Building a Team Culture That Lasts

When people talk about “culture,” it often feels abstract. But in practice, culture is simply the habits, values, and attitudes that show up every single day in your team. It’s the way we treat one another when things are going well—and the way we respond to one another when things get tough.

Why Team Culture Matters: 

A strong team culture is like an invisible hand that guides behavior. When it’s healthy, people feel safe to speak up, collaborate, and take risks. When it’s unhealthy, even the most talented individuals hesitate, hold back, or burn out.

Culture is not built in a day, and it doesn’t live in a mission statement on the wall. It’s shaped by the choices leaders make—who they reward, what they tolerate, and how they show up in everyday interactions.

Three Practices to Strengthen Culture This Month

1. Name Your Values Out Loud
   Don’t assume everyone knows what matters most. If collaboration, accountability, or innovation are priorities, say so—and show how those values connect to the work.

2. Catch People Doing It Right
   One of the quickest ways to reinforce culture is by celebrating the behaviors you want to see more of. A short note of appreciation or a public shout-out can be powerful.

3. Create Space for Real Conversations
   Healthy cultures thrive on trust, and trust grows through honest dialogue. This could be as simple as a weekly check-in where team members share what’s working and what’s hard.

Questions to Consider: 

Ask yourself: What stories do my team members tell about what it’s like to work here?

If those stories reflect encouragement, respect, and shared purpose—you’re building a culture that will sustain both performance and people. If not, the good news is you can start changing the story today.

The Six Types of Working Genius: 

The 6 Types of Working Genius by Patrick Lencioni is a practical framework that identifies six ways people naturally contribute to work: Wonder, Invention, Discernment, Galvanizing, Enablement, and Tenacity. Each person has two areas of genius, two of competency, and two of frustration. By aligning work with these strengths, teams reduce friction, improve collaboration, and increase productivity and fulfillment and thus impacts culture in a pivotal way.

If this is a training that could benefit your team and strengthen your culture, I’d welcome a conversation—reach out and let’s talk.

For those who have already taken the assessment and participated in the trainings I’ve led, here’s a timely reminder on team culture and leadership that Patrick Lencioni shared in his recent newsletter.

 "Here are some examples of how it can feel if one of the following is a Working Frustration for you:

 Wonder Frustration: You get restless when asked to consider big-picture questions or possibilities for too long.

 Invention Frustration: You feel stuck when expected to create something new from scratch or generate multiple fresh ideas.

 Discernment Frustration: You lose energy when you have to spend extended time refining ideas or when you’re forced to rely only on gut instinct.

 Galvanizing Frustration: You feel drained when you’re the one expected to motivate the group or generate enthusiasm.

 Enablement Frustration: You feel weighed down when people constantly look to you for help or support.

 Tenacity Frustration: You lose energy when you’re expected to chase down details or push work across the finish line."

Leadership Spotlight: Kelvin Doe

At age 15, Kelvin Doe taught himself engineering in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where power often came on once a week. He didn't let his surroundings stop him. Kelvin used scrap wire and parts, he built working batteries, a hand-powered generator, an audio mixer, and an FM transmitter. As “DJ Focus,” he used his homemade radio to share music and news with his community. His ingenuity led to MIT’s Visiting Practitioner’s Program, guest lectures at Harvard, and a TEDxTeen talk that inspired millions.  Read more about this young man's story here.

Sheeba Varghese is a strategic partner for your talent development solutions and the author of Confidence, Clarity & Ease: A Guide For Emerging Leaders To Thrive. Her passion is to inspire and equip men and women to lead with excellence and authenticity within the spheres of influence that they are called to impact in life. The spheres may be in a home, on a team, in a classroom, among partners in a firm, or within management, to name a few.

Sheeba works with: 

Senior Leaders and professionals who want to develop stronger leadership skills, have impact, and move forward in their careers

Teams who want to work cohesively within their organizations

Coaches who want to renew or apply for certification with ICF

If you want to improve your leadership skills, transition from managing to leading, ensure your team is amazingly successful, increase your self-awareness, and progress your career, or aspire to be a masterful coach for your clients, then Sheeba would love to support you. She works with clients globally, both face-to-face, by phone, or by Zoom.

In her time apart from clients, Sheeba enjoys time with her husband, Santosh, and their 2 sons, Sam and Steven. She loves great movies, a good book, decorating, and dining at the wonderful restaurants in the Bay Area.