Anatomy of a company culture

I once applied to work at a very small organisation - so small that I would have been employee # 4. As I was questioning some of their business practices, the leader told me something I’ll never forget:

"You will never change the culture."

At the time, I profoundly disagreed. But I knew it wasn’t worth wasting another minute trying to explain what I believed company culture really was. If I had joined this small organisation, I would have organically influenced their culture -shaping new decision-making processes, communication, and ways of working.

What the leader probably meant was that I wouldn’t change the DNA of the company: the core of what they were striving for, their deep-rooted beliefs about why they existed.

Company culture: the body that keeps business alive.

I’ve always found company culture difficult to define and capture all at once. When we ask about it in interviews or to employees, some mention the company’s purpose, vision, and mission, others talk about the leadership style, and some focus on values and behaviours. Nobody is entirely wrong or right - I see them all as pieces of the same puzzle.

To truly understand how culture works, we can break it down into different parts of the human body, each playing a crucial role in keeping the organisation healthy and prepared for growth.

• The DNA – Purpose and Mission

The DNA of a company is its core identity; the fundamental reason it exists. It defines the problem the business is solving and what it is capable of becoming. Just as DNA shapes how a living organism develops, a company's purpose and mission shape its direction and long-term impact. If the DNA is weak or unclear, the entire structure of the company struggles to function properly.

• The Brain – Leadership, Vision, and Innovation

The brain is the command center, responsible for decision-making and shaping the company’s future. Strong leadership provides vision and direction, ensuring the business stays ahead rather than simply reacting to change. But if leadership is disconnected, slow to adapt, or short-sighted, the entire organisation suffers; just as a body struggles when the brain isn’t functioning properly.

• The Heart – Employee Experience and Well-Being

The heart pumps energy into the culture, fueling engagement, motivation, and trust. A great workplace culture is one where employees feel valued and inspired, just as a healthy heart keeps the body alive. Without it, morale drops, enthusiasm fades, and the company loses its pulse.

• The Nervous System – Decision-Making, Information Flow, and Social Etiquette

The nervous system allows a company to sense, react, and navigate relationships - both internally and externally. It governs how decisions are made, how information flows, and how employees interact with their stakeholders. If communication breaks down or decision-making becomes sluggish, the company becomes unresponsive and disoriented, just like a body with a failing nervous system.

• The Immune System – Adaptability, Crisis, and Change Management

A strong immune system protects a company in times of crisis, helping it adapt and recover. When businesses face economic downturns, leadership changes, or external threats, their ability to manage change and protect their people determines their survival. If the immune system is weak, problems spread, trust erodes, and the company becomes vulnerable.

• The Skeleton – Values and Ethical Conduct

The skeleton provides structure: it holds everything together and determines how the company stands and behaves when no one is watching. Strong values and ethical conduct form a company’s backbone. Without them, the organisation collapses under pressure.

• The Muscles – Behaviors, Habits, and Daily Actions

Muscles drive movement. In a company, they represent the daily habits, behaviours, and actions that bring culture to life. Collaboration, accountability, and initiative strengthen the business, while complacency and lack of professionalism weaken it. Without strong muscles, even the best vision and structure won’t translate into meaningful action.

All parts are interconnected and equally important.

A great example of how a cultural issue can spread like a disease through the "bloodstream" of a company is widespread distrust.

Imagine leadership makes a decision that betrays employees' trust - like sudden layoffs without transparency or cutting benefits without explanation. Initially, it may seem like a localised issue (affecting The Brain or The Heart), but if trust erodes, it seeps into the bloodstream - employee interactions, decision-making, and morale.

Distrust slows communication (The Nervous System), weakens engagement (The Heart), and makes people hesitant to take initiative (The Muscles). If left unchecked, it compromises The Immune System, making the company unable to handle future crises.

Just like in a body, when the bloodstream carries a disease, every part suffers. The key is to diagnose and address issues early - before they spread.

When people complain about a toxic culture, I picture a living organism invaded by something harmful, like bacteria or disease. It’s not that the culture itself has gone rotten - it’s that something has happened to it.

So when someone tells me a company culture has become toxic, I believe what they’re really saying is that it feels toxic to the people inside - there is no breathing space, it aches. But the culture itself isn’t inherently toxic; it’s ill. And I believe it can heal too, if addressed early and seriously. Something is damaging the body of the business. Parts of it are suffering, and the real challenge is identifying where to intervene.

Because just like an untreated disease, if nothing changes, the damage will spread.

How to heal a culture?

Just like in a living organism, a company’s culture doesn’t break down overnight. When something feels wrong, the key is to diagnose the real issue and act before the damage spreads. Treating only the symptoms won’t fix the problem; it needs to be addressed at the source.

The first step is recognising where the problem lies. If morale is low and employees seem disengaged, the heart of the company - their trust, engagement, and motivation - has been affected.

Imagine a company where employee disengagement is rising. To address it, leadership decides to introduce casual Fridays and free snacks as a quick morale booster. While these perks might create a temporary sense of enjoyment, they don’t address the root cause - whether it's a lack of recognition, unclear expectations, or poor leadership communication. Just like treating high blood pressure with painkillers instead of addressing stress, poor nutrition, or lack of exercise, these surface-level solutions mask the problem without solving it.

Once the issue is clear, action must be decisive.

• If trust has been damaged, leadership must rebuild it through transparency, honesty, and active listening.

• If communication is broken, silos need to be removed, and clear, open conversations must take place.

• If change is causing friction, people need to be involved early, given clarity, and supported through it.

• If ethical standards have been neglected, leadership must reinforce values and apply them consistently.

• If poor habits have spread, expectations must be reset, toxic behaviours addressed, and collaboration strengthened.

  
  

Like any healthy body, a company’s culture needs regular care. Checking in with employees, keeping leadership engaged, and ensuring open communication are all essential. Companies that invest in their people and adapt when needed will maintain a strong culture. But when problems are ignored, they spread. The sooner they are recognised and treated, the better the chances of recovery.