Conversations Build Culture

Every culture is built one conversation at a time.

The tone, trust, and tempo of an organisation’s communication determine whether people speak up or stay silent, collaborate or comply, engage or withdraw.

Leaders often underestimate this truth. Communication isn’t a soft skill, it’s a strategic asset.

Every meeting, corridor chat, and message shapes the narrative of what’s valued and what isn’t.

When conversations are healthy, cultures thrive. When they’re avoided or controlled, cultures deteriorate quietly from within.

At RDL, we see this across every sector. The best leaders don’t just manage information flow; they create communication systems that build confidence and alignment. They know culture doesn’t live in policies or posters, it lives in daily dialogue.

Leaders are the custodians of communication. It’s their responsibility to set the standard for how people connect, question, and challenge constructively.

When leaders model curiosity instead of criticism, others follow. When they listen without defensiveness, trust grows.

The data backs it. According to McKinsey, companies with open communication cultures are 3.5 times more likely to outperform peers in innovation and engagement.

This doesn’t happen by accident, it happens through deliberate conversation.

So, what’s RDL’s best tip for building stronger conversations with your team?

Practice the 70:30 Rule. In every leadership conversation, aim to listen 70% of the time and talk 30%.

It sounds simple, but it’s rare. Silence invites honesty. When you talk less, people say more.

My favourite open ended questions is “Help me better understand …..?”

Leaders who master meaningful conversation don’t just communicate better, they create cultures that think, speak, and act with shared purpose.

At its core, conversation is leadership in motion.

Every word either builds culture or breaks it.

The question is, What kind of culture are your conversations creating?

RDL, Celebrating 20 years of creating leadership legacies