What leaders tolerate becomes the culture. Tullio Siragusa on the five rules of engagement that build trust, and why enforcing them is the harder part.
What leaders tolerate becomes the culture, no matter what the values page says. Watch Tullio Siragusa work through rules of engagement in Episode 5 of the BLISS Monologue Series, and why the unwritten norms of a team are the ones that actually run it.
His argument is short. Culture is built by repeated behavior, so the real rules show up in how disagreements get handled, what happens after a mistake, and whether bad news is welcomed or punished. Leaders say they want honesty and then react badly to the truth. They say they want accountability and then tolerate triangulation and blame. Teams read the behavior, not the statement.
The five rules he offers:
• Address issues directly, no triangulation
• Separate the person from the problem, blame the sin and not the sinner
• Assume positive intent, then verify with facts
• Do not punish early truth, thank the person who raises the risk
• Give feedback in service of growth, not superiority
The harder half is enforcement. One unaddressed violation by a high performer or a senior leader teaches everyone the rule is not real. Consistency creates safety, safety creates truth, truth creates better decisions, and better decisions create better performance.
Listen to the full episode: Rules of Engagement Shape the Culture (https://www.theblisspodcast.com/rules-of-engagement-shape-the-culture/) More from the BLISS Monologue Series (https://www.theblisspodcast.com/categories/bliss-series/)