Technology ≠ Culture

To lead people, walk beside them. As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence … When the best leader’s work is done, the people say, “We did it ourselves!” (Lao Tzu)

We were privy to a conversation recently in which it was being argued that technological tools — including LLMs and AI — make positive corporate cultures. That’s like saying a set of golf clubs makes somebody Scottie Scheffler or a tennis racket makes somebody Aryna Sabalenka. Clubs and rackets don’t make greatness. And tools don’t make cultures. People do.

Can technological tools influence organizational operations in beneficial ways? Yes — depending on who’s using the tools and the ways in which they’re allowed and encouraged to use them. Can LLMs and AI increase outputs, enabling more work to be done in less time? Yes — but outcomes depend on the people who are allowed and encouraged to do the work.

Like honesty and integrity, we believe culture isn’t something that can be manifested by talking about it. It can be created. It can be demonstrated. It can be institutionalized. It can be lived. But all the talking in the world won’t make it real. Apparently, we’re not alone.

In January of last year, the Society for Human Resource Management wrote:

A positive workplace culture doesn’t happen by chance—it is a deliberate outcome shaped by leadership choices, engagement strategies, and inclusive practices. By prioritizing alignment of organizational values, employee experience, and data-driven insights, leaders can create environments that promote loyalty, innovation, and sustained success.

And in November of 2024, Business Chief wrote:

Corporate culture emanates from the top, and research from MIT Sloan Management Review indicates CEOs shape up to 70% of workplace culture through their actions and decisions. This impact extends beyond formal policies, permeating daily interactions and decision-making processes.

Theory and Practice

Leaders define an organization’s purpose, its vision, its mission, and its values. It clearly, openly, and consistently communicates those things. It aligns people around them to create a cohesive environment in which daily operations reflect them, manifest them, foster engagement, and establish unity.

In a bigger picture, culture is the product of the way in which your people interact, heed historical precedents, and respond to market conditions. But leadership sets the tone for all of that. By the same token — and in a reciprocating way — the established culture influences the ways in which leaders behave and make decisions.

We’re not organization behaviorologists or corporate strategists. But we’ve been in business for more than 25 years. Albert Einstein once said, “In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they’re different.” But we’ve learned they don’t have to be.

It might be as simple as starting with trust. If you do that, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how many other things take care of themselves.

Tools don’t create culture. People do.