Does a leader have to star in every culture-changing story? 

The research we conducted while writing The Secret of Culture Change: How to Build Authentic Stories That Transform Your Organization suggests that it is critical for business leaders to star in the culture-changing stories they build. However, the idea that these leaders must enroll people throughout the organization in the culture change process by encouraging them to build their own stories is critical for its success.

Leaders, once you have starred in a few of your own stories, you can play a very important role in helping other people in your organization build their own culture-changing stories in which they star. This behind-the-scenes work of creating a “story cascade” is very important for the success of culture change.

A story cascade exists when people in your organization build their own stories that support and extend the stories you have built as a leader, reflecting the same values and principles you want reflected in your new corporate culture. In building their own stories, these individuals help co-create the new culture in your organization. We already know that story building can be personally risky and challenging for you as a business leader. It can be even more risky and challenging for others throughout your organization. How can you encourage them to build their own stories so that, as an organization, you can create a story cascade?

Our research suggests some things that you, as a leader, can do:

1. Build multiple culture-changing stories in which you star. One story can be a one-off exception. Two stories—your commitment to culture change is a bit stronger. Three or more stories—now you are setting an example. Not only will building multiple stories reassure your employees that you are actually committed to changing your organization’s culture, but it will also allow you to further articulate the values, beliefs, and norms that you think will be important in this new culture. As a result, people throughout your organization will feel more comfortable about building their own stories through their own personal behavior.

2. Ask people in your organization to build stories. You may want to begin by asking certain influential and visible members of your organization in an effort to increase the impact of the stories. Explain the importance of story building in culture change and talk to them about the attributes of a successful culture-changing story. Of course, the culture-changing story your employees build must be their own; you cannot build it for them. If their culture-changing story is not their own, it would not be authentic. The powerful impact of several leaders in the organization building consistent stories, i.e., behaving in ways that reflect new cultural values and norms, is something that is worth your effort, attention, and personal invitation.

3. Celebrate the stories that are built throughout your organization and share them broadly. Emphasize their importance in reinforcing culture change. Provide personal and public recognition to those whose stories, visible day-to-day behavior, reflect the desired culture. Give bonuses, promotions, and prizes to individuals and teams that build culture-changing stories.

4. Finally, think about creating contests and corporate programs that invite the employees in the organization to build and share successful culture-changing stories. When everybody in your company feels invited to participate in the change process, their perception of the personal risk involved in such participation is positively dealt with, and these programs can unleash powerful accelerators of the change process.

Planting story-building seeds throughout your organization can generate a bountiful harvest of culture-changing stories. And whether stories emerge on their own or because you have seeded them, always remember to celebrate them. Tell them to everyone you see, in every meeting you attend, and in every speech you give.

Our research suggests that these actions will inspire employees to build their own culture-changing stories and create a story cascade in your company.