CULTURE IN THE CRACKS: THE SUBTLE MOMENTS THAT SPEAK VOLUMES

-- by Jamey Lutz

Seemingly small things create huge impact!

It’s tempting to believe that culture is built in conference rooms and codified in mission statements. That it reveals itself in high-level values and all-hands town halls. But in reality? Culture lives in the cracks—in the moments between meetings, the tone of an email, the silence after a hard question.

If you want to understand a team’s true culture, don’t just look at its org chart or strategic plan. Watch what happens in the elevator after a tough decision is announced. Or how someone is treated when they speak an unpopular truth. Or a leader’s response when a subordinate confesses to making a mistake.

The big gestures might set the intention. But the small ones tell the truth.

The Myth of the Big Gesture

Years ago, I watched a leader open a meeting with a powerful story about integrity—then later, quietly accept a partner’s excuse for missing a deadline that cost the team dearly. No follow-up. No accountability. The message? Stories are optional. Standards are negotiable.

Compare that with a moment I still think about: I once saw a senior leader pause before a meeting to personally welcome a new intern—by name. No one prompted it, no cameras were rolling. Just a warm handshake and a genuine, “I’m really glad you’re here.” That intern lit up. So did the rest of us who overheard it. It wasn’t just a welcome—it was a signal. In this place, people matter. Titles don’t define worth.

Unscripted. Unprompted. Unmistakable.

Culture whispers. And everyone’s listening.

The Trust Thermometer

These micro-interactions—how we respond to mistakes, whether we offer credit, how we greet someone in passing—create the ambient temperature of trust. When handled with care, they slowly warm up a space where people feel safe, valued, and brave.

When they’re ignored or mishandled? The chill sets in.

We tend to focus on structural fixes: training programs, feedback platforms, recognition systems. And while those help, they don’t replace what leaders model in real time. A “thank you” during a chaotic week lands differently than a bonus announced three months later. Trust is built in the moment—then tested, daily.

Cultural Traces to Watch For

Want to evaluate your culture without a survey or assessment? Observe the cracks:

• Who speaks up—and who stays silent—in meetings?

• Are key decisions explained or left unspoken?

• Are mistakes used for learning or blame?

• What kind of praise is celebrated publicly?

• How often does gratitude make its way into everyday conversations?

None of the answers to these questions show up on a balanced scorecard. But they drive engagement, retention, and reputation.

A Leader’s Daily Footprint

Leaders don’t just impact culture—they imprint it. And their influence is often loudest in the moments they think are quiet: the way they react to bad news, how they handle discomfort, whether they make eye contact when someone’s struggling to speak.

One of the most powerful cultural signals a leader can send is how they respond when challenged. Do they lean in with curiosity? Or retreat with defensiveness? That one moment can validate someone’s courage—or teach them not to bother next time.

Micro-Moments as Macro-Opportunities

The real question isn’t whether you’re shaping culture every day. You are.

The question is whether you’re doing it intentionally.

Imagine if we started coaching for culture, not just in vision statements, but in how we write emails. How we hold silence. How we follow up on a dropped ball. How we foster an environment of psychological safety. What if culture-building wasn’t a separate agenda item—but ingrained in how we show up, moment by moment?

Because in the end, culture doesn’t live in your playbook. It lives in the cracks between your plays.

jameylutz.com