Leaders Have Culture Megaphones

Leadership is a powerful force that shapes organizational culture and overall company success. Yet many leaders fail to fully grasp the extent of their influence and the impact of their actions on those around them. This lack of awareness can lead to missed opportunities and unintended consequences that ripple throughout the organization.

In my work as an organizational psychologist, I’ve found that leaders often underestimate their power in two critical ways. First, they may not recognize the full range of their influence and how they can leverage it effectively. Second, they may be unaware of how their actions, even seemingly insignificant ones, are interpreted by their team members and the broader organization.

Leaders who fail to understand and embrace their power miss valuable opportunities to guide, inspire, and clarify important matters for their teams. For instance, during an all-hands-on meeting, a leader who doesn’t step in to address a question about the company’s direction leaves a void that can be filled with uncertainty and speculation. This sounds like an easy opportunity that a leader would be sure to clarify, but I’ve seen this and other similar communication voids left open for employees for long periods of time. By recognizing their power to provide clarity and direction, leaders will know to seize these moments to reinforce the organization’s vision and goals.

Perhaps even more critical than embracing their power is the need for leaders to recognize how their actions, no matter how small, send powerful messages about what’s valued within the organization. Leaders have, in essence, cultural megaphones. They are the primary ones able to amplify signals about priorities, expectations, and acceptable behaviors.

Because employees are always learning, they tend to look to those who have “made it” (that is, the leaders) in the system for cues about what matters. This heightened attention means that even seemingly innocuous actions can be given significant meaning. For example:

• If a leader leaves early from an important meeting, it might be interpreted as a lack of interest or commitment to the topic at hand.
• If a leader checks their phone during a presentation, it could be seen as disrespectful of the presenter or an indicative that the information being shared isn’t valuable.
• If a leader interrupts others, it might be perceived as a lack of respect for other viewpoints.
• A leader’s facial expressions, such as frowns or smiles, can be read as approval or disapproval of ideas or individuals.
• An ambiguous comment by a leader about a person or a team could spark anxiety and speculation about job security.

Of course, these interpretations may or may not align with the leader’s intentions, but they nonetheless shape the organizational culture and employee behavior, especially if the leader is not embracing their power and clarifying what really does matter to them and to the organization.

Given the significant impact of leadership actions and the potential for misalignment, developing strong self-awareness is crucial for leaders who are interested in creating great cultures. This involves:

1. Engaging in self-reflection. Better understanding your impact on organizational culture starts with engaging in regular self-reflection on your leadership style and the impact you are having on others.
2. Inviting feedback. Seeking feedback from peers, mentors, and team members is an important way to establish that organizational communication flows both ways and that you wish to learn from others — particularly those who actually implement the decisions you’ve made.
3. Pursuing personal development. Working on personal development through mentorship and coaching can help reveal blindspots as well as determine how best to maximize on your strengths.
4. Practicing mindfulness. Paying attention to what’s happening in the moment and being present in all your day-to-day interactions gives you enhanced awareness of how your presence and actions influence those around you.

Leaders must recognize the full extent of their influence and the impact of their every action on organizational culture. By embracing their power, understanding their culture megaphones, and developing strong self-awareness, leaders can create environments where employees can thrive and organizations can achieve their full potential.

Written by Laura Hamill.
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