Leadership expert Dave Anderson says culture doesn’t develop on its own; it takes the temperature of whoever is leading it.
On the latest episode of Lessons in Leadership, Anderson outlines the second commandment from his “15 Commandments for Organizational Peak Performance” series. Anderson says leaders must actively set the standard in their organizations rather than simply react to what’s already happening around them.
"Be a thermostat, not a thermometer."
Anderson explains that while everyone contributes to workplace culture, no one shapes it more than the person at the top. “Thermostats,” he says, set the conditions while “thermometers” simply record them. He also argues that too many leaders fall into thermometer behavior without realizing it. They stay in their offices, rely on emails and voicemails, and attempt to build a team by remote control.
According to Anderson, a disengaged leader produces a disengaged culture. If a department feels sluggish or complacent, he says that’s a reflection of the leader, not the team.
"If it's sleepy, it's probably because you are."
The same logic applies in reverse. Leaders who bring urgency, high standards and consistent presence create cultures that mirror those qualities. Anderson urges leaders to stop allowing culture to drift and instead take ownership of the temperature they’re setting, or failing to set.
“Make sure you’re not just letting your culture develop its own temperature, but you’re being that thermostat rather than responding to what’s happening in your absence,” he said.
The distinction comes down to intention, Anderson asserts. Culture will develop with or without a leader’s involvement. The only question is whether that leader is shaping it or inheriting it.
