By Chief Jack Cauley and Chief Doreen Jokerst
“You can have all the right strategy in the world; if you don’t have the right culture, you are dead.” — Patrick Whitesell, CO-CEO of WME
How can something so powerful remain unseen, truly invisible on every level? While organizational culture cannot be physically seen, it can certainly be felt. When the culture is positive, it’s like a sailboat gliding with the wind, effortlessly moving forward across the water. Although not everything can be controlled, as external influences will always exist, you can still intentionally steer things in your desired direction. Conversely, when the organizational culture is negative, it’s like the wind and current are working against you. The waves become choppy, the ride unenjoyable, and those in the sailboat begin to feel unsafe or insecure. As the captain, you struggle to propel the boat forward, but despite your efforts, you may end up in the same place — or worse, farther back from where you started.
Now, consider culture intertwined with leadership. When leadership and culture are perfectly woven together, a flawless dance emerges. We all recognize efficient movement when we see it — like a dancer whose every action feels intentional and effortless. Yet that precision takes months, sometimes years, of continuous practice to achieve. It requires hard work, dedication, perseverance, and most importantly, intention. Dance partners know each other’s movements so well that they can immediately sense when something is off. In a dance, sometimes you lead, and sometimes you follow, but for a seamless performance, both must move in synchronized tandem. The same holds true for leadership and culture. They are mutually influential, and it wouldn’t make sense to write solely about organizational culture without also addressing leadership. The reverse is equally true. According to the “Harvard Business Review,” “7 out of 10 people in organizations are not actively engaged at work. Disengaged workforces are a global problem, and the costs are high. In the U.S. alone, companies are losing $450 billion to $550 billion in productivity each year.” [1] This statistic is nearly eight years old, and unfortunately, the situation has only worsened.
Organizational culture demands intentionality and focus from leaders. It’s often said, “You can have a culture by design or by default,” but if businesses want to thrive, be profitable, and retain employees, it should be every leader’s priority to cultivate a culture by design. So how do leaders accomplish this? To build and sustain a culture where employees thrive and feel valued, leaders must ensure the “core four” are always a priority: Curiosity, people, humanistic listening and action.
Let’s explore each of these key elements and how they contribute to a strong organizational culture.
1. Create a culture of curiosity
“If it’s not broke, don’t fix it” and “This is the way we’ve always done it.” Haven’t we all heard these axioms before? These old adages can be the downfall of any organization. For organizations to move forward, and stay progressive, current and relevant, leaders need to promote an insatiable curiosity among their employees. A thirst for knowledge and a willingness to explore and understand new things can only flourish if leaders create a safe and supportive environment where employees feel empowered to develop new ideas and discover innovative approaches. Insatiable curiosity not only stimulates innovation, personal and professional growth, and problem-solving abilities that propel the organization forward, but it also leaves employees feeling more satisfied with their work and performance. So, why isn’t curiosity promoted more in the workplace?
I believe curiosity is often stifled in childhood. As children, we ask our parents countless questions: Why is the grass green? Why is the sky blue? Why do we call our meals breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Over time, children are repeatedly told, “Stop asking so many questions!” Then, as adults in their first jobs, they must learn new things and naturally ask, “Why must we do it this way?” or “Could we do it another way?” The response they often receive is, “Just do what you’re told and don’t ask questions.”
I’m not sure what makes one person more curious than another, but if I could bottle it up and share it, I certainly would! We all understand the value and benefits of asking good questions. Curiosity breaks down walls, connects us with others, and pushes us beyond simply seeking “more of the same” toward new, innovative ways of thinking.
2. Create a culture with people at the center
If you don’t know people, you don’t know leadership. If you don’t understand people, you can’t fully understand what it takes to be an effective leader.
Leaders must see their employees as individuals, not just workers. As Bob Chapman, CEO of Barry Wehmiller, states, “Your employees are someone’s precious child.” [2] Many employees do the bare minimum or just enough to get by in their organizations because they don’t feel valued by their leadership.
According to Gallup data collected in 2023, three-fourths of employees are either not engaged or are actively disengaged at work. [3] If we had technology in our departments that only worked 50% of the time or was operating at 25% capacity, we would treat this as a major issue and immediately call the vendor to fix it. Why don’t we do the same for our people? When leaders start genuinely caring for their employees so people feel safe, secure, valued and truly part of the team, they will begin to share gifts and talents they likely didn’t even know they had. People are our greatest investment. People are our human resources. They should be placed at the center of our priorities, valued above profits. I assure you, if you flip the traditional model and prioritize people over profits, the profits will return tenfold — and those profits will go beyond financial gains.
3. Create a culture of humanistic listening
Rather than guessing what your employees want, feel, or need, wouldn’t it be better to simply ask them? Humanistic listening boosts employee morale, enhances their sense of value and ultimately improves productivity. By cultivating a safe environment where employees aren’t afraid to voice their opinions for fear of repercussions, humanistic listening encourages open dialogue. Employees will feel more comfortable discussing ideas with colleagues and teams, as well as offering and receiving suggestions for improvement.
Leaders can start one-on-one listening sessions with their team members immediately. Employees often see things through different lenses and perspectives, and it’s these diverse viewpoints that add value and drive the organization forward. Leaders must promote a culture of listening — and they should be the last ones in the room to speak.
