Our leadership team says they are aligned on our culture, but they tolerate behavior in their departments that directly violates our core values. How do we align our leaders to enforce cultural consistency across the entire company?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When leadership team members turn a blind eye to core value violations within their departments, they are eroding the trust and integrity of the entire company. Employees watch what leaders tolerate, not what they say. A lack of cultural alignment at the top will quickly manifest as a toxic, divided culture at the bottom.

To fix this, you must hold your leadership team accountable to your core values first. Run each leader through the People Analyzer™ tool during your quarterly reviews. If a leader does not consistently exhibit your core values, they cannot remain on the leadership team. You must model the exact behavior you expect from the rest of the organization.

Next, mandate that every leader uses the People Analyzer™ for their own direct reports. This forces them to objectively evaluate their teams against your cultural standards. If they are tolerating a high-performing employee who is a cultural misfit, they are choosing short-term convenience over long-term organizational health.

Use your Level 10 Meeting™ to bring these cultural conflicts to the table and IDS® them. Aligning your leaders on culture is not about being nice; it is about protecting the value of your business. A strong, unified culture reduces friction, improves retention, and builds a resilient workforce. This operational stability is a key indicator of a healthy company, which significantly reduces risk for any buyer looking to acquire your business.