Episode
#65: We've Seen Hundreds of Companies Try to Fix Culture, Here's What Actually Works
- Published
- Jun 29, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2495
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Summary
Most leaders aren't lacking commitment to culture change, they're using a strategy that's quietly designed to fail. Industry research has estimated that a majority of culture change initiatives never produce lasting results, and in this episode of the Empower Podcast, Eric Pfeiffer and Dawn Neldim break down the real reason why culture change initiatives fail in organizations , drawing on over 20 years of work with companies ranging from Fortune 500s to professional sports teams to private equity firms. You'll learn the difference between aspirational values vs. behavioral values and why most company core value statements sound great on a wall but never show up in how people actually behave under pressure. Eric and Dawn unpack why leadership and company culture are inseparable, why culture change has to start with leaders modeling it first , and why bringing in a new CEO or director without aligning them to the existing culture almost always backfires. You'll also hear why changing organizational culture takes longer than leaders expect , the four stages every team goes through during a real culture transformation (including the discouraging "pit" stage where most leaders give up too soon), and why shared language and shared practices — not just new values or new hires — are what actually move the needle. Whether you're a CEO inheriting a broken culture, a founder trying to scale past yourself, or a leader who's tried "everything" and is wondering if culture change is even possible , this conversation offers a clear, practical roadmap for what actually works — and why most culture initiatives never get past the surface. In this episode: Why most culture change initiatives fail within 6–12 months The real difference between aspirational and behavioral core values Why le…