This gives the team a shortcut to a strong cultural identity: they move fast, take risks and innovate relentlessly. Teams demonstrate resilience, adaptability, exceptional teamwork and customer obsession.
These are not optional extras, they are the traits that define a strong culture and support their early innovation and success.
But rapid growth brings new pressures. Complexity rises, clarity fades and the culture that once held everything together can begin to unravel. Innovation, once the business driver, can be sidelined by other “priorities”.
The lesson here for all business owners and operators is this: if you do not intentionally nurture a culture that supports your innovation ambitions, it will drift. Your culture might slow you down when you need it most.
According to McKinsey, organisations that actively nurture their culture perform three times better in revenue and profitability.
This is because when employees feel safe, have agency and work collaboratively, they are more productive and more innovative. A compelling reason to pay attention to culture.
We work with progressive and ambitious businesses every day. One pattern is clear.
Many leaders talk about culture, understanding that it is important to support successful innovation. However, few can clearly define what an innovation culture is, let alone measure it.
Without definition and measurement, assumptions creep in:
— “We have a good culture” (but no real way to prove it).
— “Our team is collaborative” (until stress tests it).
— “We experiment freely” (but only inside safe boundaries).
Culture is a feeling rather than a focus and t that is a risk. That is why some organisations are starting to treat culture with the same discipline they apply to product, revenue and growth. Because if you can measure your culture, you can strengthen it. And if you can strengthen it, it can become your biggest competitive advantage.
Over the past year, we have measured the innovation culture of organisations across New Zealand. Some patterns have surprised. Others have confirmed what teams expected, but have not had the language or evidence to name.
These are three insights we have seen through analysis of the early data:
— Purpose and customer focus are often strong, but internal awareness and understanding is undercooked.
— Most progressive organisations are crystal clear on their mission.
— They are energised by purpose and deeply committed to their customers.
But when we explore the internal dynamics, a different story often emerges. Traits such as self-awareness, being present and reflecting before reacting tend to score much lower.
Misunderstandings, assumptions and missed signals inside the team can quietly build up, making innovation harder than it needs to be.
Reflection: fast growth demands an external focus. But sustainable innovation requires internal awareness too.
Many teams describe themselves as tight-knit and supportive. It is easy to assume that if the vibe is good, collaboration is strong. But the data shows otherwise.
While people feel connected, the systems that support collaboration — productive meetings, shared priorities, unified plans — are often weak or inconsistent. So, while the team might work well together, they are not as productive as they could be.
Without structure, even the most trusting teams can end up duplicating effort, missing cues, or pulling in different directions.
Reflection: trust and enjoyment matter. But without structured collaboration, teams can drift. Good intentions alone are not enough.
Audacious missions and big-picture thinking are standard in the world of growing companies. Vision and ambition are rarely in short supply.
Where the challenge lies is in the everyday: translating that vision into prioritised work, managing competing demands and staying focused on what matters most.
We regularly see this gap. Strong direction, but fragmented focus day-to-day.
Reflection: vision gets you moving. Discipline keeps you moving in the right direction.
So, how do we nurture and grow the traits that support innovation? Changing culture does not start with grand programmes. It starts with simple daily behaviours that compound over time to strengthen your cultural muscle.
Here are three examples of behaviours your team can start practising right now:
— Muzzle your mobile: Put your phones away during meetings. Active listening fuels trust and better decisions.
— Smell the roses: Take five minutes to pause, notice something good and feel genuine gratitude. Attach this reflection to a daily habit. Taking the time to smell the roses builds emotional strength.
— Curious kid: follow your instinct to ask “why” or “how”. Curiosity is not a luxury; it stirs new thinking and fresh ideas.
A final thought: culture does not pause for growth.
Your culture is shaping your business every day, whether you are actively leading it or not. The businesses that scale sustainably treat culture like any other core system: visible, measurable and strengthened with intention.
Because when the complexity hits, the teams with strong cultures, not just strong products, are the ones that adapt, endure and thrive.
— Euan Kirkland is the founder of Emplify which helps organisations measure and strengthen the cultural traits that drive sustainable innovation. It is part of Startup Dunedin’s Distiller Incubator programme. Startup Dunedin offers free 15-minute check-ins to help anyone building something new in Dunedin. www.startupdunedin.nz.
