How Are You Shaping the Climate and Culture of Your Organization?
Melissa Landry
? Executive Coach + Management Consultant - Helping Driven Leaders & Executives boost their influence and build high-performing teams (without handholding or being the "bad guy")
Culture isn’t what’s written in your mission statement—it’s what happens in the hallways, in meetings, in Slack messages, and in those side conversations after the Zoom call ends.
It’s how people feel when they show up to work.
And here’s the kicker: you’re shaping it, whether you intend to or not.
Intentional vs. Unintentional Culture
Every leader—whether they acknowledge it or not—is influencing the climate and culture of their team.
The question is: Are you shaping it intentionally, or is it happening by default?
Intentional culture means you: ? Set clear expectations around values and behaviors ? Reinforce the right behaviors through communication and action ? Ensure that your messaging aligns with what’s actually happening day to day
Unintentional culture, on the other hand, happens when: ? Mixed messages create confusion about priorities ? Leadership reactions contradict stated values ? Important relational touchpoints are neglected, leading to disengagement
The good news? Culture is not a fixed state—it’s a living, breathing system that you can influence.
What Climate and Culture Look Like in Action
Think of climate as the atmosphere—the emotional tone of the workplace. It’s how people feel day-to-day: Safe? Stressed? Motivated? Disengaged?
Culture, on the other hand, is deeper. It’s the shared norms, values, and behaviors that guide how work gets done. You see culture in how people communicate, how decisions are made, and how conflict is handled.
Now, imagine these two different workplaces:
?? Workplace A: Tense meetings, low energy, employees hesitant to speak up, leadership is reactive rather than proactive, and innovation is stifled by fear of failure.
?? Workplace B: Open dialogue, people feeling valued, leaders modeling accountability and trust, employees motivated to contribute, and conflicts addressed constructively.
The difference? Leadership shaped the climate and culture—whether they intended to or not.
The Opportunity for Leaders
The most effective leaders don’t leave culture up to chance. They actively shape it by focusing on three key areas:
1. Communication: What’s Being Said and How It’s Delivered
Culture is shaped by every conversation, email, and meeting. The clarity, consistency, and alignment of messages with organizational values determine how people interpret and engage with communication. When leaders communicate effectively, they provide direction, reduce uncertainty, and build trust. However, if their words and actions send mixed signals, they risk creating confusion and disengagement.
The way communication is delivered—through tone, body language, and the space created for open dialogue—plays a critical role in shaping workplace interactions. Leaders must ensure communication is a two-way street, fostering environments where employees feel heard and valued. Transparency is key; when people feel informed, they feel included, leading to higher levels of engagement and commitment.
2. Modeling: What You and Other Leaders Are Demonstrating
People watch leaders more than they listen to them. If you’re asking for psychological safety but reacting with frustration when someone raises a concern, you’re sending a mixed signal.
Leadership is about more than just directives; it’s about demonstrating accountability, openness, and emotional intelligence consistently in everyday interactions.
Leaders who model vulnerability and growth—admitting mistakes, being open to feedback, and demonstrating continuous learning—create an environment where others feel safe to do the same.
Consistency in these behaviors is critical because your daily actions set the tone for what’s acceptable and expected within your team. The way you show up influences not just productivity but also trust and engagement within your workplace culture.
3. Relational Touchpoints: Where Engagement and Connection Happen
Beyond tasks and goals, fostering trust and connection with your team is crucial for engagement and morale. The way leaders handle 1:1 check-ins, performance conversations, and team meetings sets the tone for how employees feel about their work and their place in the organization.
When leaders prioritize meaningful conversations over purely transactional check-ins, they create an environment where employees feel valued and heard.
Recognition also plays a significant role in shaping culture. Creating moments of recognition—both public and private—reinforces positive contributions and motivates employees.
Small but intentional gestures, such as acknowledging personal milestones or offering support during challenging times, strengthen relationships and cultivate a workplace where people feel genuinely connected and invested.
Avoiding the Mechanistic Approach
Here’s where many leaders go wrong: They treat culture as a checklist rather than an emotional driver of engagement.
A mechanistic approach focuses on:
A relational approach, on the other hand, creates a culture where: ?? People feel valued, seen, and understood. ?? Leaders foster intrinsic motivation, not just extrinsic rewards. ?? Teams are engaged not because they have to be, but because they want to be.
Inside The Executive Edge: Peeling Back the Layers of Leadership Impact
In Week 3 of The Executive Edge, participants start to recognize the profound impact their leadership has on the climate and culture of their teams.
One leader shared:
“I never realized how much my tone and presence affected how my team behaved. I was so focused on problem solving that I wasn’t paying attention to the signals I was sending.”
By making small shifts—adjusting their messaging, being more intentional in touchpoints, and modeling openness—they saw a dramatic change in team morale and ownership.
How’s Your Culture Shaping Up?
Culture is something you cultivate—day in and day out—through how you lead, communicate, and show up.
If you’re ready to take a proactive, relational approach to shaping your organization’s culture, let’s talk.
?? Book a complimentary leadership consult to see if The Executive Edge is the right fit for you.
Your culture is already being shaped. The question is—are you shaping it with intention?