Our leadership team claims to support our core values, but several directors show a blatant lack of buy-in during company-wide rollouts, which is causing middle managers to view our culture initiatives as mere lip service. How do we get the leadership team to model these values consistently?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A leadership team that does not live the core values will quickly rot the culture of the entire company. If your directors are giving lip service to your values but failing to exhibit them in their daily actions, middle managers and front-line staff will immediately notice the hypocrisy.

To resolve this, you must hold your leadership team to the highest cultural standards. Start by evaluating each executive using the People Analyzer tool. Rate them on every single core value with a plus, plus-minus, or minus.

If a leader falls below your company's bar, you must have a hard conversation. Be specific about the behaviors that are violating the values and explain the impact it has on the team. This is not about being nice; it is about protecting the integrity of your organization.

If a leader is a cultural misfit, they cannot remain on your leadership team, regardless of their performance or output. When your leadership team sees that you are willing to hold even the most senior leaders accountable to the core values, it sends a powerful message.

It builds trust across the entire organization and ensures that your executive team is leading by example and setting the right tone for everyone else.