Symbols offer clues to our culture.
Symbols surround us, often without notice.
The trophies on a shelf.
The old slogans on a wall.
The corner office.
The language we choose.
Symbols reinforce what matters most.
They also remind teams of what no longer fits.
Culture shifts faster than symbols sometimes do.
When symbols fall out of step, they quietly pull a culture backward, even as leaders are trying to move it forward.
As leaders, we are curators as much as we are creators.
The symbols we choose to sustain, update, or retire send signals about what matters now.
This month, choose one small way to work with symbols:
-
Audit one visible symbol in your organisation — an office space, a mantra or meme, a recognition practice.
-
Introduce or refresh a symbol that reflects your current focus.
-
Invite your team to identify a symbol that captures what matters most right now.
If you are working on strengthening culture through everyday leadership actions, I offer masterclasses for leadership teams — bringing practical culture work directly into the everyday moments that matter.
(Details below if you would like to explore it.)
What symbols are anchoring the culture you want to lead?
Which ones are pulling against it?
The cultures that strengthen are the ones where leaders choose what to sustain and what to shift.
Thank you for exploring symbols with me.
Regards,
Meredith
Culture can take you further than Strategy can imagine.
Responses