Summary
Marketers are increasingly calling out "bull spend," a term used to describe the wasteful allocation of advertising budgets on metrics that appear impressive until scrutinized by financial officers. This trend is highlighted in discussions about the disconnect between marketing claims and actual performance, particularly when leaders prioritize flashy metrics over genuine brand growth.
Research involving 164 senior leaders from North America, Europe, and Asia reveals that many treat culture change as a communication strategy rather than an operational one. The study indicates that 72% of formal culture initiatives fail to improve trust, engagement, or retention within a year. Employees often perceive these efforts as superficial, lacking the necessary follow-through from leadership.
Effective culture change requires leaders to embody the values they promote, shifting focus from messaging to tangible actions. When leaders modify their approach to decision-making and feedback, trust can increase significantly, even without formal campaigns. The key takeaway is that cultural transformation hinges on leaders' willingness to change their behaviors and practices, rather than relying solely on branding efforts.
Show Notes
To Change Company Culture, Focus on Systems—Not Slogans
3 Feb 2026
---
Culture change fails when leadership messaging isn’t backed by behavior. Real impact comes from operational shifts—not slogans or campaigns.
Read the full article by @BenjaminLaker here: https://s.hbr.org/3Mmd0Bd
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from Harvard Business Review
Are Your Beliefs Holding You Back as a Leader?
Check out our September-October 2019 issue: Don’t let metrics undermine your business, how dual-career couples make it work, and putting purpose at the core of your strategy. Subscribe today at https://trib.al/PxEVr8oUploaded 21-08-19Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How to Quit Your Job with No Regrets | Christine vs. WorkUploaded 13-09-2114 Sep 2021---𝙎𝙪𝙗𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝘼𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮! ✨ https://www.youtube.com/c/HBRAscend ✨Is there a right way—and a wrong way—to quit your job? Here’s what to do and say in the moment.Subscribe to the Ascend newsletter: https://hbr.org/email-newsletters?movetile_hbpascendnl&hideIntromercial=true Learn more about our sponsor, Confluence, at https://www.atlassian.com/software/confluence/meet-less and https://www.atlassian.com/software/confluence and If you’re thinking about quitting your job, you’re not alone. Right now, studies are showing a record number of workers are thinking about quitting. What should you consider before you decide to quit? What are the actual words you should use when quitting your job? 0:00 Do you really know how to quit your job?01:49 How do you know when to quit?03:31 Tell your boss first04:21 Get to the point!04:56 The formula06:06 Ok, let's practice07:48 Let's try this for (almost) realIn this episode, Innovation Editor Christine Liu turns to Dorie Clark, author of “The Long Game”, for answers. If quitting looks like the best decision for you, here’s how to break the news to your boss, what to say in the meeting, and how to think about your last days on the job.Learn more about Dorie Clark: https://dorieclark.com/Watch more about Confluence on their YouTube Channel: About: https://youtube.com/watch?v=jqg8o-ataIQ&ab_channel=AtlassianProduced by Andy Robinson, Christine Liu, and Kelsey AlpaioVideo by Andy Robinson and Christine LiuEditing by Andy RobinsonAnimation and Design by Riko Cribbs and Karen PlayerFollow us:https://hbr.org/ascendhttps://www.facebook.com/hbrascend/https://twitter.com/HBRAscendhttps://www.instagram.com/hbrascend/#GreatResignation #CareerMove #IQuit Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Stand Out in a Job Interview | The Harvard Business Review Guide