The Leadership Lens: Is It a Design Problem or a Norms Problem?
Leaders often talk about “structure” and “culture” as if they’re separate topics. In practice, they influence each other every day. A confusing or inconsistent structure can erode trust. A struggling culture can cause people to bypass even the clearest processes. And because both issues show up with similar symptoms; conflict, confusion, slow decisions, and disengagement, it’s easy to misdiagnose the problem. We try to fix a culture issue with a new org chart. Or we try to fix unclear decision rights by focusing on personality or behavior.
The real challenge is looking past the surface and understanding what’s actually driving the friction.
Understanding the Difference Between Structure and Culture
You can think of structure as the way work is intended to happen: roles, decision rights, authority, governance, workflows.
Culture is how people actually behave while doing the work: norms, trust, communication, what gets reinforced, what people avoid.
When something isn’t working, leaders need to understand whether the issue stems from a lack of clarity or a lack of healthy norms. Both matter—but they require very different solutions.
When It’s a Structure Problem
Structural issues usually show up as ambiguity. You’ll hear comments like:
“Who is actually making this decision?”
“I didn’t know that was mine to do.”
“We’re doing the same work in two different places.”
These are signs people don’t have the clarity they need. When your think it’s a structure problem, take a closer look at:
Are decision rights clearly defined?
Are roles and responsibilities explicit, not assumed?
Are reporting lines and governance routines consistent?
Do performance expectations match what leaders say they value?
A useful test: If you replaced the people but left the structure as-is—and the same issues continued—you’re dealing with a structural gap.
When It’s a Culture Problem
Cultural issues show up when the structure is clear but people aren’t using it—or don’t trust it. You might see:
Avoiding difficult conversations
“The meeting after the meeting”
High performers being allowed to behave poorly
Clear processes that get skipped or ignored
These aren’t clarity problems. They’re behavior and trust problems. When you think it’s a culture problem, evaluate:
Do people feel safe raising concerns or disagreements?
Are leaders modeling the behaviors they expect?
Are back-channel decisions more influential than formal ones?
Do people follow through on commitments?
Another helpful cue: If the structure is sound, but people don’t respect it or rely on it, the issue is cultural. No amount of restructuring will fix that. It simply moves the dysfunction somewhere else.
The Temptation to Restructure Too Quickly
When a team or department feels stuck, the first impulse is often to reorganize. It feels action-oriented and gives the impression of progress. But restructuring won’t fix avoidance, lack of trust, or inconsistent leadership. In fact, restructuring without addressing norms often leads to:
More confusion
More skepticism
A repeat of the same patterns under a different chart
If the underlying issue is cultural, reorganizing the structure just reshuffles the tension rather than resolving it.
Two Real Examples
In one organization, a nonprofit blamed “a culture of no accountability” for high turnover and board tension. But the real issue was a lack of structure—no defined authority, unclear roles, and inconsistent decision-making. Once we put governance tools and role clarity in place, the cultural friction eased because people finally had something solid to stand on.
In another case, a leadership team asked for a restructure to solve ongoing conflict. But their structure was fine. The culture wasn’t. Decisions were made informally, leaders held back feedback, and side conversations shaped direction. Instead of changing the org chart, we clarified norms and reset expectations. The conflict decreased without changing a single reporting line.
Where Leaders Should Start
If your team feels stalled, here are a few practical steps:
Look for ambiguity versus avoidance.
Choose one workflow where things regularly stall.
Is the stall about unclear ownership (structure) or reluctance to act (culture)?
Map decision rights for one cross-functional effort.
Identify who proposes, who decides, who executes, and who needs to be consulted or informed.
Name the pattern out loud.
If you see a behavior issue—blame, silence, avoidance—say so. You can’t work on what you’re unwilling to acknowledge.
Check the balance of clarity and trust.
A quick pulse on both can usually reveal which area needs attention first.
Closing Thought
At the end of the day, most conflict isn’t about personality, it’s about either unclear expectations or unhealthy norms. Structure gives people the clarity they need to do their work; culture shapes how they interact while doing it. When leaders pay attention to both (how the work is designed and how people show up) teams move more smoothly, trust grows, and the day‑to‑day friction starts to ease. Getting that balance right is what enables people to do their best work.
