5 Proven Ways Executives Can Improve Company Culture and Employee Engagement 

According to Gallup, only 23% of employees worldwide are engaged at work, and disengaged employees cost companies billions annually. In an evolving work environment marked by hybrid teams, burnout, and shifting employee expectations, leaders can’t afford to treat culture and engagement as “HR’s job.” Successful companies see culture as a well-executed strategy.  

Let’s uncover five research-backed strategies executives can implement to strengthen company culture and successfully boost employee engagement. First, let’s examine the key factors that are undermining culture and engagement today. 

What’s Undermining Company Culture and Engagement Today 

Silent Culture Killers in the Executive Suite: 

• Inconsistent leadership behavior: Unpredictable expectations, lack of follow through, and unclear communication from an executive can lead to decreased motivation and engagement.  

• Lack of visibility or alignment around core values: Executives who fail to align themselves with the company’s core values tend to create a lack of company culture due to a disconnect between teams.   

• Short-term wins prioritized over long-term trust: This might keep employees engaged in the moment but will not cultivate company culture long-term.  

Why Traditional Engagement Tactics Fall Short 

• One-size-fits-all surveys and perks don’t address leadership gaps: If companies are only using company culture activities right before asking for feedback, they will not produce an accurate assessment of leadership or company culture.   

• Culture is shaped more by what leaders do than what they say: This sentiment can be heard frequently, but the proof is there, employees will follow their executive’s lead. If leaders do not participate or motivate teams to participate in company culture, engagement will be low.  

5 Proven Ways Executives Can Improve Company Culture and Employee Engagement 

1. Model Values-Based Leadership at the Top

• Use 360 assessments to ensure alignment between intent and impact: Executives who are consistently self-evaluating their leadership skills, and modeling this practice to their employees, are more likely to create an environment where employee engagement is valued.   
• Actions signal priorities more than mission statements ever will: Go back to the company’s core values and practice what you preach. When executives let their employees know it is time to make a change, and they actually stick with the practice, it rebuilds trust within company culture. Highly engaged workplaces feature executives modeling engagement and communication to create an environment for managers and employees to adopt this practice.  

2. Build Psychological Safety Through Consistent Communication 

• Regular check-ins and open forums help flatten hierarchy: Creating a check-in process with teams can help an executive become accessible to employees. Remaining consistent with meetings and communications will inadvertently keep employees engaged because they can expect their work to be heard and acknowledged.  

• Leaders who invite feedback and admit mistakes strengthen trust: When leaders use feedback to drive change, employees are more likely to reengage and take note of their work. Receiving consistent feedback will naturally build trust in the company culture, and real change will drive honesty within employees and commitment with managers.   

3. Create Shared Ownership of Culture Goals 

• Involve cross-functional leaders in co-creating cultural norms: When reflecting on the company’s culture, evaluate its effect in the office and the correlation to work output. Working with managers across teams can help assess the culture as a whole. Create an open line of communication between employees at every level when coming to a conclusion on the peaks and valleys of the company’s culture.    

• Set and track culture KPIs alongside business outcomes: Ensure the KPI’s being set align with business outcomes, rather than day-to-day tasks. Getting specific on the company’s goals will help employees better understand the why of their work.  

4. Recognize and Reward Culture-Building Behaviors 

• Shift rewards from only performance to include collaboration, integrity, resilience: Find a balance that works with your company that rewards employees for their engagement as well as their performance. This can help shift the culture from being a competitive environment, to one built on growth, teamwork, and authenticity.  

• Peer recognition initiatives can scale this beyond the C-suite: Peer-to-peer recognition can begin to foster a culture of appreciation, keeping employees engaged in their performance.  

5. Invest in Evidence-Based Leadership Development 

• Use validated tools (e.g., LWF’s research-backed assessments): Creating a new company culture can be a daunting task. Acknowledge this and let your employees know seeking help is not a weakness. Leadership consulting and scientifically backed assessments can assist in cultivating a productive, engaged company culture.  

• Focus on growing leaders who multiply engagement beyond just managing output: Encourage managers to find a balance between having an open, trusting relationship with their team and ensuring output goals are being met. Typically, when there is a strong relationship between managers and employees, KPI’s are more likely to be achieved.  

Tools and Resources to Put These Strategies into Action 

Successfully improving company culture and employee engagement doesn’t happen through intention alone; it requires structured tools, consistent feedback loops, and real-time data to guide decision-making. Here are several practical resources leaders can leverage to turn strategy into meaningful, sustained change. 

Frameworks for Defining and Communicating Effective Leadership 

• Clarify leadership expectations through a shared framework that reflects your organization’s values and goals. 

• Support consistent development by using the framework to guide coaching, promotion, and succession planning. 

• Ensure cultural alignment by embedding leadership expectations into hiring and performance processes. 

Tools for Measuring Alignment Between Leadership Behavior and Culture 

• Use 360-degree feedback to gather diverse perspectives on how leaders are perceived. 

• Conduct culture audits to assess whether daily behaviors reflect stated values. 

• Track progress over time with pulse surveys or leadership behavior inventories. 

• Turn insights into action by integrating feedback into regular development conversations. 

Case in Point – A Culture Transformation Story 

Leadership Worth Following has been on the front line of transforming company culture. This case study, highlights our work with Pioneer Natural Resources, a mid-sized, single-asset oil and gas company based in West Texas, prior to its acquisition by ExxonMobil,  

• Pioneer’s Growth Opportunities: Flat organizational structure made it hard for leaders to see clear growth paths or prepare for next-level responsibilities, leading to lack of engagement from employees.  

• Leadership Worth Following’s Solution: Pioneer began its partnership with LWF in 2018 to launch the Key Future Leaders Program to invest in and prepare nominated managers and directors for executive and functional leadership roles. The multi-year program focused on building leadership insight, executive presence, and succession readiness. As a result, employees were engaged and held themselves to a high standard.  

• Outcome: LWF helped Pioneer Natural Resources build a strong, values-aligned leadership pipeline by transforming high-potential contributors into confident, strategic leaders. A new company culture was created, fostered, and passed down.  

Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast – But Only if its Led From the Top 

A high-performing culture isn’t built on perks or slogans, it’s shaped by the everyday behaviors of leaders. When executives model values, communicate consistently, and invest in leadership development, they build more than engagement, they build trust, resilience, and long-term business success. 

These five strategies aren’t quick fixes. They’re part of a disciplined, strategic approach to leadership that drives real cultural transformation from the top down. 

Ready To Lead A Culture That People Want To Be Part Of?  

Are you ready to improve your company culture? At Leadership Worth Following, we don’t guess, we apply science to develop leadership that strengthens people, culture, and performance. Book a free consultation today and make your leadership worth following.