How leaders shape culture during organisational change

How leaders shape culture during organisational change

by | May 1, 2025 | Leadership, Training & Development

Close-up of diverse hands collaboratively aligning wooden gears on a table, symbolising teamwork and leadership driving organisational change and culture alignment.

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Organisational change doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Whether you’re introducing a new strategy, restructuring a team, or evolving how work gets done, success depends on more than planning and execution. It depends on culture.

Culture is often the silent factor that determines whether change gains traction or stalls. It’s shaped by what leaders say, what they do, and what they allow. When culture and change are out of sync, even the best plans struggle to succeed.

Key takeaway: Culture and change are inseparable, and the ability to align them is one of the most important leadership capabilities today.

Why culture matters in change

Shifting strategy without shifting culture is like trying to steer a ship while the current pulls in the opposite direction. Cultural alignment is what keeps people focused, connected, and moving together.

Research from Culture Amp shows just how high the stakes can be. Highly engaged employees could save a median-sized company more than $1.1 billion over five years through increased productivity and reduced turnover. Engagement, they found, is driven largely by confidence in leadership and how well leaders communicate, listen, and act.

That means culture change isn’t just a people issue. It’s a leadership issue — and a business imperative.

Key takeaway: leadership drives cultural alignment, and alignment drives results.

Recognising cultural signals and resistance

When change efforts falter, the signs are usually there. Teams may appear cooperative on the surface but show disengagement underneath. Communication might break down. Energy drops, trust erodes, and momentum slows.

Culture Amp’s leadership research identifies six leadership profiles, from the effective “trusted leader” to the more problematic “divisive” and “lacklustre” types. Trusted leaders build alignment by communicating clearly, acting consistently, and keeping people informed. In contrast, inconsistent or unclear leadership creates space for resistance to grow.

These aren’t abstract leadership traits — they’re behaviours that shape how people feel about change and whether they’ll commit to it.

Key takeaway: Culture follows leaders, and leaders set the tone for change.

Leading cultural change effectively

To shift culture, leaders need to do more than tell people what’s changing. They need to model the mindset and behaviours that support the new direction.

Culture Amp found that leaders of highly engaged teams hold more one-on-ones, give more feedback, and take more action on employee insights. These aren’t complex changes — they’re consistent ones that signal credibility and build trust.

At ConsultingHQ, we help organisations build leadership capability at all levels. Our programmes are designed to give leaders practical tools to lead change, not just manage people.

  • Essentials for SME Managers: A foundational programme for new and developing leaders to build confidence, accountability, and people-management skills.
  • Empowering Teams: For experienced managers who lead other leaders or larger teams, with a focus on strategic leadership and coaching through change.

Building change-ready teams

Culture change doesn’t live in the boardroom. It lives in teams — and it’s shaped by the people who lead them every day.

Middle managers play a critical role in translating strategy into action. When equipped to lead well, they strengthen alignment and reinforce the values that support change. When unprepared, they become blockers rather than enablers.

Culture Amp’s research shows that following leadership transitions, employee attrition rises sharply — up to 40% higher than teams without leadership change. Confidence in leadership also drops, especially among indirect reports. These ripple effects show just how important it is to prepare people before change is underway.

To build your future leadership bench alongside cultural transformation, see our guide to developing leadership pipelines from within.

Culture is your competitive advantage — lead it deliberately

Every organisation has a culture. The question is whether it supports where you’re headed.

Leaders shape culture every day, through the conversations they have, the behaviours they reward, and the standards they set. When leaders are intentional about aligning culture with strategy, change becomes more than possible — it becomes sustainable.

If your organisation is preparing for change, the most important investment you can make is in your leaders.

Explore our leadership development programmes:

Final takeaway: Strong culture doesn’t emerge by chance. It’s built by the leaders who live it, every day.

Ready to lead culture with confidence?

Whether you’re preparing for change or reshaping the way your teams work together, we can help you develop the leadership capability needed to guide cultural transformation.

Talk to our team about how ConsultingHQ can support your organisation’s leadership development and change readiness.

Get in touch with us today to start the conversation.

Developing leadership pipelines: How to nurture future leaders from within

Developing leadership pipelines: How to nurture future leaders from within

by | Apr 3, 2025 | Leadership, Training & Development

Confident businesswoman holding a notebook and smiling in a modern office setting, with a team of professionals collaborating in the background.

