Leaders Must Address Performance Issues by Focusing on Accountability, Not Culture

## Performance Issues: Culture Isn't the Real Culprit When leaders encounter performance declines, they often default to blaming "culture" — a broad term that avoids personal accountability. This tendency can obscure the real roots of underperformance, which typically lie in specific decisions that leaders have made or neglected. As a seasoned executive, you'll recognize that this pattern is all too common. Recent findings from [iHire’s 2026 Toxic Workplace Trends Report](https://www.ihire.com/resourcecenter/employer/pages/toxic-workplace-trends-report-2026) reveal that 79% of employees attribute toxic workplace conditions to subpar leadership and poor management practices. Most noteworthy is that issues like unethical behavior and lack of accountability from management contribute heavily to this perception. Yet leaders often miss this, quickly labeling the issue as “cultural,” which is vague and shields them from direct scrutiny. Reflecting on nearly two decades of observing leadership behaviors, it’s clear that the term “culture” serves as a convenient scapegoat. It allows executives to deflect blame from their own actions while framing the issue as a collective, amorphous problem rather than focusing on individual accountability for specific decisions. This isn't merely about semantics; it's about a significant leadership blind spot that can derail initiatives and morale. ### A Harder Question for Improvement To genuinely address performance dips, leaders must begin by asking themselves a more confrontational question: "What specific actions have I taken that might have led to this situation?" This approach encourages introspection and a shift in focus. - **Engagement with Teams**: Executives often become distanced from their teams, losing sight of daily challenges faced by their employees. The insight provided by Jana Boone, SVP of growth enablement at Intero Digital, underscores this disconnect. She points out that poor performance is frequently mislabeled as a cultural issue when it might simply result from a leader's lack of engagement. The real work starts when leaders step back and listen actively to their teams about their experiences and challenges. Boone emphasizes the importance of asking for honest feedback and truly absorbing that input without rushing to fix anything right away. ### From Symptoms to Solutions Take the example of Boeing, where an FAA audit revealed operational failures that were not merely cultural lapses but the direct result of poor leadership decisions. The findings highlighted a disturbing priority on production speed over safety—an approach that stemmed from specific decisions about resource allocation and process oversight. This example serves as a powerful reminder that when performance issues arise, it's critical to trace them back to the decisions that created these conditions, rather than apply a blanket label of "culture." By identifying the specific choices that shaped outcomes, organizations can initiate meaningful change rooted in accountability. ### Encourage Honest Dialogue To foster an environment where employees feel empowered to voice their concerns, leaders should reward those who bring up issues without first having a solution in hand. Research by the University of Iowa indicates that teams respond more effectively to individuals who highlight problems rather than those who seek immediate fixes. This approach is vital at every level of the organization and helps create a culture of openness, where issues are addressed before they escalate into larger, systemic crises. Ignoring the signs and attributing performance issues to an ambiguous cultural problem does a disservice to both leadership and team morale. Recognizing the distance between leadership and daily operations is imperative. From reevaluating decision-making to encouraging open feedback, leaders have the ability to shift the focus. Consider taking one actionable step this week: engage with your team, solicit their experiences, and actively listen. They already know what needs to be addressed; it’s time for leadership to catch up.