Workplace Culture Is Not the Vibe—It’s the System

Everyone talks about workplace culture like it’s a playlist: a vibe, a mood, a feeling. But if you’ve ever tried to run a preschool or a pizzeria, you know that vibes don’t pay the bills—and they definitely don’t clean up spilled paint or solve team tension.

Imagine running a Montessori school. Your assistant shows up late every day, your lead teacher wants to rewrite the entire behavior policy, and your new hire still doesn’t know where the bathroom is.

The “vibe” might be warm and welcoming, but without clarity, consistency, and communication, you’ve got chaos.

Too many leaders confuse “culture” with morale or good energy. So they chase the mood, not the structure.

“Culture is how people behave when no one’s watching.” – Ricardo Cuellar

Culture = What you reward + what you allow + what you model.

Ask yourself: If I didn’t show up for a week, what would my team do? Would they thrive—or text me 47 times?

🎧 Want more real talk on culture and leadership?

Watch to my full conversation with Ricardo Cuellar on Jagged Edge: