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Let’s be honest, building a high-performing culture isn’t about office perks or branded coffee mugs. It’s about leading with intention, showing up for your people and asking your team, “What can I be doing better to support you?”
During our FUSION25 session “Building a Culture of Excellence: Leadership Strategies for Success,” Ryan Givens, PTMP and Emma Ulmer tackled the topic of culture head-on. And if you think culture is just a buzzword, we kindly suggest you read on.
Culture Isn’t a Bonus. It’s the Foundation.
Culture isn’t something you just hope remains or becomes positive. It’s not a mission statement collecting dust or a team lunch every quarter. It’s what shapes your team’s experience when the going gets tough.
As Ryan put it:
“Building a positive culture is like losing 10 pounds for vacation. It takes forever to build, but you can gain it back (or lose it!) in a weekend.”
The takeaway? Culture requires intention, effort and leadership that models the behaviors it wants to see.
Leadership Clichés That Are True
Clichés exist for a reason – they tend to be true. Here are a few that kept surfacing in the discussion:
- “People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.” If you’re not investing in your team as humans first, your leadership is just lip service.
- “Do what you say you’re going to do.” Follow-through builds trust, and without trust, there is no culture worth keeping.
- “Lead by example.” Culture starts at the top. If your leadership team isn’t living your values, don’t expect anyone else to.
These aren’t just cute sayings on posters. They’re foundational truths echoed by leaders at every level.
From Eight Values to Three: A Case Study in Simplicity
At Offstreet, Emma and her team realized that even though they had eight core values, no one could remember more than one. That’s when their CEO posed a challenge:
“If you had to rebuild the company from scratch and could only bring one team member, who would it be, and why?”
The common thread among responses? Intelligence, adaptability and, most importantly, genuine care.
So, they trimmed the list down to three powerful, memorable values:
- Own the Outcome
- Build the Best Experience
- Good Vibes, High Standards
They didn’t stop there. These values now live in their day-to-day operations, from Slack channels like Feel Good Friday to quarterly Value Awards that celebrate team members (excluding leadership) who live the values loud and proud.
Hiring for Potential, Not Just Résumés
Emma shared a powerful insight:
“Anyone we’ve hired primarily for experience hasn’t worked out.”
Instead, Offstreet focuses on hiring for upside – looking for people who are adaptable, curious and deeply aligned with the company’s values.
Their hiring approach includes:
- Asking new team members to recommend three former colleagues they loved working with.
- Informal interviews like coffee chats across departments.
- Framing job roles as problems to solve, not just checklists to complete.
This shift empowers new hires to own their work, contribute strategically and grow quickly.
Two Overlooked Culture Killers: Stale Skills & Diminished Confidence
Not all culture problems are obvious. Two subtle but powerful threats were called out in the session:
1. Professional Development Stagnation
“I’ve asked for that training for two years—and I still haven’t gotten it.”
When growth opportunities are delayed or denied, employees feel stuck. Eventually, they stop asking.
Their skill set becomes stagnant and if this happens to enough people, the growth and development of your company will become stagnant. Staus que these days means falling behind and becoming irrelevant.
2. Diminished Confidence
When autonomy is lacking, team members may begin to doubt their abilities and disengage.
Emma emphasized the importance of flattening hierarchies:
“Titles shouldn’t dictate whose idea wins. The best idea should always win—regardless of who says it.”
Frameworks That Actually Work
Ryan and Emma introduced two practical frameworks that help teams and leaders navigate growth, expectations, and accountability.
Level 5 Leadership
Popularized in Good to Great, this model describes leaders who blend humility with fierce resolve. Ryan highlighted its relevance:
“Level 5 leaders aren’t ego-driven. They’re willing to make tough decisions for the good of the team—and they care deeply about their people. They put organizational success before self success.”
The Triangle of Talent
Offstreet’s own performance review model, the “Triangle of Talent,” outlines five levels of employee engagement:
- Needs constant direction.
- Completes tasks when told.
- Knows how to execute.
- Solves problems independently.
- Anticipates problems before they surface.
“When we introduced this framework,” Emma shared, “it lit a fire. People suddenly had clarity on what high performance looked like, and how to get there.”
Culture in Action: From Team Bonding to Tough Conversations
Culture isn’t created during annual retreats. It’s built every day – through consistent, human-focused leadership.
That means:
- Prioritizing team bonding (even outside of work).
- Encouraging vulnerability and honesty.
- Having the tough conversations and explaining the why behind them.
Walk the Walk
A great culture isn’t something you declare, it’s something you demonstrate. And it doesn’t stop once you’ve defined your values or hired a rockstar. It’s a daily commitment.
“When employees feel seen, supported and empowered,” Emma said, “they care more. And when they care more, everything improves. Performance, retention, even client relationships.”
As your organization grows, so should your commitment to building and protecting culture. Hire for potential. Promote from within. Invest in development. Lead with heart.
And most importantly: keep showing up.
Want more insights from FUSION25? Stay tuned for more session recaps and stories from the people building excellence—one conversation at a time.
Katelyn Perman
Content Marketing Manager
Katelyn Perman has 4+ years of experience in marketing, specializing in social media strategy, email campaigns, graphic design and copywriting. She holds a B.S. in Strategic Communication and Human Communication Studies from Indiana Wesleyan University.