Just as leaders send employees to training classes for technical skills, they should also invest in humanistic listening training. This training should emphasize listening with the intent to understand and learn, rather than to judge or debate. It should also highlight the importance of asking clarifying questions and allow time for reflection on what was heard. Becoming a more effective listener enables leaders to help others express themselves more clearly, build stronger, longer-lasting relationships, and improve self-awareness. Humanistic listening isn’t a one-time event — it must be continuous and ongoing.
4. Create a culture of action
Leaders pay a price for indecision. While they can effectively listen, understand people and foster a culture of curiosity, without decisive action, nothing will be achieved. In creating a culture where employees thrive and feel valued, if leaders fail to act on the insights gained through listening and observation, employee trust will be lost. Leaders must take what they’ve learned from listening sessions, observations, and interactions, and implement real, positive changes. Moreover, they should consistently follow up and seek ongoing feedback to ensure continued growth.
Great leaders also understand the importance of balancing emotion with reason, making decisions that positively impact not only themselves but also their employees, communities, stakeholders (both internal and external), and their departments. Making good decisions in challenging situations is no small task, as these decisions often involve change, uncertainty, anxiety, stress, and sometimes the unfavorable reactions of others. Nonetheless, action is essential.
Conclusion
Everyone in an organization is a chief culture officer, but organizational culture always starts at the top. The four essential elements — curiosity, people, humanistic leadership and action — create and sustain employee trust. The importance of leaders prioritizing and nurturing a healthy organizational culture cannot be overstated. Organizational culture significantly impacts effectiveness, accountability, and the well-being of both the team and the communities they serve. A positive and inclusive culture fosters trust, transparency, and collaboration, leading to improved employee morale and stronger public relations.
On the other hand, a toxic or negative culture can erode public trust, increase misconduct, and undermine the organization’s overall mission. By recognizing the critical role of organizational culture and actively shaping it, leaders can guide their agencies toward greater success, resilience, and ultimately, safer and more harmonious communities.
A culture by design must incorporate the core four: curiosity, people, humanistic leadership, and action. Start wherever you feel ready, but the key is to start. Leadership is a heavy responsibility, but it’s also a privilege, not a right. So, lead — and lead well. Create a culture by design!
Continue the discussion
To create a culture by design, police leaders must go beyond personal reflection and actively engage their command staff in meaningful conversations. The following questions are designed to spark open discussions, encourage collaboration, and lead to actionable change within your department. By using these questions in leadership meetings or command staff briefings, you can start identifying areas for improvement, build a shared vision for the future, and ensure that your team is aligned on key priorities.
As a leader, it’s important to approach these discussions with openness and a commitment to listen. Encourage your command staff to voice their insights, share challenges, and propose solutions. The goal is to create a culture of transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement. Start by working through these practical questions to ignite change and ensure that your department thrives, both internally and in the communities you serve.
- What specific actions can we take to encourage curiosity and open dialogue among our officers, and how can we create a safe space for them to share new ideas?
- How can we identify areas in our department where culture has developed by default, and what are the immediate steps we can take to shift toward a more intentional, design-driven approach?
- What tools or methods can we implement to regularly gather feedback from our team, and how can we ensure that feedback leads to meaningful changes in our policies and practices?
- How can we ensure that people-first leadership is embedded in our day-to-day operations, and how can we measure its impact on morale and productivity?
- What are some real-world examples from our department where a decision was delayed or avoided? How could decisive action have changed the outcome, and what can we learn from it moving forward?
References
1. Osterwalder A, Pigneur Y, Guppta K. (2016.) Don’t let your company culture just happen. Harvard Business Review.
2. Frischen K. (2022.) Your employees are somebody’s precious child. Forbes.
3. McShane J. (2023.) Most Americans just aren’t into their jobs, new gallup data shows. NBC News.
About the authors
Jack Cauley was sworn in as Castle Rock Police Chief on January 3, 2012. He began his law enforcement career in 1984 as a dispatcher, eventually joining the Overland Park Police Department in Kansas, where he served for more than 25 years, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
Chief Cauley holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration from Central Missouri State University and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Kansas. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy.
In 2018, Chief Cauley was presented with New York Times best-selling author and motivational speaker Simon Sinek’s Igniter of the Year award. Sinek presents this annual award to an individual who has taken his vision and used it to transform the culture around them. Chief Cauley did this through the creation of his One-By-One Policing philosophy, which promotes building a safe and secure environment for officers and staff so they are better equipped to serve each person they encounter individually. This unique style of policing encourages compassion and treating others like family, and his department readily embraced it. Sinek featured Chief Cauley’s cultural shift at the Castle Rock Police Department in his 2019 book “The Infinite Game.”
Doreen Jokerst is Assistant Vice Chancellor for the Division of Public Safety and the Chief of Police at the University of Colorado Boulder. She is a nationally recognized public safety expert and university police leader. During her CU Boulder tenure, she has implemented highly innovative and collaborative public safety initiatives, drawing upon her extensive public safety and emergency management experience, as well as her engagement with and governance of national/international public safety and leadership organizations.
Prior to her current appointment, AVC/Chief Jokerst worked her way to the rank of police commander in a Denver-metro suburb police department, gaining extensive experience while serving in diverse specialized and supervisory capacities. She obtained a State of Colorado Emergency Manager certification and has commanded numerous critical incidents, including participating in a multi-state effort to assist in Florida’s Hurricane Irma’s aftermath. She holds a Doctor of Education degree in Leadership for Educational Equity, Higher Education, master’s degree in psychology and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. She is also a Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command, the Senior Management Institute for Police and FBI National Academy graduate.
