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How to Get Leadership Buy-In for Culture Change

  • Writer: Ewan Laing
    Ewan Laing
  • Aug 6
  • 2 min read

You can have the clearest vision, the best training materials, and the most inspiring values... 

But if your leadership team isn’t bought in? Culture change stalls. 🚫 


Whether you're refreshing your values, launching a new service mission, or simply trying to shift team behavior, leadership buy-in isn't just helpful—it’s non-negotiable. 


Here’s how to bring leaders on the journey and make culture change stick. 🔧 

 

1️⃣ Show the Business Case 

If you want leaders to care about culture, connect it to what they care about: performance, retention, and results. 📊 

Use data. Share research. Talk about how culture impacts KPIs like turnover, engagement, and customer satisfaction. 

➡️ According to Forrester Consulting, companies that invested in culture-building platforms like Culture Amp saw a 311% ROI over 3 years, with $2.3M in net present value for a mid-sized business. 

➡️ Research by Propeller found that using metrics like productivity, turnover costs, and retention rates helps culture change become more "real" and compelling to data-driven leaders. 

Tip: Frame culture as a tool for solving real business challenges, not a feel-good initiative. 


 


Facilitator engaging team in culture-building session at whiteboard, encouraging collaboration.

2️⃣ Involve Them Early (And Often) 

Nobody wants culture done to them. They want to be part of shaping it. 🤝 

Bring leaders into the process from the beginning. Ask for their input. Invite them to co-create values, training content, or behavior models. 

➡️ A study in the MIT Sloan Management Review found that cultural transformation only takes root when leaders consistently model, communicate, and reinforce cultural priorities. 

Tip: Treat leaders as stakeholders, not spectators. 


 


Team leader presenting culture strategy to colleagues during a leadership development session.

3️⃣ Equip Them to Lead the Change 

Even the most supportive leaders can struggle if they don’t know how to lead culture. 🧰 

Give them tools, language, and behaviors that model what good looks like. Provide coaching and feedback to help them practice what they preach. 

➡️ Research in the Journal of Organizational Leadership confirms that transformational leadership behaviors—like role modeling and vision-setting—positively shape organizational culture and influence employee readiness for change. 

Tip: Create a simple leader toolkit that aligns expectations, talking points, and examples. 

 

4️⃣ Celebrate the Right Wins 

People do more of what gets recognized. If you want culture to stick, spotlight the leaders who are walking the talk. 🌟 

Whether it’s in town halls, newsletters, or casual shoutouts—make it clear that culture leadership is leadership. 

Tip: Share real stories of leaders making a difference. That’s where change takes root. 


 

✨ Final Thought 

Culture change isn’t top-down or bottom-up. It’s all-in. But without leadership commitment, even the best ideas lose momentum. 

Bring them in. Give them the tools. And show them the impact. 🔥 

 

🚀 Want to turn your leaders into culture champions? 

BrightSpark helps organizations engage, equip, and energize their leaders to drive lasting culture change. Let’s spark the shift together. 


 

📚 References 

  1. Forrester Consulting (2022). The Total Economic Impact™ of Culture Amp. Commissioned Study. Retrieved from cultureamp.com 

  2. MIT Sloan Management Review (2021). Changing Organizational Culture: A Systematic Approach. Retrieved from sloanreview.mit.edu 

  3. Propeller (2023). Making Culture Change Measurable. Retrieved from propellerconsulting.com 

  4. Journal of Organizational Leadership (2020). Transformational Leadership’s Role in Organizational Culture and Change Readiness. Volume 9. 

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