Imagine this: you’ve done the hard work of attracting smart, capable people. They’re bright, motivated, and full of ideas. But slowly, sometimes quietly, they drift away. One hand in their notice. Others stop contributing to meetings. Someone else is still there physically, but you can tell they’ve already left in spirit.
Keeping good people isn’t about fancy perks or another HR initiative. It’s about whether your culture holds people close or slowly pushes them out the door. When trust, connection, and belonging fade, no bonus or policy rewrite can fix what’s broken underneath.
If you suspect your culture might be wearing thin in the moments that matter, it may be time for a genuine culture reboot… one built not on slogans, but on everyday leadership and real human connection.
Culture Is Not a Poster… It’s a Daily Behavior
As Simon Sinek says, “Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first.” And how employees feel about your workplace is driven, day in and day out, by how they experience leadership.
Too often, organizations focus on surface-level culture initiatives… the catchy slogans, the value of posters on the walls. But real culture is what people do when no one is watching. It lives in conversations, decisions, and the trust that leaders build or break.
CCL research highlights that truly strong cultures are shaped by what leaders model daily… what they say, what they reward, and how they show compassion in the small moments.
The Link Between Leadership and Engagement
Leadership is the single biggest lever you have to shape culture. Countless studies and decades of work by CCL, show that leaders who demonstrate trust, openness, and genuine care create workplaces where people want to stay and grow.
CCL’s work on compassionate leadership reminds us that trust grows when leaders combine genuine care with action. Compassion is more than empathy… it’s a willingness to take practical steps to remove friction and help people do great work.
Simon Sinek’s work reminds us that connection is what holds teams together. When employees feel they belong, that they are safe, valued, and trusted… they naturally give more of themselves. That sense of belonging doesn’t come from HR policies alone. It comes from leaders who show up consistently and walk the talk.
Three Practical Levers for a True Culture Reboot
If you’re worried about quiet quitting, high turnover, or a general sense of disconnection, start here. These three levers help you bring your values to life… and they all rely on real leadership, not slogans.
1. Culture & Values Team Building
Too many offsites feel forced and artificial. What works better is what Simon Sinek calls “belonging.” Belonging means people feel safe enough to share ideas, challenge the status quo, and know they won’t be penalized for speaking up.
Instead of one-off events, make team building part of how you operate:
- Facilitate open dialogues about what gets in the way of living your values and fix them together.
- Use informal spaces intentionally. Small rituals, like peer shoutouts or shared community projects, help people see each other as more than job titles.
2. Retainer Programs That Actually Retain
CCL highlights that real retention is driven by fair treatment, clear development pathways, and recognition that feels genuine. Counteroffers when someone resigns are too late.
Good leaders stay ahead by showing people they have a future worth committing to:Make career growth visible… talk about it regularly.Build recognition schemes based on what your people actually value, not just what HR thinks they should want.Offer flexibility that adjusts to people’s life stages… because life happens, and your culture should reflect that.
Better wellbeing and belonging aren’t ‘nice extras.’ They are shown to boost engagement, creativity, and the resilience people need to stay and thrive… especially in hybrid or uncertain times
As Sinek puts it: “When people are financially invested, they want a return. When they are emotionally invested, they want to contribute.”
3. Champion-Led Change
Culture change rarely sticks if it’s only top-down. It spreads through people your team already trusts, people who are your informal culture champions.
CCL’s decades of research into leadership culture confirm this: peer influence is powerful. People watch what gets recognized, who is trusted, and how people who speak up are treated.
Do this well.
Leaders who intentionally build belonging reduce what CCL calls ‘belonging uncertainty’… the silent worry that you don’t fit in. When people trust they belong, they bring more energy and ideas, and turnover drops.
- Identify your culture champions… people who model your values even when it’s hard.
- Give them real roles in sharing stories, testing new rituals, or calling out what doesn’t align.
- Celebarate them. Make it clear that living your values matters as much as hitting KPIs.
What Leadership Looks Like Now
Healthy cultures aren’t built by HR… they’re built by leaders who show up for their people every day.
As Simon Sinek writes in Leaders Eat Last, the best workplaces are safe. People feel cared for. They trust that their leaders have their backs. That trust is what keeps people loyal through change and challenge.
Ultimately, as CCL puts it, “Leadership is a social process.” Culture is the daily sum of your leadership actions… not just a policy or poster.
Reflection: Would You Work For You?
Here’s a question I share with leaders I coach: Would you choose to work here under your own leadership?
- Who are your informal champions, and are you empowering them?
- Do people feel safe enough to share what’s really not working?
- What’s one thing you could do this week to show your team they belong to?
Culture Won’t Fix Itself… But Human Leadership Will
You can’t outsource trust and belonging. Culture lives in the everyday moments when people feel seen, heard, and safe.
As Sinek says, “Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge.” That is your real retention plan.When people feel part of something meaningful, and led by people they trust, they stay. Not because they have to, but because they want to.ResourcesFor further reading on building strong cultures through authentic leadership:Simon Sinek. Leaders Eat Last (2014).Simon Sinek. TED Talk: How Great Leaders Inspire ActionCenter for Creative Leadership (CCL). How to Build Belonging at WorkCenter for Creative Leadership (CCL). The Keys to Wellbeing and LeadershipCenter for Creative Leadership (CCL). Better Culture Starts With Compassionate LeadershipGartner (2025). Future of Work Trends for Leaders.Gallup (2024). State of the Global Workplace Report.SmartSurvey (2022). Employee Engagement Action Plan Ideas.