Answering the Culture Equation

Culture isn’t shaped just by what’s said or written.

It’s shaped by the signals you send — day in, day out.

What you reward.

What you allow.

What you quietly ignore.

And the gap between what you say you do and what you actually do.

That’s the real culture — the one people feel, follow, and ultimately replicate.

Here’s the simplest way to anchor any conversation on culture:

Culture = Encourage + Tolerate – Pretence

World-class cultures keep this front and centre:

Every interaction sends a message.

Consistency outruns intensity.

Integrity compounds.

And when teams drift, stall or grow uncertain, this equation helps you pinpoint the leak — behaviour, tolerance, or pretence.

Leaders who reduce the pretence — and close the gap between words and actions — create clarity fast.

Performance follows.

So… where’s the gap between what you say and what you do — and what’s the cost of leaving it there?