I often see value statements written large on walls. Sometimes they’re on websites. Sometimes on the back doors of vans.

Nine times out of ten, I could walk into those organizations, ask what their values are—and no one would know. Even if they’re written on the wall directly behind them.

In the few cases where someone can tell me, they rarely know what the values actually mean or what to do with them. Specifically, how they guide decision-making or shape behavior. And if they can explain them, their colleagues almost always explain them differently.

Having a value statement doesn’t build your culture. It doesn’t protect it. It doesn’t do anything.

At least, not on its own.

The Problem With Values

Everyone has values—whether they’re articulated or not. Without thinking much about it, we tend to make decisions and act in ways that align with our personal values.

The challenge for organizations is that people don’t all walk in the door with a common set of values. Or they don’t know how to express them together. So, they act in ways that aren’t aligned with each other.

Two big consequences of poor value clarity and alignment:

• Your team is less likely to pull together toward organizational goals.

• Your team is more likely to get into organizational conflict.

The Crucible of Culture: Organizational Conflict

How your organization handles disagreement and conflict is a far better indicator of your culture than anything written on a wall.

And by conflict, I don’t just mean open disagreement. More often, it’s quiet conflict—where people withdraw, shut down, or become passive-aggressive.

Most organizational conflict is really a conflict of values. One person is focused on quality. Another on hitting deadlines. Neither value is wrong—but when time is running short they don’t always play together well.

Recurring conflict in your organization often points to value misalignment or misunderstanding. As a leader, it’s your job to guide the team toward shared meaning—what values look like in action, especially when they seem to clash.

As I write in Conflict and Leadership, addressing conflict well is the starting point of trust—and the place where culture is truly formed.

Conflict Done Well: What It Looks Like

People don’t get into conflict over things they don’t care about. They get into conflict over what matters to them.

But often, this is hard to interpret. The conflict is often not just about “the issue.” It’s about how people feel treated—especially around trust and respect.

Healthy organizational conflict surfaces what actually matters. When your team can respectfully engage in disagreement, it shows they care. That’s where cultural clarity gets forged.

Getting your team to this point will probably never feel fun. You’ll never feel like you have the time for these conversations. But don’t let short-term discomfort keep you stuck in long-term, energy-sucking dysfunction.

The Real Definition of Culture

Technically, culture is a shared worldview that drives a common set of values and behaviors.

But practically, your culture is your answer to the question: What happens when things get hard?

Values only become culture when they’re defended under pressure. Leaders are responsible for guiding their teams through that tension.

Practical Application for Leaders

Let’s say you lead a growing $10M+ company. Your staff is expanding. Clients are increasing. Momentum is building.

You can’t manage every decision anymore. Culture isn’t a “nice to have”—it’s the glue that holds it together.

Start here:

✅ Embed your values into hiring, onboarding, and performance reviews. This ensures that you are starting out with people more naturally aligned to each other – and regularly tuning that up.
✅ Develop leaders who can model and coach through tension and disagreement. Organizational conflict is emotional. People will remember what they see and experience more than what they are taught.
✅ In groups, regularly review how your values shaped recent decisions (or didn’t). This conversation allows people to appreciate other perspectives and experiences.
✅ Deconstruct a recent conflict and explore how values could guide similar moments in the future. You did the hard work of addressing the conflict. Might as well mine it for all the value you can get.

The Cultural Advantage

Culture is created—and clarified—in conflict. Not in slogans. Not in workshops.

As a leader, your job is to model this. Coach your team through it. And help them connect the dots between values and daily decisions.

Here’s the real question:
What values is your team willing to fight for—together?

And maybe even more important:
What did you do as a leader to help them get there?

Take good care,
Christian