Too many leaders hide behind systems. They think a new process, policy, or program will magically fix dysfunction. It won’t. Systems can enforce compliance, but culture determines whether the system endures or gets undermined.
That’s true whether you’re managing a department or confronting systemic social issues. If your culture doesn’t support your system, you’re enforcing empty rules that no one believes in.
When systems and culture are misaligned, leadership drifts.
In organizations, that looks like “values” on the wall that no one follows, bloated processes people quietly ignore, or managers who measure the wrong things.
In society, entrenched systems of oppression—racism, misogyny, bigotry—continue to produce the same outcomes they were meant to eradicate, even as leaders make empty statements about justice or equity.
Leaders who rely solely on systems become rigid, bureaucratic, and blind.
Leaders who depend only on culture become idealistic but powerless.
Neither approach creates lasting change. You need to balance both with accountability to keep them connected.
How to Stop the Drift and Lead with Both Culture and Systems
Step 1: Diagnose the System
Every system is designed to produce the results you’re getting. If your outcomes are poor—whether it’s low morale or widespread inequity—the system is functioning exactly as intended. Don’t scapegoat individuals. Redesign the structure.
Step 2: Define the Culture You Want
Culture is what you tolerate. In your organization, if you tolerate missed deadlines, gossip, or weak management, don’t be surprised when they spread. In society, if you tolerate sexism, racism, or corruption, you’re complicit. Set the standard. Live it.
Step 3: Align the Two
Systems should reinforce the culture you want. Don’t reward individual heroics if you say you value collaboration. Don’t launch “equity initiatives” that leave inequitable systems intact. Align your structures with your stated values.
Step 4: Hold Leaders Accountable
Management is always responsible for the system. Leadership is always responsible for the culture. If you’re in charge and things are broken, stop passing the blame. Own it. Fix it. Change it. If you won’t—step aside.
Step 5: Mobilize People
Lasting change requires cultural buy-in. Systems can enforce short-term compliance, but people will resist unless they believe in the cause. Whether you’re rolling out a new workflow or confronting systemic injustice, engage early adopters and champions to embody the culture you desire until it becomes the norm.
The Leadership Continuum Connection
This alignment isn’t a one-time event. It must happen across every dimension of leadership—from how you lead yourself, to how you lead others, teams, organizations, and society. Leaders who continually recalibrate these elements maintain integrity and direction even under pressure.
Self-Check Questions
- Where are your systems fighting against the culture you say you want—at work, in your community, or in your country?
- What are you tolerating that contradicts your values? Why are you tolerating it?
- On a scale of 1–5, how consistently do you hold both systems and culture accountable—not just the people trapped inside them?
At Karl Bimshas Consulting, we help leaders close the gap between the culture they say they want and the systems they actually run.
The Leadership Guidance Review is your starting point—a concise, reflective assessment that identifies where your leadership alignment is strong and where it’s drifting.
You’ll gain insight into how effectively you’re balancing structure, culture, and accountability—and what small adjustments can make a big difference.
If you’re ready to lead with clarity instead of confusion:
Begin your Leadership Guidance Review
Because without structure, you drift. Without culture, you decay. With both aligned, you lead with integrity.