When leadership shatters a company’s culture, employees don’t trust words, they stop trusting leaders, and each other. If the past leadership left behind fear, disengagement, or toxicity, fixing the culture requires visible, meaningful changes. Here’s how leaders can rebuild a thriving culture with action, not just empty promises.
If past leaders operated with favoritism, dishonesty, or fear tactics, the new leaders must do the opposite. If transparency was lacking, new leaders need to hold open meetings where decisions are explained. If unethical behavior was previously ignored, new leaders need to enforce strict accountability. On example of a company recovering from a toxic work environment made all executive bonuses contingent on employee satisfaction scores, proving leadership was invested in culture change. Leaders must be the first to adopt new behaviors, whether that’s actively listening, taking responsibility for mistakes, or fostering collaboration. Employees will follow when they see authenticity, not performative gestures.
Culture won’t improve if employees still feel the pain of past leadership’s failures. The new leaders need to take action and fast if they want the employees to start engaging and stop heading for the exits. A tech company infamous for its burnout culture made a bold move by enforcing mandatory no-meeting Fridays, giving employees space to focus, and saw productivity soar. Quick, decisive action proves to employees that leadership understands the damage done and is serious about making chance to make things right.
If the old culture rewarded politics and survival tactics, it’s time to flip the script. Recognize collaboration, integrity, and initiative. One retail giant recovering from a cutthroat environment revamped its bonus structure to reward team performance rather than individual sales, reinforcing a culture of teamwork. Publicly highlight employees who embody the new culture through promotions, awards, and leadership opportunities. When employees see that doing the right thing is valued, they will embrace and reinforce the shift towards the new values.
Trust is fragile and one misstep can send morale plummeting quickly again. Actions must match words every single day, every single hour, and every single minute. Culture isn’t built in a single meeting, it’s reinforced through every decision, policy, and action that leadership enacts.
Leadership is under the microscope when rebuilding the culture and they need to act fast, lead by example, and be consistent. Leaders should also walk around the office and take the pulse of the employees and get to know them by name. There is nothing worse than a leader that stays up in their castle and never comes down to meet their employees that do all the work.
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