Culture’s Quiet Power
At the board table, we often talk about culture like it’s something that can be designed in a workshop or installed with a new CEO. But anyone who’s served on a board long enough knows—it doesn’t work that way. Culture isn’t what’s printed on the wall. It’s what lives in the room when the doors are closed.
From the boardroom, culture can feel elusive. It’s not ours to manage day-to-day. But that doesn’t mean we’re bystanders. Directors play a quiet but powerful role in shaping the tone and texture of a company’s culture.
We do it by asking the questions others won’t. By noticing which behaviours get rewarded—and which ones are ignored. By pointing out the gap between the values on paper and the lived experience of employees and stakeholders.
🧩 When Is a Program Just a Program?
Sometimes a board is asked to endorse a new initiative—an ESG strategy, a DEI program, a mental health platform. The instinct might be to treat it as a project with a timeline and KPIs. But here's the real test: is it a catalyst for cultural change, or a siloed fix?
If something needs heavy lifting and visibility to get started, a standalone program might make sense. But if it stays siloed too long—never integrated into hiring, performance reviews, strategic decisions—it becomes a checkbox exercise. It lives on a dashboard, not in the DNA.
⚖️ The Line Between Cancel Culture and Cultural Clarity
Boards are also navigating the increasingly tricky territory of cancel culture. There’s a difference between retiring a program that no longer serves, and reacting out of fear to public pressure or internal discomfort.
We’re seeing more organizations conflate accountability with blame—cutting ties quickly rather than learning through discomfort. Directors need to hold space for the messy middle. The place where mistakes lead to growth, not exile. Where dissent is a form of care, not conflict.
Culture doesn’t shift overnight. But boardrooms that stay curious and courageous in those moments—that don’t flinch when it gets uncomfortable—are the ones that help organizations evolve without losing their soul.
🔍 What to Look for Before Saying Yes to a Board Seat
And what about when you’re the one considering a board role? Culture should be part of your due diligence, just like financials or legal structure. Here are a few questions I’ve found revealing:
How does this board behave when things go wrong—not just right?
Are there unspoken dynamics about who speaks, who defers, and who decides?
How do they talk about their employees, communities, and the long term?
Does the CEO encourage challenge, or simply tolerate it? From directors? From colleagues?
The most fulfilling board work comes when there’s alignment—not just with mission, but with mindset. With how people show up. With how differences are handled. With how power is shared.
Because in the end, culture isn’t just something we influence—it’s something that influences us, too.