that 74% of employees feel they’re missing out on company updates—leading to confusion, frustration, and disengagement.

People can’t align with a vision they don’t understand. If you want people to rally around a mission, say it again. And again. And when you think you’ve said it enough—say it 10 more times.

How to implement today:

• Send a quick update to your team on the one thing that matters most this week.
• If you lead meetings, summarize key takeaways at the end. Then follow up in writing.

2. Listen Like You Mean It

"Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply." —Stephen R. Covey

Real listening isn’t waiting for your turn to talk. It’s pausing. It’s making space for honesty. It’s acting on what you hear.

A Harvard Business Review study found that companies that listen to employee feedback outperform competitors by 21%.

Here’s a simple test: Ask your team one question— "What’s one thing we could do better?"

Then do something about it.

How to implement today:

• Try the "10-second rule"—after asking a question, pause for 10 seconds before speaking.
• When someone gives feedback, repeat it back before responding.

3. Make Trust the Default

Trust isn’t earned—it’s given.

If you start from a place of distrust, people will feel it. They’ll play it safe. They won’t take risks.

On the flip side, teams that operate with high trust are 50% more productive and report 76% more engagement than low-trust teams (according to a PwC study).

Leaders, take note: Micromanagement is a culture killer.

How to implement today:

• Replace "Did you do this?" with "How’s it going?"
• Give people ownership—let them take the lead on something without hovering.

4. Call Out the Wins (Publicly & Often)

"People work for money but go the extra mile for recognition." —Dale Carnegie

Want to keep good people? Recognize them.

A study by Workhuman found that companies with strong recognition cultures see 31% lower voluntary turnover.

The best part? Recognition doesn’t have to be fancy.

• A quick shoutout in a meeting.
• A Slack message.
• A handwritten note.

What gets recognized gets repeated.

How to implement today:

• Right now—send a message to someone recognizing something specific they did well.
• In your next meeting, take 30 seconds to celebrate a small win.

5. Create Space for Honest Feedback

A lack of feedback isn’t a lack of problems—it’s a lack of psychological safety.

If people don’t feel safe speaking up, they won’t. And when real issues go unspoken, they don’t disappear. They grow—until they’re unfixable.

According to a Google study on high-performing teams, psychological safety was the #1 factor in team success.

How to implement today:

• In meetings, use "Red Light, Yellow Light, Green Light"—ask the team how they feel about an idea. Red = concern, Yellow = hesitation, Green = full support.
• When receiving feedback, say "Thank you" first. Resist the urge to defend or explain.

6. Infuse Levity (It’s Okay to Have Fun)

Work doesn’t have to be miserable.

In fact, research shows that teams that laugh together are 30% more engaged and collaborative than teams that don’t.

No one wants to work (or volunteer) in a place where everyone takes themselves too seriously. A little humor goes a long way.

How to implement today:

• Start your next meeting with a lighthearted question (e.g., “What’s the worst piece of advice you’ve ever received?”).
• Give people permission to have fun—lead with authenticity, not corporate stiffness.

7. Own the Messes (No Finger-Pointing)

"The culture of any organization is shaped by the worst behavior the leader is willing to tolerate." —Craig Groeschel

Mistakes will happen. But how you handle them defines the culture.

Great cultures own mistakes. Toxic cultures blame mistakes on others.

Leaders who say, "That was on me" set the tone for accountability.

How to implement today:

• If you make a mistake today, own it publicly.
• When something goes wrong, ask "What can we learn?" before assigning blame.

8. Empower People to Lead at Every Level

The best organizations aren’t dependent on one leader. They create leaders.

If everything has to go through you, your organization will always be limited by your time and capacity.

The fix? Give people ownership.

A Deloitte study found that companies with strong leadership development programs are 1.5x more likely to outperform competitors.

How to implement today:

• Delegate a meaningful project—something with real impact.
• Ask: "What decisions do you feel comfortable making without me?"

9. Live the Values, Don’t Just Preach Them

Culture isn’t built in PowerPoint decks. It’s built in daily actions.

People don’t follow words—they follow behaviors. If leaders don’t live the values, why should anyone else?

How to implement today:

• Pick one core value and ask: "Where do we actually live this out—and where do we fall short?"
• Be brutally honest about the gaps—then commit to closing them.

Final Thought: Culture Is a Daily Decision

Culture isn’t what you say. It’s what you do—every single day.

Start small. Start today. Which one of these are you committing to first? ??

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