More Than Words on the Wall: Building Cultures That Actually Live Their Values

By: Danielle Giannone & Danny Tyrrell

Imagine this…

You walk into your Monday morning team meeting—not with dread, but with energy. You’re greeted warmly and someone asks how your weekend was. Your manager opens the meeting not with tasks, but with a story about how your work last week made a difference for a customer.

You feel it in your body: this isn’t just a job. It’s a team. A mission. You matter here. 

The meeting is productive; challenges are addressed, decisions are made, and people are clear on their priorities for the week. 

There’s no ladder-climbing at the expense of others, no whispering behind closed doors, no hidden agenda that only a few are privy to. You know where decisions are made. You understand the bigger picture. And you actually want to give your best—because you believe in where you’re going, and more importantly, who you’re going with.

A culture like this isn’t created by chance. It’s intentional. It’s modeled. And it’s absolutely within reach.

At Withinsight Development, we help leaders create “LIFT cultures”—where people don’t just show up to get things done, they show up because they care, are seen, and know they’re part of something bigger than themselves.. We’ve worked in and with organizations where the values were beautifully written on the wall, but invisible in day-to-day behavior, not modeled by key leaders, or worse yet—these values were weaponized to make oneself look better and someone else look worse. And we’ve worked in and with organizations where those values were alive—in every meeting, every conversation, and every decision.

The difference? Night and day. Energy and exhaustion. Trust and fear.

What makes the difference? A committed leader.  

Leading from Purpose

In healthy cultures, people don’t just know what they’re doing—they know why it matters. Leaders regularly reconnect the team to the mission. They share stories. They pause to acknowledge the “why,” not just the “what,” and as a result, people feel aligned and invested.

Companies like Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, and Salesforce have all done this exceptionally well, linking their brand, business, and internal culture to something deeply meaningful. That purpose becomes a rallying point, not words on a wall. 

The Power of Psychological Safety

In thriving workplace cultures, people aren’t walking on eggshells. They’re not afraid of speaking up in meetings or questioning the status quo. They know one mistake won’t define them or put their job at risk.

Instead, they feel free to share ideas, challenge assumptions, take bold steps—and yes, even fail. That’s what psychological safety looks like. And it’s no accident.

It’s built when leaders show vulnerability, own their missteps, and actively listen—especially to those with less authority. When feedback flows in all directions, not just from the top down, real trust takes root.

Google’s Project Aristotle—a deep dive into what sets top teams apart—found that psychological safety was the single biggest factor in high performance. Not degrees. Not metrics. Safety.

That’s not just interesting. That’s transformational..

Creating A “We’re In This Together” Mindset

Healthy cultures are rooted in shared ownership. There’s no “us vs. them” between leadership and staff. There’s mutual respect. There’s camaraderie. And yes, there’s accountability, because everyone needs to do their part. 

Companies like Buffer, where extreme transparency is a core value and practice (they even post employee salaries publicly) or Zappos, where leaders spend time on the front lines, listening and learning are great examples. These are organizations where people feel like they belong, not like they’re disposable.

People want to be respected, challenged, supported, and seen. And valued for their contribution to the organization’s success. 

It Starts with the Leader

If you’re a leader reading this, the question isn’t whether you care about culture. It’s how you’re living it. Your team is taking their cues from you.

Are you modeling the values on the wall?

Are you building trust with every decision?

Are you asking for and listening to feedback?

Are you lifting others, not just managing them?

These are the questions we work through every day with our clients at Withinsight Development through our L.I.F.T. Framework—which starts with Lead from Culture.

Because here’s what we believe with our whole hearts:

Culture isn’t the words you write. Culture is how you show up every single day.

Ready to Create a Culture That Lights People Up and Gets Results?

We’ve built the tools. We’ve done the homework. We’ve seen what works. And we’d be honored to partner with you to make your culture not just aspirational—but actual.

Reach out. Let’s build something real, together.