Culture at the Core: How Leadership Aligns People and Strategy

photo by Nadine Renneisen

“Culture does not make people. People make culture.” – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

With these simple words, Adichie reveals a powerful truth about the relationship between culture and people within an organization. Culture is not something that happens passively or automatically. It is actively shaped by the actions, beliefs, and behaviors of the people who make up the organization, especially its leadership. As leaders, it is our responsibility to create and nurture a culture that aligns with and supports the execution of our strategies. When done right, this alignment can be the difference between a thriving organization and one that struggles to meet its goals.

Throughout my career, I’ve primarily worked in roles that bridge strategy and operations, most recently as part of the Management Team at nebenan.de. As Chief of Staff, I had the privilege of implementing and leading the strategic planning and execution process. The process wasn’t without its challenges, but it became an incredible learning experience as I worked to bridge the gap between strategic goals and organizational dynamics.

Throughout my journey, I’ve worked with companies that thrived because their culture aligned seamlessly with their strategic goals, and I’ve also seen organizations where a disconnect between culture and strategy led to missed opportunities and lack of progress. Reflecting on these experiences has helped me shape the strategy process at nebenan.de, aligning both elements and creating a more cohesive approach.

In this article, I’ll share two examples, one from a company where I worked on a strategic case study (femtasy) and another from a freelance consulting work, to demonstrate how people actively shape culture, and how that, in turn, determines whether strategy is successfully executed.

A Company’s Culture is Shaped by Its People: A Lesson from femtasy

At femtasy, a company revolutionizing female-centric audio erotica, the culture is undeniably strong and purpose-driven. But it’s not just the employees who have made this culture thrive. The leadership team plays a critical role in shaping it. As the CEO and founder, Julie Lepique sets the tone for the company’s culture through her commitment to its mission of female empowerment. Julie has built a culture where the team is deeply aligned with the company’s purpose, not just in terms of the product they create, but in their daily work and interactions.

The people at femtasy are passionate about the company’s commitment to liberating female pleasure, and that passion creates an environment where everyone feels personally invested in its success. This deep-rooted belief in the company’s purpose has played a crucial role in driving performance over the years, even as femtasy continuously adapts to ongoing changes and adjustments in its internal processes.

What’s the secret to femtasy’s success? It’s the company’s culture. Julie has intentionally fostered an environment where culture and purpose come first. She is leading by example, creating an environment where employees feel connected to a purpose that goes beyond individual tasks, driving collective success. This shared sense of ownership and alignment with the company’s dedication to empowering female pleasure fuels its performance. Even when strategic processes are still evolving, the culture that Julie and her team have nurtured remains a powerful driver of success.

As Adichie’s quote reminds us, culture is something actively created. At femtasy, it’s not just the leadership team but everyone in the organization who contributes to a culture of ownership and drive. This shared commitment is what supports the execution of their evolving strategy.

When Culture Conflicts with Strategy: Lessons from ImpactHive

In contrast, let’s take a look at ImpactHive (company name changed for privacy reasons), a company founded with a strong social mission. Like femtasy, ImpactHive attracted a team of passionate people committed to creating something meaningful for social good. However, as the company grew, the leadership team faced increasing pressure to focus on financial sustainability and performance. This shift towards a stronger performance-oriented and revenue-driven strategy created tension within the organization.

Employees who had initially joined for the company’s mission-driven culture began to resist the emphasis on revenue generation. They saw this shift as a betrayal of the company’s original purpose, leading to a disconnect between the company’s mission-driven culture and the new strategic focus.

Given that both femtasy and ImpactHive had strong company cultures, why was it so difficult for ImpactHive to shift to a more performance and revenue-oriented approach? The answer lies in leadership and alignment.

At ImpactHive, while the culture was initially aligned with its mission, the leadership team didn’t properly integrate the new focus on revenue with the organization’s cultural values. Employees needed to see that financial sustainability wasn’t just a goal for the company’s survival, but that it was essential for scaling their mission and increasing their impact. Without this alignment, the strategy could not be executed effectively, despite the presence of structured processes.

