How to Build a Strong Team Culture Through Everyday Leadership
When most people think about shaping culture, they picture big, planned moments: a company retreat, a strategy off-site, a team-building workshop.
Those moments matter. They set direction and inspire energy.
But the truth is, the culture your team experiences day-to-day is built in the unscripted moments, the ones no one puts on the calendar.
It’s in how you open a meeting. Whether you follow up when you say you will. How you respond when someone offers an idea that challenges your own thinking.
These seemingly small actions send powerful signals about what’s safe, valued, and expected. Over time, they become habits. And habits, repeated, become culture.
The Power of Modeling Growth in Real Time
One of the most effective ways to shape culture is to model the behaviors you want to see. Not once, not in a memo, but consistently, in plain view.
When leaders visibly engage in their own growth by asking for feedback, sharing what they’re learning, and naming their own skill gaps, they create a ripple effect.
I’ve seen it firsthand:
Feedback notebooks: At one organization, the entire team carried small notebooks for capturing and exchanging feedback every day. They ended each meeting with feedback, and it stuck because the most senior leaders were doing it too.
Naming skill gaps: I’ve worked with leaders who opened team meetings by sharing one skill they were actively working to improve. It gave everyone else permission to acknowledge their own development areas.
Role-playing in real time: Some leaders I coach will model a client conversation, sales pitch, or feedback exchange in front of their teams. Not to perform, but to normalize learning together.
These moments don’t require a big stage. They require intention, visibility, and follow-through.
Why the Small Moments Matter More Than You Think
Culture shifts when people see repeated behaviors they can follow. If you want your team to be curious, accountable, and open to growth, start by showing those traits in the everyday interactions that make up most of your workweek.
That might mean:
Asking for differing viewpoints and validating them, even when you disagree.
Rotating who facilitates your weekly check-in to encourage shared leadership.
Following through, especially on the small commitments, to show reliability.
These actions may seem small, but repeated over time, they signal this is how we do things here.
A Question for Leaders
If you want a culture where people embrace feedback, experiment with new ideas, and own their growth, start by asking yourself: How am I modeling the change I want to see?
Because culture doesn’t just happen in the big moments. It’s created in the choices you make, the follow-through you show, and the learning you practice. In real time, in plain sight, every day.
Making It Stick: How I Help Leaders and Teams Apply This
These kinds of culture shifts don’t happen overnight. They happen when leaders commit to making small, visible changes consistently.
This is the heart of my work. I partner with executives and their teams to uncover the habits and leadership behaviors that will make the biggest difference. Together, we close the gap between where you are now and the culture you want to create, one conversation, meeting, or moment at a time.
Want help building a culture your team actually experiences day to day? Let’s talk.
Liv Olson is an executive coach and facilitator specializing in team effectiveness. She partners with financial services leaders and their teams to strengthen clarity, confidence, and collaboration.