5 Aspects That Define the Strength of Corporate Culture

Written by: Maria Shishkova Managing Partner, AIMS Bulgaria

You might assume this referred to a leader who was underperforming or whose team had rejected him.

Not at all! In fact, quite the opposite – the leader whose department we were supposed to assessing regularly exceeded his targets. Both he and his team agreed they had built an environment where people relied on one another, embraced discipline not as a tedious obligation but as respect for others, and showed genuine empathy.

So, where was the problem?

An incident had occurred due to an extremely rare human error, resulting in measurable damage. Fortunately, no one was injured. Yet, the event reignited a long-smoldering suspicion that “something there just isn’t right.” The “not right” part was that no one in that section of production wanted to transfer to other departments, nor did anyone from other units want to be assigned there. The high-performing team was seen as almost a black box, and naturally, suspicion followed.

Through our analysis, we identified several aspects that cannot be overlooked when building a strong corporate culture:

1. Subcultures define the real culture

The “star” team had built its own internal culture that raised the bar for expectations – and, consequently, for achievements. Their environment was marked by order, high energy, and voluntary high standards – first toward themselves, then toward others.

However, according to the people in that department, the rest of the organization did not operate in the same way. This discouraged them from moving elsewhere, where work might seem easier, but results would be lower. Conversely, the rest of the organization viewed their department as a “military-like” unit with strict discipline – something they had no interest in joining.

2. The Leader’s personality shapes and inspires others

Across the different teams we observed, people largely defined “what’s right” based on the values and actions of their leader. In effect, they became small mirrors reflecting what they saw every day.

3. Staying connected on the way up

In our work with various organizations, we often see leaders who, as they climb the steps of their career, gradually forget their origins and the emotions they experienced on their way up. Over time, they choose to hear and see only the praise of their corporately adaptable subordinates — those whose main focus is to create an outwardly beautiful picture in which the leader’s own image is placed prominently at the center.

This was not the case here. The leader we assessed was direct, approachable, and fully attuned to his people – ears, eyes, heart, and memory intact. He looked for problems together with his team, aiming to solve and prevent them, rather than assign blame.

4. Being different can irritate, even in the face of great success

Even outstanding results can create friction. In our client’s organization, the majority seemed comfortable with a lower bar, simply because it was shared by most. The remarkable success of this leader’s team appeared almost arrogant in the eyes of others.

5. A story with multi-layered messages

In the late socialist period, I had the “unique” experience of going through the EPC (Educational-Professional Complex) system. After the intensive years of a language high school, I had to complete a far less demanding training to become a hotel administrator. Luckily, the puppet theater was right next to our building, and we often slipped away to watch performances that spoke equally well to children and adults. One was called “Some Can, Others Cannot”. Children enjoyed the fairy tale; we, however, read between the lines and sensed the thin sarcasm aimed at our times.

The same words and characters can be perceived differently by different people. When we talk about corporate culture, it matters how we interpret it and translate it into everyday actions. Not only the team we worked with most closely, but others as well, believed they embodied exactly what the organization expected of them.

You might be wondering what happened to this leader and his team. We, too, faced headwinds but concluded firmly in our report that both he and his entire team represented what the organization should aspire to. With a few minor improvement suggestions, they embodied the desired near-future vision. 

And that’s exactly what happened.