In contrast, femtasy’s leadership successfully managed this tension by ensuring that the company’s cultural values remained the guiding principle, even as they adapted their strategy to a more performance and KPI-oriented approach. This clear cultural anchor helped to keep the team aligned and motivated, even as the strategy developed.

Five Key Lessons for Building a Culture that Drives Strategy

With these two real-life examples in mind, here are five key lessons for building a culture that is capable of driving strategy execution successfully. 

1 // Fostering a Culture of Open, Honest Feedback

At femtasy, open communication is part of the company’s DNA. The leadership team’s commitment to frameworks like radical candor has played a crucial role in creating an environment where feedback is not only welcomed but actively encouraged at all levels. This open dialogue ensures that any cultural misalignments are identified early, allowing for quick adjustments before they become larger issues. A culture of open, honest feedback helps keep both the culture and strategy aligned, even as the company continues to grow and evolve. This transparency fosters a sense of trust and accountability among the team, ensuring everyone is working toward the same goals.

2 // Leading Change from the Top

At femtasy, Julie’s leadership plays a vital role in this culture. She doesn’t just support open communication, she actively embodies it by participating in radical candor lunches, where she listens to feedback from employees at all levels and addresses it directly. This approach reflects her belief that leadership is not just about setting directives but modeling the behaviors she expects from her team. After receiving feedback, Julie frequently shares her reflections in all-hands meetings, ensuring the entire organization sees her commitment to continuous improvement. This visible leadership approach helps establish a strong foundation of empowerment and ownership across the organization, where everyone feels part of the cultural shift and embraces new directions.

3 // Aligning Strategy with Cultural Strengths

One of the reasons femtasy has successfully executed its strategy is because the company’s purpose is tightly interwoven with its culture. The core mission to liberating female pleasure isn’t just a statement, it’s the driving force behind both the company’s strategy and its day-to-day operations. By aligning strategy with the company's existing cultural strengths, femtasy has been able to push through challenges and maintain momentum. When cultural values and strategic objectives are in sync, execution becomes significantly smoother. In my experience, aligning strategy with the culture creates a powerful synergy that accelerates results and helps to overcome obstacles along the way.

4 // Creating Cross-Functional Collaboration

At nebenan.de, one of the most effective ways to drive alignment across the company came by establishing regular collaboration rhythms. Initiatives like quarterly OKR workshops, monthly management meetings, and team standups play a crucial role in ensuring that cross-functional teams stay aligned on both strategy and culture. These touchpoints not only helped us clarify goals but also reinforced a culture of transparency and shared ownership. Through this structured collaboration, nebenan.de achieved a 33% increase in strategic clarity across the organization, helping everyone stay on the same page and making strategic execution feel like a collective effort, rather than a series of isolated tasks.

5 // Balancing Long-Term Vision with Short-Term Pressures

At nebenan.de, a conscious effort is made to tie every quarter’s objectives back to the larger vision of empowering local communities. This approach helps maintain a clear line of sight between short-term actions and long-term goals. It’s easy to get caught up in the immediate pressures of day-to-day operations, but by consistently connecting our work to the bigger picture, we ensure that short-term decisions don't derail our long-term strategy. This focus on the long-term vision helps the team stay motivated and focused, even when challenges come up. 

The Power of People

As Adichie says, “Culture does not make people. People make culture.” This is a powerful reminder that culture isn’t something that just “happens”, it is actively shaped by the people in the organization, particularly the leadership. As leaders, it’s our responsibility to intentionally build and nurture a culture that aligns with and supports the execution of our strategies. When this alignment is achieved, it becomes the foundation for both successful execution and long-term organizational growth.

When culture and strategy work together in balance, companies are able to execute their plans with precision and passion. On the flip side, misalignment between the two can lead even the best strategies to fail. By understanding that culture is shaped by the people within the organization and actively leading that effort, leaders can guide their companies toward sustainable success.

If you found this perspective helpful and you’re seeking someone who blends strategic insight with operational expertise, while fostering a culture of trust and collaboration, let’s connect and explore how we can work together.

Theresa Mayer

Strategy & Operations Lead | Business Generalist | Executive MBA

Combining strategic insight, operational expertise, and a people-centered leadership approach.

theresamayer.com

References

Adichie, C. N. (2014). We should all be feminists. HarperCollins UK.