Culture Isn’t Perks—It’s Leadership in Action
- Alison Nissen
- Sep 19
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 25
When J.B. Kropp talks about culture, he doesn’t begin with ping-pong tables, catered lunches, or mandatory happy hours. He starts with leadership.
In our recent ABOVE CENTER® Leadership Podcast interview, Kropp—CEO of Cintrifuse and Managing Director of Cintrifuse Capital—peeled back the layers of what makes culture thrive. His perspective is grounded in experience: great cultures are not accidental. They’re built with intention, humility, and a willingness to do the hard, unglamorous work of leadership.
“Culture really starts at the top,” he says. “You can’t walk into a Monday meeting and declare, ‘This is our culture now.’ You build it by doing."
New leaders are often full of inspiring ideas, but they must adapt to daily dynamics that keep teams moving forward. As companies grow, culture evolves through decisions, behaviors, and communication, making every interaction an opportunity to strengthen the environment. A strong culture boosts engagement, commitment, innovation, and success by creating a workplace where everyone feels respected and empowered.
That’s why Kropp encourages leaders to surround themselves with people who can complement their strengths, creating a scaffolding that helps the entire team and company grow. “You don’t need to prove you deserve the job,” Kropp tells new hires. “Sit with the team, listen, and learn. Culture builds through engagement.”
What Does Building Culture Look Like in Practice?
Kropp’s onboarding strategy is a lesson in trust. Rather than pushing newly appointed leaders to hit the ground running, he invites them to slow down. To observe. To connect.
This approach does two things:
It signals psychological safety.
It gives people permission to be themselves and contribute authentically.
At REVEL®, we call this operating ABOVE CENTER®—a state where creativity, energy, and purpose thrive. When people face unclear expectations, pressure to perform, or micromanagement, they drop “below center,” leading to a loss of momentum, morale, and innovation. This can result in confusion, disengagement, and turnover, often stemming from unclear values, inconsistent leadership, or poor communication.
Culture Is Not Set-and-Forget
Culture is not static. It evolves in response to leadership, team dynamics, and external pressures. One of the trickiest challenges, Kropp notes, is addressing team members who may be acting against the intended culture, perhaps unknowingly. Maybe they’ve inherited old habits from previous leadership. Maybe their style leans more toward control than empowerment.
This is where clarity and consistency matter. Leaders must define cultural standards—what’s encouraged and what’s not—and uphold them with both kindness and firmness.
That’s especially important in today’s workforce, where employees are not shy about walking away if the reality doesn’t match the promise. As Marcy Stoudt added in our conversation, “This next generation expects companies to live the culture they promote. If not, they leave.”
The First Leadership Moves to Create a Lasting Culture
If you're guiding a team—at any stage—here are three ways to build lasting culture:
Lead by doing. Model the communication, decision-making, and values you want to see every day.
Onboard with intention. Encourage new team members to listen and learn before proving themselves.
Create culture scaffolding. Establish regular practices (such as all-hands meetings or culture crew initiatives) that reinforce values and surface tensions early.
Above all, remember this: culture is not a perk. It’s a product of your leadership.
And like any product, it takes time, design, and care to get it right.
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About the author: As the co-founder and Chief Storytelling Officer of Revel Coach, a career growth platform, Alison Nissen helps leaders perfect their business pitches and online presence through storytelling. Successful executives use key storytelling points to engage their audience and gain market share because they know good storytelling is the best form of marketing, recruiting, and fundraising. Write Your Book NOW! Mastermind enrolling now.
The Revel Coach™ Blog is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not mental health, financial, business or legal advice. The information presented here is not intended to diagnose, treat, heal, cure or prevent any medical, mental or emotional condition. The information presented here is not a guarantee that you will obtain any results or earn any money using our content.
