Culture Is Everyone’s Business
Culture isn’t created at the top, it’s shaped by everyone, every day.
Leadership isn’t a title, it’s behaviour we all see, influence, and are responsible for.
It’s not lost on me how, when you lean into a particular idea or theme, it seems to show up everywhere. Almost like once your attention is tuned to it, you start to notice the same patterns repeating in different rooms, different conversations, and different organisations. Right now, I’m sitting deeply in the topic of culture, and I keep finding myself in a familiar loop: the question of who actually gets to be called a leader, and why it matters so much what culture those leaders set. Again and again, it comes back to this tension between leadership as a position versus leadership as something far more human, visible, and shared.
And I am experiencing a persistent myth in organisations, that culture is shaped “at the top” and cascades downward through leadership. Now although this is true, it is incomplete. It is a convenient narrative and one that quietly gives the rest of us permission to step back and disengage from our role in shaping the environment we work within.
Culture and leadership are not separate constructs. They are deeply intertwined, continuously reinforcing one another through everyday behaviours, decisions, and interactions. And crucially … both belong to everyone.
This is particularly important for women in leadership and influence. Many women operate in environments where they may not always hold the most senior title, yet they are consistently shaping tone, connection, and trust. Often, they carry both formal and informal leadership responsibilities; guiding teams, navigating complexity, and role modelling behaviours in highly visible ways. That influence is not secondary. It is central to culture.
As highlighted in the Leader’s Guide to Corporate Culture published by Harvard Business Review, culture is not defined by what is written in strategy documents or displayed on office walls; it is defined by “what people do when no one is watching”. This is not new, perhaps what is, is the reality, someone is always watching.
Not only in formal settings, but in the micro-moments that often go unnoticed:
how you respond under pressure,
how you speak about colleagues when they are not present,
how you include, or exclude, others in conversations, or
how you navigate disagreement or uncertainty.
These moments accumulate over time. They become signals. And those signals shape culture.
Leadership Beyond Title
Leadership is often conflated with hierarchy. However, research consistently challenges this assumption. As emphasised in Why Leadership is Not About Title or Position, published by Forbes, leadership today is defined less by positional authority and more by influence. How individuals build trust, model behaviours, and contribute to a shared environment.
This perspective is particularly relevant for women, who often lead through influence, relationships, and consistency long before any formal recognition or title is given.
It reframes leadership as a distributed responsibility.
From the Boardroom to the frontline. From executives to administrative teams. Every role carries influence, and every interaction contributes to the tone, safety, and expectations of the workplace.
Leadership, then, is not something you step into when promoted. It is something you practice; daily, often quietly, and frequently without acknowledgement.
The Mirror Effect of Culture
In the Leader’s Guide to Corporate Culture, organisational culture is described as a reflection of leadership. But if leadership exists at every level, then culture becomes a mirror of everyone.
This is where accountability becomes both empowering and, at times, confronting It is easy to critique culture:
“Leadership isn’t visible enough.”
“There’s a lack of accountability.”
“This isn’t the culture we want.”
These observations may be valid. But they are only part of the equation. The more important, and often more challenging question is: What am I contributing to this environment?
Because culture is not only shaped by what is tolerated at the top. It is reinforced by what is accepted, ignored, or amplified at every level.
For many, this can surface a familiar tension: the balance between maintaining relationships and challenging behaviours; between staying silent and speaking up. Yet it is often in these moments that culture is most powerfully shaped.
So, What Does This Mean in Practice?
It means recognising that your presence matters more than you might think:
your behaviour sets a standard, whether intentional or not,
your responses signal what is acceptable, and
your silence can reinforce the very culture you may disagree with.
It also means understanding that influence does not require authority. It requires awareness, intention, and choice.
A Shift in Perspective
So, before directing your frustration outward, consider the space within your control and influence. This is not about lowering expectations of leadership; it is about expanding your own sphere of influence. Ask yourself:
How do I choose to respond in this moment?
What behaviour am I modelling right now?
Where can I influence, even in small ways?
What conversations am I willing to initiate or challenge?
Or an even more difficult question … Is this the right environment for me to flourish?
These are not abstract reflections. They are practical levers of cultural change.
A Call to Action
The next time you feel compelled to point the finger at “leadership” for not role modelling the culture or behaviours you expect, pause.
Consider instead:
How do I wish to respond to this?
What action can I take?
What is within my control to change or influence?
Because culture does not shift through intention alone. It shifts through consistent, aligned action, by many, not few.
And leadership?
It is already happening everywhere. Including with you.
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
With love and gratitude, Kathryn