The 3 Types of People Shaping Your Culture (Whether You Like It or Not)
Most business owners don’t wake up one day and realize their culture’s broken.
It happens slowly.
Quietly.
A missed meeting here. A little cynicism there.
Suddenly, you’re looking around thinking, “This used to be a great place to work. What happened?”
That’s the question Steve Blair, Chief People Officer and founder of Fulcrum Collective, has spent his career answering—and more importantly, fixing.
On this episode of the TrustBuilt Podcast, we unpacked what culture drift really looks like, how to spot it early, and what to do when it’s already taken root.
Spoiler: Company culture is not all ping pong tables or all-hands meetings.
It’s about people. And Steve’s got a brilliant framework for helping you understand exactly who’s shaping your culture (and how to lead them better).
Culture Creators, Keepers, and Consumers
Steve breaks every team down into three groups:
Creators are your spark plugs. They set the tone. They live the values.
Keepers carry the torch. They reinforce what matters.
Consumers soak it in—but don’t always give back.
Every organization has all three. But the ratio matters. When creators and keepers drop off—or burn out—you’re left with a culture that just exists instead of one that moves.
And most leaders don’t even realize it’s happening until it’s already cost them their best people.
Don’t Just Listen. W.A.L.A.
One of the most powerful tools Steve shared is something he calls the W.A.L.A. Framework:
Wonder. Ask. Listen. Act.
It’s deceptively simple. But in a world full of “check-the-box” employee surveys and surface-level pulse checks, this approach cuts through the noise.
Here’s what it does:
Builds trust over time, not just transactions
Shows your team that feedback actually leads to change
Turns data into decisions instead of dashboard clutter
It’s one of the most effective ways I’ve seen to create safe feedback loops and get people truly re-engaged.
What Trust Really Looks Like
This episode made me reflect on how we define trust inside an organization.
According to Steve, it’s not about blind faith. It’s about two ingredients:
Consistency – Do you do what you say you’ll do?
Vulnerability – Are you willing to admit when you’ve missed the mark?
That combination is what separates leaders who inspire from leaders who micromanage.
And it’s the same combination that builds cultures where people stay, grow, and take ownership.
For Founders Who Feel the Drift
If you’re running a growing business and starting to feel disconnected from your team, this episode is your cue to pause and recalibrate.
Steve’s insights will help you:
Identify where your culture is leaking trust
Support your quiet leaders (your “keepers”)
Rebuild a culture that runs with you—not just for you
Listen now:
The 3 Types of People That Shape Your Company Culture – with Steve Blair
Culture Can Scale—But Only If You Lead It
I help business owners build teams that take ownership, operate on trust, and don’t fall apart when you're not around.
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