What Shapes Organizational Culture? Micro Moments

Why Your Smallest Interactions Matter More Than Your Biggest Declarations

We often think of culture as something we architect from the top—mission statements, strategy decks, leadership models. But in practice, culture forms in the moments no one plans: the glance, the pause, the way someone reacts under pressure.

That’s the thread running through this week’s edition.

In the feature article, What Determines Culture? Simple Signals, Not Grand Gestures, I explore how the real drivers of culture aren’t grand initiatives—they’re micro-moments. The small, subtle signals people pick up on each day that quietly teach them how to behave, what matters, and whether they belong.

You’ll also hear that theme in my latest podcast with Connie Kalcher, Chief Customer Officer at Zurich Insurance and former global brand leader at LEGO. Connie shares how trust and loyalty—whether inside a team or across a brand—are built not through big moves, but through consistent, human connection.

So whether you're shaping internal culture or designing external experiences, the real question is this:

What are your micro-moments teaching people—and are they aligned with the culture you want to build?

I hope this edition sparks reflection about how you show up—and how your smallest actions might be sending the biggest signals.

Let’s jump in.

---

What Determines Culture? Simple Signals, Not Grand Gestures

Peter Drucker famously said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” And yet, for something so powerful, culture remains one of the most misunderstood forces in organizations. We talk about it constantly, but rarely define it well. It’s treated like an atmosphere—something we feel but can’t quite describe. That ambiguity makes it hard to grasp, let alone shape.

Culture isn’t built in leadership retreats or corporate values statements. It takes shape in the quiet, everyday exchanges that no one writes down—the way someone is cut off during a meeting, how a new idea is received, or whether a question is met with curiosity or indifference. These are the moments that show people what really matters in your organization.

We tend to focus on culture as a very large construct. But we overlook where it actually forms: in micro-moments—the small, often subtle experiences that accumulate into belief systems. They may be fleeting, but they’re powerful. They shape what people expect, who they trust, and how they behave in return.

What Exactly Is Organizational Culture?

Culture can feel like one of those fuzzy business terms people nod along to but rarely define. But it's not as elusive as it seems. At its core, organizational culture is the shared set of expectations about how things work around here—what people believe they need to do to succeed, stay safe, and be accepted.

It shapes decisions that rarely feel conscious: whether to speak up in a meeting, how quickly to respond to a manager's request, whether it feels risky to disagree. Culture teaches people what's rewarded, what's risky, and what's ignored.

It doesn’t live in slogans or slide decks. It lives in repeated experience. And over time, those patterns create a shared sense of what matters most.

Culture Is Built Between the Lines

When someone joins a new team, they don’t learn the culture from a welcome packet or values deck. They learn it by watching what happens when someone pushes back. Whether initiative is met with enthusiasm or quiet dismissal. Whether feedback is welcomed or deflected. These observations quickly form an internal guidebook—one that’s far more durable than any stated policy.

Organizational researchers often describe this as the “informal behavioral code”—the unwritten rules people use to survive and succeed. These rules aren’t announced. They’re absorbed. And over time, they create consistency, even when leaders don’t realize it.

The Brain Picks It Up Before You Do

Culture doesn’t just live in behavior. It lives in biology.

Our brains are wired to scan constantly for signs of safety or threat—a process neuroscientist Stephen Porges refers to as neuroception. This system works beneath conscious awareness. A glance of impatience, a clipped tone, or a lack of acknowledgment can register as risk, prompting the nervous system to shut down openness and redirect energy toward self-protection.

When that happens, it doesn’t matter what a leader says about collaboration or innovation. If people feel unsafe, they won’t bring their full selves to the table. What looks like disengagement might actually be a form of emotional survival.

What People Feel Is What They Follow

Human behavior is shaped far more by tone than by instruction. Research on emotional contagion shows that people unconsciously mirror the emotional states of those around them—especially those in positions of authority.

That means a leader’s attitude doesn’t just influence mood. It shapes norms. A posture of curiosity encourages learning. A tone of urgency without care generates anxiety. Over time, this emotional residue creates a cultural climate—one that either expands or contracts what people believe is possible.

The Power of Micro-Moments

Not all moments are created equal. Some land softly and vanish. Others leave an emotional imprint that lingers—reshaping how people see the organization, their role in it, and themselves.

A raised eyebrow when someone offers a new idea. A pause before replying to a challenge. A manager glancing at their phone during a performance review. These aren’t headline-worthy events, but they speak volumes—not in words, but in emotional residue. They silently answer the questions employees are always asking:

• Do I belong here?

• Is it safe to speak up?

• Does my work matter?

These kinds of brief, emotionally charged interactions are what behavioral scientists refer to as micro-moments. Psychologist Barbara Fredrickson describes them as flashes of shared experience—what she calls positivity resonance—that can strengthen relationships and emotional well-being, even when they last only seconds. In the workplace, these moments function as silent culture-shapers, reinforcing what’s rewarded, tolerated, or ignored.

Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman’s research on attention and salience shows that people assign outsized importance to what they experience when emotions are involved. And psychologist John Gottman has shown that small, repeated cues—whether affirming or dismissive—predict long-term trust far more reliably than grand gestures.

