The Modern Leader series: Why culture and strategy go hand-in-hand

Modern leadership attribute No.14: Why culture and strategy go hand-in-hand

A CEO I worked with and his team had developed what seemed like the perfect strategic plan — a comprehensive market analysis, clear objectives, and detailed action steps. But, six months in, little progress was being made. “I don’t get it,” the CEO told me in not-so-many words. “The strategy is solid. Why isn’t it working?”

The answer became clear when I spoke with his team. While the strategy looked great on paper, people weren’t executing it because they didn’t feel connected to it — or to each other. They were operating in silos, focused on individual goals rather than collective success. The one-company spirit was missing.

When Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast

You’ve probably heard the famous Peter Drucker quote about culture eating strategy for breakfast. But here’s what that really means: The best strategy in the world won’t work if your people don’t feel united in pursuing it.

Think about it like a rowing team. You can have the most sophisticated race plan (strategy), but if the rowers aren’t in sync (culture), the boat won’t move efficiently — or might even go in circles.

The Power of Alignment

When culture and strategy align, something powerful happens. I saw this recently with a manufacturing company that needed to rapidly change its production process. Instead of announcing the change, leaders brought everyone together — from senior managers to line workers — to understand the challenge and co-create solutions.

The result? Not only did they successfully implement the change, but they also:

• Reduced implementation time by half.
• Uncovered innovative solutions from front-line workers.
• Strengthened relationships across departments.
• Created a sense of shared ownership in the company’s success.

Making It Real: The Three Keys to Alignment

Here’s how to ensure your culture and strategy work together:

No.1: Make Strategy a Team Sport

• • Involve people at all levels in strategy discussions.
  • Create forums where teams can contribute ideas and feedback.
  • Celebrate collective progress, not solely individual achievements.

No.2: Connect the Dots

• • Help everyone understand how their work contributes to the bigger picture.
  • Share stories of cross-team collaboration and success.
  • Make strategy discussions part of regular team meetings.

No.3: Walk the Talk

• • Model the behaviors you want to see.
  • Recognize and reward collaboration over competition.
  • Make decisions that reinforce “we’re all in this together”.

 Signs You’re Getting It Right

You know your culture and strategy are aligned when:

• People naturally help colleagues in other departments.
• Teams celebrate each other’s successes.
• Problems are seen as “our challenges” rather than “their issues”.
• Innovation comes from unexpected places.
• People at all levels can explain how their work connects to company goals.

A Practical Exercise: The Culture-Strategy Check

Take 15 minutes with your team to answer these questions:

• How does our culture help or hinder our strategy?
• What behaviors do we need to encourage to achieve our goals?
• Where do we see people working together across boundaries?
• What gets in the way of collaboration?
• How can we better support each other in achieving our goals?

Remember, strategy provides the “what” and “where,” but culture determines the “how” and “why.” When you get both working together — when everyone feels they’re part of something bigger than themselves — that’s when extraordinary results happen.

Rethink how culture happens — and how you can lead it.

You’re invited to an in-person workshop, “The Culture Shift: How Communications Leaders Can Shape Culture & Drive Results,” hosted by the Communications Leadership Council and The Grossman Group.

Wednesday, August 20, 2025 | 8:30-11:30 am | Chicago, IL

Learn More & Register Today!

About The Modern Leader series

Discover actionable insights released biweekly, designed to help you elevate your own leadership impact and drive the business results you seek.

So, how do you know if you’re a modern leader?

Modern leaders stand apart through their ability to balance head and heart in today’s complex workplace, integrating emotional intelligence with strategic thinking.

New research with The Harris Poll (publishing Summer 2025) shows only 30% of leaders truly meet their teams’ evolving needs — but that elite group leads with “their heart IN their head” and consistently demonstrates six key differentiators.

They:

• Lead with gratitude.
• Listen and empathize.
• Foster an inclusive culture.
• Communicate with context.
• Connect strategy to employee growth.
• Enable employees to meet the moment.

To see additional ways you can differentiate yourself as a modern leader, check out the collection of modern leadership attributes (added bi-weekly) here.