Leadership Behaviours that Build (or Break) Culture
- Colette Botha
- Jul 9
- 1 min read
Which of your daily leadership behaviours — intentional or unconscious—are reinforcing the culture you want, and which are quietly undermining it?
Culture doesn’t live in HR manuals. It lives in the daily actions of leaders. Every decision a leader makes—every promotion, every silence in a meeting, every act of recognition or avoidance—shapes culture.
Great leaders understand that they are not just driving results; they are modelling what “good” looks like. As Frances Frei of Harvard Business School says, “The behaviours of leaders have the power to unlock or crush potential.”
At Colette Strategic Solutions, we’ve seen firsthand how leadership consistency, visibility, and vulnerability create cultural alignment. When leaders show up authentically, admit mistakes, and course correct in real-time, it sets the tone for psychological safety and trust.
Common leadership behaviours that undermine culture:
Avoiding conflict or honest feedback
Micromanaging instead of trusting
Tolerating high-performing toxic individuals
Leading with fear instead of inspiration
Conversely, leaders build strong cultures when they:
Show up with consistency and humility
Reinforce values in everyday decision-making
Listen actively and act on feedback
Celebrate aligned behaviours and shared wins
Leaders like Indra Nooyi, former CEO of PepsiCo, often credited her success to personally modelling respect and care, famously writing letters to the parents of her senior leaders to acknowledge their contributions. These moments matter—they shape culture deeply.
Culture follows leadership. What leaders permit, they promote. What they ignore, they endorse.