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Strong leadership is not something organisations can afford to leave to chance. Without a clear plan for identifying and developing future leaders, businesses risk stagnation, inconsistent decision-making, and vulnerability during transitions. Leadership pipelines provide a structured approach to cultivating talent from within—supporting continuity, strengthening capability, and reinforcing culture.

Whether your organisation is growing, evolving, or preparing for succession, an internal leadership development strategy is a critical investment in long-term success.

Why leadership pipelines matter

When future leadership roles are filled reactively, organisations often experience disruption, misalignment, and higher turnover. A proactive approach ensures that leadership transitions happen smoothly and that individuals are ready to lead effectively when the opportunity arises.

Developing leadership pipelines enables businesses to retain high-performing employees by providing clear growth opportunities. It also reduces the cost and risk associated with external recruitment.

Research shows that internal hires are more likely to succeed and stay longer than external candidates, particularly when supported by targeted development initiatives. Promoting from within preserves organisational knowledge, boosts morale, and fosters a sense of loyalty among team members.

Identifying high-potential talent

Not every strong performer is suited for leadership, but many show early signs of potential. High-potential employees often exhibit learning agility, emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, and a willingness to take initiative. They may seek out responsibility, demonstrate resilience in challenging situations, and contribute beyond their formal role.

To identify leadership potential effectively, organisations should combine performance data with behavioural assessments, manager feedback, and peer insights.

Relying solely on informal judgement can introduce bias and result in overlooked talent. A structured evaluation process creates a fair and transparent pathway for development and ensures diversity within the leadership pipeline.

Creating development pathways

Identifying potential is only the beginning. To prepare future leaders, organisations must offer intentional and progressive development opportunities. This includes mentoring, cross-functional projects, leadership coaching, and formal training programmes aligned with each individual’s growth trajectory.

ConsultingHQ offers two programmes designed to support leadership development at different stages:

  • Essentials for SME Managers: This programme builds the core skills required to lead effectively—such as performance management, communication, and team motivation. It is suited to new or emerging managers who are transitioning from technical roles into people leadership.
  • Empowering Teams: This course supports experienced managers who lead larger teams or other managers. It focuses on strategic leadership, coaching capability, and advanced people management to increase team accountability and performance.

Both programmes are built around practical tools, real-world scenarios, and measurable outcomes to ensure immediate relevance and long-term impact.

Embedding leadership culture

For leadership development to succeed, it must be embedded in the broader organisational culture. Businesses that value leadership at every level create environments where emerging leaders feel supported and encouraged to grow.

Senior leaders should model the behaviours expected of future leaders, while managers at all levels should be held accountable for developing their people.

Incorporating leadership development goals into performance reviews reinforces its importance and ensures ongoing progress.

Recognition also plays a vital role. When leadership behaviours are acknowledged and rewarded, employees are more likely to pursue development opportunities and engage in leadership conversations.

Measuring progress and sustaining growth

Effective leadership pipelines produce measurable results. Key indicators include higher internal promotion rates, stronger retention of high-potential employees, and improved leadership confidence and capability across the organisation.

Organisations should track progress regularly and adjust their development strategies based on feedback, business needs, and performance data.

Leadership development is not a one-time investment. It is a sustained commitment that evolves as the organisation grows and the external environment changes.

By taking a structured, data-informed approach, businesses can build a leadership pipeline that drives consistent performance and prepares the organisation for future challenges and opportunities.

Equip your future leaders

A well-developed leadership pipeline is one of the most effective ways to futureproof your business. It reduces risk, enhances performance, and creates clear pathways for talented individuals to grow.

Explore ConsultingHQ’s leadership development programmes to take the next step:

By investing in leadership from within, you strengthen your organisation’s foundation for success—today and into the future.

Ready to build confident, capable leaders?

Whether you’re developing new managers or strengthening your leadership bench, we can help you create a structured, scalable development plan. Talk to our team about how ConsultingHQ can support your organisation’s leadership goals.

Get in touch with us today to start the conversation.

Leadership style matters

Leadership style matters

by | May 11, 2021 | Leadership

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Leadership skills can make a difference to your business

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Leadership qualities are the very cornerstone of success

Almost every great accomplishment has at its core, solid leadership. When everything is going well it is leadership that keeps people from getting complacent. When things are going poorly it is leadership that guides and encourages people, it is leadership that sets the new course, and it is leadership that provides hope for positive future outcomes.