In organizations, micro-moments work the same way. They can create climates of trust, learning, and inclusion—or trigger patterns of silence, self-protection, and disengagement. And because they happen dozens of times a day, they don’t just reflect culture. They are the culture.

The real power of leadership isn’t found in the big presentation or the annual kickoff—it’s in the accumulated weight of how you show up in everyday exchanges. Over time, those moments build a pattern. And patterns build belief.

Sparking New Leadership Thinking

If you want to lead culture more intentionally, don’t start with messaging—start with how you show up in the smallest interactions. Here are five ways to do that:

• Zoom in on recurring moments of contact. Instead of rushing through team check-ins or hallway chats, treat them as culture-setting opportunities. For example, a manager might start every one-on-one with a simple, “What’s something that energized or drained you this week?” to signal care and curiosity.

• Narrate your values in real time. When you take an action aligned with your values, briefly say why. In a meeting, if you slow down the discussion to include more voices, you might say, “I want to pause here to make sure we’re not just hearing from the usual perspectives—collaboration is one of our strengths.”

• Model emotional recovery, not just composure. Nobody gets every moment right. When you catch yourself interrupting or reacting defensively, name it and reset. A simple, “Sorry—I jumped in too fast there. Go ahead,” shows humility and reinforces safety.

• Reframe disagreement as a learning opportunity. Moments of disagreement don’t have to feel threatening—they can be powerful signals that diverse thinking is welcome. For example, if someone challenges a plan in a meeting, you might say, “I appreciate the pushback—it helps us make better decisions.” That one comment can turn a moment of friction into a signal of safety.

• Invite feedback on how your presence lands. Ask for specific, behavioral feedback. Try, “Is there anything I do in meetings that might shut down ideas without me realizing it?” This gives others permission to name micro-signals you may be blind to—and shows that culture is everyone’s responsibility.

The Bottom Line

Culture isn’t what leaders intend—it’s what people experience. And those experiences are built in moments: glances, gestures, silences, responses. These micro-moments—subtle but powerful—are where trust, safety, and meaning are either reinforced or eroded. If you want to build a culture that people believe in, start by showing up differently in the moments they’ll remember.

---

Additional Resources

Here’s some relevant content that you may find interesting:

• Neuroception: The Body's Innate Wisdom. This article by Aldebaran Healing explains Dr. Stephen Porges' concept of neuroception, detailing how our nervous system subconsciously detects safety or threat, influencing our social interactions and sense of security.

• Of 2 Minds: How Fast and Slow Thinking Shape Perception and Choice. In this excerpt from his book Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman delves into the dual systems of the brain—System 1 and System 2—and how they influence our perception and decision-making processes.

• Emotional Contagion: Can Emotions Really Be Infectious? This article by Kendra Cherry delves into the phenomenon of emotional contagion, illustrating how emotions can spread between individuals through verbal and non-verbal cues. It discusses the role of mirror neurons and provides insights into how this process affects our daily interactions.

---

Humanity At Scale: Redefining Leadership Podcast

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Make sure to check out my podcast, where I reimagine leadership for today’s dynamic world—proving that true success begins with prioritizing people, including employees, customers, and the communities you serve. From candid conversations with executives to breakthrough insights from experts, Humanity at Scale: Redefining Leadership Podcast is your ultimate guide to leading with purpose and empathy.

Here are some recent episodes:

• Designing The Future: How to Be a Good Ancestor with Lisa Kay Solomon. In this episode, I’m joined by Lisa Kay Solomon, Designer in Residence at Stanford’s d.school, for a powerful conversation about leading with imagination in an era of disruption. We explore how leaders can actively shape the future by cultivating foresight, ethical decision-making, and human-centered design.
  

• The Ethics of Empowerment: How AI Can Make Us Stronger with Vivienne Ming. In this episode of Humanity at Scale, I sit down with Dr. Vivienne Ming, a visionary neuroscientist and AI pioneer, to explore how technology can elevate, not replace, human potential. Sharing her inspiring journey from homelessness to innovation leadership, Ming unpacks how purpose, ethical design, and a deep understanding of human complexity should shape AI development.
  

  
  Empathy, AI, and the New Rules of the Human Workplace with Erica Keswin. In this episode, I sit down with WSJ bestselling author, human workplace expert, and keynote speaker, Erica Keswin and we explore the future of human-centric leadership in a tech-driven world.
  

• Innovate or Stagnate: Mastering Leadership in a Dynamic World with Charlene Li. In this episode, I sit down with Charlene Li, Strategic Advisor and Keynote Speaker, Founder and CEO of Quantum Networks Group, and New York Times bestselling author, to explore how leaders can harness disruption as a catalyst for innovation.

• From Conflict to Connection: Rethinking Moral Disagreements with Kurt Gray. In this episode, I speak with psychologist and neuroscientist Kurt Gray, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at UNC, Chapel Hill, to explore how leaders can navigate moral complexity and foster empathy in organizations.
  

• Scaling with Heart: How Safelite Balances Growth, People, and Purpose with Renee Cacchillo. In this episode, Renee Cacchillo, CEO of Safelite, shares how the company became the dominant force in its industry by putting people and customers at the center of every decision.
  

---

Humanity at Scale is a movement to inspire and empower leaders to create humanity-centric organizations