Theme #2 Culture change interventions

Who shapes the new culture? The crucial role of culture bearers

Rita van Dijk and Alex Straathof, November 2025

Are you helping to shape the new culture? Or are you — perhaps without realising it — still holding on to old habits that once worked well but now stand in the way of progress? In every organisation there are people who set the tone. They show others what’s normal, what’s valued and what isn’t. These are the culture bearers — and they’re at the heart of every successful cultural change.

Why culture bearers matter

Culture is the invisible glue that holds an organisation together, he habits, values and ways of working that feel natural to everyone. It doesn’t appear by accident; it grows out of shared experiences – especially how the organisation has handled tough times in the past. When challenges arise, people who come up with solutions earn respect and influence. Over time, they become examples for others to follow. That’s how culture bearers emerge: people whose behaviour and influence set the tone.

But what once helped an organisation through a crisis can later become a barrier. Fear after a round of redundancies, for instance, might make people risk-averse, causing missed opportunities when the economy picks up. A strong focus on efficiency can start to stifle innovation. What used to be the company’s strength can turn into its Achilles heel when the world moves on. If old habits become too rigid, organisations fall behind — innovation slows, problems stay unsolved, and a cautious culture can make things worse.

The crucial question is: who will carry the culture forward, and what do they need to make that happen?

A real-life example

Imagine working in a hospital that wants to refresh its culture around hygiene. The goal is clear: better hygiene saves lives. But in practice, habits are hard to change. People stick to what they know, even when they understand it should be different. For example, new guidelines show that wearing rings or watches increases infection risk during patient contact.

Cultural change isn’t an abstract idea: it’s a social shift

When managers succeed in motivating their team and achieve results, their influence naturally grows. Others notice the success and start to follow. That’s how new culture bearers emerge: people whose behaviour sets a new standard – not just for their team, but across the hospital.

These new bearers respond differently in crises, allocate budgets based on new priorities, and influence who gets promoted or recognised. Cultural change isn’t an abstract idea: it’s a social shift. New people rise to prominence because they embody the organisation’s new values.

Leadership and culture

Leadership and culture are inseparable. As a leader, you’re not just responsible for results – you also define what success means. You decide what gets rewarded, which attitudes build trust, and what kind of behaviour becomes ‘normal’. In doing so — often unconsciously — you shape the culture. Edgar Schein, one of the founding fathers of organisational culture, captured it perfectly in his book Organizational culture and leadership (2010):

“If you do not manage culture, it manages you, and you may not even be aware of the extent to which this is happening.”

At the same time, it’s not easy to go against the grain. Move too far ahead of the organisation, and you risk pushback or even isolation. Most leaders sense that they need to work with the existing culture, while also nudging it forward. Finding that balance takes courage, self-awareness and good timing.

Formal and informal culture bearers

Culture isn’t shaped by leaders alone. Every organisation has informal culture bearers: people whose experience, character or network gives them authority, even without a management title. Their influence can be huge. They set the tone in teams, shape conversations, and decide what feels ‘normal’. Their example can either speed up renewal or hold it back.

People tend to adapt to what they think their leaders and respected colleagues value.
When enough team members behave that way, group pressure builds against anyone who thinks or acts differently. Those who challenge the hierarchy or group norms too openly may suffer reputational damage and lose standing within the organisation. Humans are social beings: the threat of demotion or social exclusion naturally pushes us to fit in.
It’s part of the ongoing socialisation that happens inside any organisation.

A culture only truly changes when both formal and informal culture bearers move in the same direction.

The next generation of culture bearers

Sustainable change needs a new mix of culture bearers. Roughly speaking, there are three types:

1. External bearers: new leaders brought in from outside. They bring fresh ideas and the confidence to question long-standing habits.

2. Emerging internal bearers: employees or managers who embrace the new way of working and succeed with it. They naturally become role models.

3. Transformed bearers: members of the ‘old guard’ who make a personal shift and commit to the new direction. They often carry great credibility, proving that change really is possible.

A healthy balance between these three groups is key. Only then can new behaviours become truly normal across the organisation.

What it means for you

If you want to help shape the new culture, it starts with self-reflection. Ask yourself: am I an example of the future, or of the past?

Successful culture bearers tend to have a few things in common:

  1. They lead by example; their behaviour reflects the new culture.
  2. They genuinely believe in the urgency and purpose of the change.
  3. They look ahead and can translate the organisation’s vision into daily action.
  4. They inspire others to change.
  5. They’re socially aware. They listen, connect people and understand what matters.
  6. They keep learning, asking questions and challenging themselves.
  7. They communicate well, sharing stories and successes that make the new culture real and contagious.

Do you recognise yourself in this list or is there still something you want to grow into?
Remember: culture bearers aren’t perfect employees or flawless leaders. They’re simply the people who show what the new culture looks like in practice and achieve results because of it.

Change hurts

Change always comes with discomfort. Old certainties fade, and new people become the ones who succeed. They get promoted and set the new example. New values determine who advances, which can be painful for those who thrived under the old culture. It can create resistance or a sense of loss.

But that discomfort is a sign that change is happening. What feels awkward today becomes tomorrow’s normal. Later, people often wonder why things were ever done differently.

The rise of a new group

Cultural transformation only really takes hold when a new group of culture bearers stands up.
Individual heroes can inspire, but lasting change requires a collective. This group acts as a catalyst: they support each other, share successes and anchor new behaviours and values. Their combined influence gradually weakens the pull of the old culture.

How this happens depends on the pace of change. When change needs to happen fast, part of the management team may need to be replaced. Bringing in new leaders can help accelerate progress and reshape existing dynamics. When change is more gradual, the next generation can grow from within. Either way, cultural transformation calls for new leadership — both formal and informal.

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Balancing old and new power

The biggest challenge lies in managing the tension between the old guard and the new bearers of culture. If change happens too abruptly, it can polarise the organisation. A smart approach is to start with teams that are open to the new way of working. Their success spreads: visible, motivating and convincing. Gradually others join in, and the old culture loses its hold.

Recruitment and promotion are also powerful levers. By aligning job profiles and selection criteria with the desired culture, you attract people who naturally fit and reinforce it. Sometimes it’s necessary to reduce the influence of long-standing culture bearers — not as punishment, but to create space for growth.

Their influence can be reduced by adjusting responsibilities or redefining roles. You can also loosen the cohesion of an old guard by giving some members new assignments, moving them to different positions, or — where appropriate — promoting them into roles with clearer, more limited scopes of influence. That way, their experience is retained, but the new generation gets the space to shape the desired culture.

Courage

Every organisation needs culture bearers with the courage to steer a new course, even when it challenges old habits. They are the ones who make change stick. Whether you’re a director, a team leader or an influential colleague: you are a culture bearer.
You define what’s normal, what gets rewarded, and which values will shape the future. The real question isn’t whether you influence the culture but how you choose to use that influence.

Are you ready to be that new culture bearer?