Leadership style refers to a leader’s characteristic behaviours when directing, motivating, guiding, and managing groups of people. History has shown how great leaders can inspire political movements and social change.

Great leaders can also motivate others to perform, create, and innovate. In the past, managers used to operate with a rigid, bottom-line focussed, heavy into a command-and-control style of leadership. However, in most situations that style does not work now. Values have changed.

Research by psychologist Kurt Lewin in the 1930s identified three major leadership styles:

  • authoritarian (autocratic)
  • participative (democratic)
  • delegative (laissez-faire).

While subsequent research has identified other more defined types of leadership, this early work provided a catalyst for the identification of other characteristic patterns of leadership including the transformational leadership style which is often identified as the single most effective style.

Leaders adopting the transformational leadership style tend to be emotionally intelligent, energetic, and passionate.

They are not only committed to helping the organization achieve its goals, but also to helping group members fulfil their potential. Research shows that this style of leadership results in higher performance, more improved group satisfaction than other leadership styles as well as leading to improved well-being among group members.

However, it is not easy being a leader, especially these days when we are living in times of continual and, at times, exponential change.

The social and economic crisis caused by the current global pandemic is an extreme but relevant example of the types of challenges leaders face today.

Like any other crisis, the disruptive force and major social impacts were entirely unexpected and during the early days of the pandemic the most urgent objective of leaders would be to safeguard the future of the organisation and by adopting a more autocratic approach, making quick decisions for today while also considering what will be the “next normal” for tomorrow.

The “next normal” is the opportunity for organisations to emerge from this crisis stronger than before and in the post-pandemic world, smart leaders will need to adapt their leadership style.

Covid-19 has changed what business leadership looks like now, and for the foreseeable future. The more directive leadership style adopted in the early days of the pandemic would be perceived as an overly directive, actionist one-leader show during business as usual.

Leaders will need to be flexible enough to adapt leadership style to the situation as it evolves.

  • An article in Forbes Magazine describes the “7 Leadership Traits For The Post COVID-19 Workplace” required to restore and revive stressed and flailing supply chains, product lines even entire industries” as being:
  • Candour/openness/honesty – Possibly the best antidote for a workplace climate of anxiety and cynicism is openness and honesty. People respond so much better to the known (even if the news is not great) than the unknown (which tends to fuel more anxiety) or even worse misleading half-truths or irresponsible optimism (which can irreparably damage trust long term).
  • Regular, reliable fact-based communication – regular, reliable fact-based communication goes a long way to bringing people together and reducing workplace anxiety.
  • Empathy – some people are still feeling fragile and concerned about Covid-19. There has been a loss of sense of community and cohesion among staff from the isolation experienced e.g., loss of shared office space when working from home and ongoing concerns about things like job security and sick leave balances. Even just providing some heartfelt encouragement and recognition for a job well done goes a long way.
    Intergenerational and managing a remote and distributed workforce – Gen Zers and millennials require a different style of management (ethical).
  • Virtual and distributed teams also require a different style of leadership. You still need to bring these employees together regularly or work streams may fall apart.
  • Flexibility and adaptability – Covid-19 has taught us that businesses need to be flexible and adaptable to changing situations. Faced with unprecedented uncertainty, leaders need to avoid the temptation to “stick with the decision” and change course if necessary.
  • Humility / modesty – whether its knowledge related to public health, statistics, human resources or even legal issues, leaders will undoubtedly find themselves needing to rely on expertise that they do not themselves have to make the best decisions for the broader organisation. As a result, humility is a huge asset. It takes a strong leader to respond to a difficult question with “I don’t know, but I’ll find out”.
  • Active listening – while leaders certainly need to make hard decisions that will not, please everyone, making well informed decisions is still key. Indeed, there is a difference between listening and waiting to talk and for many leaders, their ability to shift gears into “listening to understand” versus “listening to respond” will be a key ingredient for their success.

Smart leaders need to adapt and be prepared to change their leadership style in the post-pandemic world and as Michael Dell (the founder of Dell Computers at age 20) said “I’ve learned that you have to take advantage of change and not let it take advantage of you”.

Contact us to find out how we can help your business.

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