The Role of a Leader’s Habits in Shaping Organisational Culture 

By Sarah Langslow

As a leader, our teams observe and take cues from our behaviours and habits as to what’s acceptable – and what isn’t. Building awareness of the messages we are sending helps us be intentional about the culture we are seeking to create.

‘The way we do things around here’ is how Marvin Bower, the man behind McKinsey and the father of modern management consulting, described organisational culture. It’s the values, behaviours, attitudes, beliefs, actions, norms and habits that make up our way of working. But how does culture come to life? When you look closely, organisational culture lives in how we interact with one other. Many of our day-to-day interactions are small and seemingly inconsequential, yet they matter profoundly. These are what I term our micro-interactions. 

Micro-interactions are what we say, and don’t say. They are how we say things: the phrasing, tone, timing, and energy. They are what we listen to and what we ignore, consciously or otherwise. They are the emails we respond to fast, and the ones we sit on or avoid. They are the questions we ask and how we ask them, as well as the questions never asked. They are our emotions and facial expressions, and our habits and behaviours. In short, micro-interactions are the moments of connection we have with other humans that occur in their multitudes every single day 

Many of our micro-interactions are not interactions into which we put a great deal of thought, planning or intention. In the absence of intention, how we behave in these interactions is driven by the power of habit, so the role of habits in shaping organisational culture cannot and must not be ignored. 

The power of micro-interactions 

As a leader, the influence of our habits on culture is magnified by the power dynamics in place. Power dynamics in a professional sense mostly relate to someone’s ability to reward or punish, whether in a material sense through promotions, pay rises or bonuses, or the less tangible ability to grant or withhold opportunities for advancement and growth. 

Power and authority add significance to every micro-interaction, because those around you add meaning to them. Whether you realise it or not, your every action and interaction are projecting a continuous message to the world about what matters to you and what you don’t care about. Those around you look to you for cues: what you acknowledge, what you ignore or let pass; what and who you reward or punish; what you listen to, and what conversations you avoid or shut down. These give out subtle signals that train people how to treat you and how they should behave. 

This is why it is crucial to turn the mirror on ourselves and understand the impact of our micro-interactions. 

The messages you are sending 

Does what you say match how you act? Let’s look at a common example to illustrate where things can start to go wrong if we aren’t paying attention. 

Many leaders and managers will express some version of ‘my door is always open’ to their teams. That is, if your people need to speak to you, that you will make time to listen and listen well. It’s easy enough to say “yes” when we aren’t too busy and when things feel mostly under control. But when you’re buried and feeling overwhelmed, what then? This isn’t about you having to be available 24/7, but the tone and manner of your responses in those moments will last beyond a single interaction. If you’re calm and welcoming, and figure out when you can fit something in that sends one message. However, if you’re brusque, irritable or short with someone when they approach you, you risk damaging trust in the relationship beyond that single moment. 

This extends into our behaviours too. Busyness has become almost a default state of existence. For many of us our to-do list is always longer than we will ever finish, and our days are scheduled down to the minute, with back-to-back meetings and finely calculated slots to fit everything in. If the way that you talk – and your calendar – constantly reinforce how busy you are, the perception that your door isn’t really open will be stronger. Or, at the very least, that you’d rather no one on your team took you up on your offer to talk to them. 

Holidays are another example. If your habit is to deal with emails while on holiday, that’s your choice. However, if you also preach the importance of taking proper, uninterrupted downtime to refresh and recharge you are already sending a mixed message. In such cases the clarity of your communication to others matters, acknowledging your choices as solely your own. Your response to others not emailing while on holiday will also be critical. The moment you start grumbling about someone not responding while away, it will send the message that you do in fact expect your team to always be available, at least to some degree. 

Congruence and consistency 

Two factors can help ensure your habits are shaping your organisation’s culture in the way you intend. 

First, congruence. Take some time to reflect on your own habitual behaviours and micro-interactions and the messages they may be sending. What do they collectively say about what you value and what doesn’t matter? Are you modelling the behaviours and ways of interacting that you’re seeking from others? The aim here is to uncover incongruences between the culture you want to create, and the culture you may inadvertently be creating, so as to take action to close the gap. 

Then, be honest with yourself on how consistent you are in your behaviours and interactions. We can all behave the way we wish to when things are going well. However, it is when you’re tired, frustrated or overwhelmed with work that it really matters. When we show up consistently, even in the difficult moments, we provide the secure foundation our teams need to build trust. 

Taken as a whole, our micro-interactions tell the story of our organisation’s culture; how the organisation operates, how its people treat each other, and what the organisation and its leaders care about. Make sure you’re telling the story that you choose, not letting your habits choose for you.

About the Author

Sarah Langslow is an executive coach and leadership development specialist. She integrates leadership lessons from a sporting career as a rower, including competing twice in the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, a 15-year corporate career across management consulting and finance, and experience as an entrepreneur with her own coaching and leadership development business. Sarah has an MA and an MBA from the University of Cambridge and is accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) as a Professional Certified Coach.  

Sarah’s new best-selling book “Do Sweat the Small Stuff” illuminates the often unrecognised power of micro-interactions to supercharge leadership effectiveness and people development.