Leaders often assume their culture is aligned with their values, but culture isn’t defined by intent — it’s revealed by how people behave and adapt. High performers are the clearest evidence of how culture actually functions because they read the environment deeply. They adjust their effort to match what the system rewards, not what leaders say they value. This episode explores how this dynamic works, and asks a simple but powerful question: Do your best people experience the culture you think you’ve built?

Key Message:

Organizational culture isn’t measured by language or intent — it’s seen in how high performers respond to what is actually rewarded.

Contrast:

Typical founder belief: “Our culture is strong because we say the right things.”

Search-aligned truth: “Culture is revealed by behavior and lived experience.” (Gallup.com)

Intended Conviction:

If high performers adjust their effort based on what’s actually rewarded, then their behavior is the clearest signal of your real culture — not what you think it is.

Show Notes

Organizational culture is deeply shaped by behavior, not intention. Leaders can describe the culture they want, but what people actually respond to — especially high performers — reveals what the culture is. Research shows that leadership behavior influences culture and employee satisfaction, and that alignment between employee experience and organizational values matters in performance. (Gallup.com)

In this episode, James Mayhew explains why high performers are the most accurate readers of organizational culture, how they adjust to what the system rewards, and why that should matter to any leader who believes their culture is strong. When your best people adapt rather than expand, it signals a deeper truth about what your culture rewards — and what it may be teaching people every day.

Reflection Question

Do your best people experience the culture you think you’ve built — or the one your environment actually teaches?

Links & Resources

1. The Next Question Guide → NextQuestionGuide.com
2. LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/jamesmayhew

Website → JamesMayhew.com