Culture Isn’t a Program. It’s Leadership in Motion.
Many companies talk about culture as if it’s an initiative—something HR manages, something you “implement,” something you revisit once or twice a year.
But culture isn’t a campaign. Culture is the behavior leaders model, the energy they create, and the experiences they intentionally design.
I saw this in action with Leslie Godwin and the Godwin Retail Group “GRG” at a recent offsite I had the privilege of joining. The offsite focused on strategic annual planning, team alignment, collaboration, and whole-person leadership – (some of my favorite topics to help facilitate!)
But let me tell you about the real work – an inflatable-costume race on the beach.
It was ridiculous. It was competitive. It was bonding. And it was culture-building in real time.
Not staged. Not performative. Just an intentional environment to cultivate a team that is connected, spirited, high-performing, and deeply human
Why Offsites Matter (And What the Research Says)
Offsites are a strategic lever for connection, performance, and clarity.
Harvard Business Review notes that offsites “re-forge trust and renew a shared sense of purpose” in ways day-to-day work cannot. Why Offsites Work - and How to Get the Most out of Them
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce highlights that offsites improve creativity, strengthen relationships, and re-energize teams. 8 Surprising Benefits of Holding a Company Retreat
And culture research continues to be decisive:
Culture contributes 30–50% of market value in top-performing organizations Korn Ferry World's Most Admired Companies: Culture - The Secret to Success
Leaders account for up to 70% of the variance in team climate and engagement.
91% of executives say improving culture would increase organizational value. Every Leader a Chief Culture Officer
This is why culture is not an HR function— It is a leadership responsibility.
Fun Isn’t Always Frivolous — It’s Functional
When the GRG team put on inflatable costumes and sprinted down the beach, it was mostly for laughs. It was also a leadership choice that unlocked:
Lowered defenses
Faster trust-building
Shared energy
Increased creativity
Psychological safety
Authentic connection
People open up when they feel human. They collaborate more effectively when they’ve laughed together. They challenge each other more courageously when trust is high.
It’s the same principle behind experiential leadership development: Energy shifts before behavior shifts.
Whole-Person Leadership Sustains Performance
During the offsite, the team also worked through the Catalyst Health Wheel, evaluating seven dimensions of personal energy, alignment, and sustainability.
This matters because:
High-demand roles drain leaders quickly
Performance is directly tied to personal well-being
Burnout isn’t caused by workload—it’s caused by imbalance
Leaders who are filled up emotionally, mentally, and physically lead better
A leader’s mindset, emotional regulation, and relational impact can lift engagement by up to 42 percentile points. Stronger Leadership, Stronger Climate, Better Results
Great culture doesn’t come from posters or values statements. It comes from leaders who model balance, clarity, energy, and humanity.
Leadership Is the Culture
Culture is how leaders behave when the pressure is high. It is what teams experience—not what they are told. And it is reinforced far more during an offsite race on a beach than in a boardroom presentation.
Leslie’s offsite wasn’t exclusively about getting work done. It was about leadership—what it looks like, what it feels like, and how it shapes people.
Intentional leaders can spark extraordinary culture by focusing on team mindsets in addition to skillsets.