Culture beyond the Mission Statements

Welcome to the Leader’s Lens: The Perspective Shift issue!

This issue offers a fresh perspective and actionable tips to enhance your leadership this week.

Send me an email and let me know how you plan on implementing this perspective shift in your leadership!

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Above The Frame: The Leader’s Lens Show!

Through the Lens: “One Shift at a Time”

I used to think culture lived in mission statements and value posters.

Maybe you’ve thought the same.

If we just had the right words on the wall, the right language in our emails, or a bold “DEI Commitment” on the website—then we’d be good.

But I learned otherwise as I stepped into leadership myself.

When I first took over as a team supervisor 7 years ago, I came in with my print out words and visuals that would “inspire” the team to live out the company mission.

Then within a few months, I felt the tension.

Teams didn’t trust each other. Decisions were made in silos.

Accountability was low. Burnout was high.

My cute little signs centered on “communication,” “respect,” and “success” had no match for what the team specifically experienced day to day.

And while there’s nothing wrong with these words, they did not help bridge the gap between intention and action within the team culture.

That moment changed how I thought about culture.

Culture isn’t what you declare. It’s what you consistently do.

That’s the heartbeat behind the graphic I’m sharing with you this week called “10 Simple Shifts to Design a Culture of Accountability, Trust, and Inclusion.”

And the key word in that title is simple.

These aren’t dramatic, flashy overhauls. They’re subtle actions, but powerful ones.

On their own, they might not seem like much.

But together? They build trust. They foster belonging. They shape culture in a real, lasting way.

Let me walk you through a few of the ones that have shaped my own leadership journey:

“Model It.”

My actions were a major indicator if I believed in what I valued or not. Before I could encourage a team member to reach out to another team member to gain an understanding of an issue, I had to be the one to show what that could look like.

It’s similar to the Model The Way principle outlined by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner’s “Five Practices of Exemplary Leader” : If you’re not modeling it, no one’s following it.

“See Them.”

I had a smart and capable colleague on my team. But always quiet in meetings.

One day, I asked for her thoughts before the usual voices spoke up. She gave a short and concise response why we needed to check a process outlined by operations but overlooked by our team.

A necessary step for the success of the project we were working on.

The lesson there?: Leadership isn’t just about speaking. It’s about noticing.

“Measure What Matters.”

It makes sense to have a productivity dashboard to measure throughput of work efforts.

We need to track compliance based on the functionality and utilization of our initiatives.

But have we taken the time to measure what helps shapes team culture like inclusion, trust, or team engagement?

I talk more about it through this Youtube episode, How to Measure Belonging in the Workplace, but one way was to gathering the feedback and implementing the from the staff based on what they desired to see within the workplace.

Engagement correlated to productivity because they were able to see their words show up through my actions.

It was a great reminder that Productivity gets attention, but belonging builds momentum.

So now what?

Every leader I’ve worked with (from city departments to healthcare teams to nonprofits) has had a version of this same realization:

Culture isn’t a retreat. It’s not a checklist. It’s not a fancy training.

It’s the consistent, intentional shifts that leaders make every day. Especially when no one’s watching.

Choose one shift from the list that you can embody this week.

Maybe it’s:

• Naming something that needs to be addressed.

• Sharing the mic in an upcoming decision.

• Looking outward and bringing in a community voice you haven’t included before.

You don’t have to do it all at once.

But if you’re committed to building a team that’s inclusive, accountable, and full of trust, you have to start somewhere.

Culture is built one conversation, one commitment, and one shift at a time.

Reply back and let me know which shift you plan on focusing on!

Rooting for you and your leadership,

Ray

Whenever you are ready, here are ways you can work with me:

• 🎤Speaking - As a Speaker and Facilitator, I will engage your team on how belonging and inclusivity can increase your team dynamics! ​Book Ray Now

• 🤝Coaching - As a Coach, I will help you enhance the power of inclusivity and empathy to be an effective leader through an equity lens! Book a Call Now

• 📘Consulting - As a Consultant, I will help strengthen your organizational culture to increase the employee experience and retention! Book a Consultation Now

P.S. - Thank you to those who have filled out the survey letting me know more about your leadership journey! I am excited to dive into the results over the next couple of weeks to provide you with resources and content that will support your leadership! If you haven’t filled it out yet, do so by clicking the link here!