The Culture Problem That Doesn’t Show Up in Reports

Keep The Change

Keep The Change
The Culture Problem That Doesn’t Show Up in Reports
Feb 06, 2026
Bart Nollenberger

Culture isn’t what’s written on the wall.
It’s what people feel when pressure hits.

In this solo episode of Keep The Change, I go deeper than I usually do. Just a real, honest conversation about what culture actually looks like when it shows up every single day in meetings, in one-on-ones, and in the moments that matter most.

If you think culture is a mission statement, a handbook, or a poster in the breakroom, this episode will challenge you. Because culture doesn’t live at the corporate level. It lives at the manager level. And whether people feel valued, trusted, and motivated has far more to do with leadership behavior than policies or pay plans.

What we talk about in this episode:

  • Why culture is not what leaders intend, but what people experience
  • How two managers under the same roof can create completely different workplaces
  • A real story from my early dealership days that changed how I think about leadership
  • What Gallup research reveals about managers and employee engagement
  • Why “love at work” isn’t soft, sentimental, or lowering the bar
  • What culture scorecards reveal that leaders often don’t see coming
  • Why awareness, not skill, is usually the real leadership gap
  • How great leaders hold people accountable without crushing trust
  • The shift every modern leader must make from boss to coach

This episode is for leaders who genuinely want to grow.
For managers who care about results and people.
And for anyone willing to ask the harder question: “What’s my role in the culture we’re creating?”

If you lead people, this conversation will hit close to home.
And if it resonates, share it with someone who does.

Because culture doesn’t change by accident.
 It changes when leaders choose to grow.

Let’s go. Let’s grow.

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