I recently read the Culture Code by Daniel Coyle.

The book was fascinating and showed three key factors helped to create thriving cultures. 

These might surprise you...

They are:

• Psychological safety
• Vulnerability
• Purpose

The book illustrates that in the most succesful organisations, psychological safety, vulnerability, and an embedded sense of purpose are not just abstract ideals. They are the lifeblood of a healthy team culture.

The way Coyle describes these core themes guided me through what truly makes a group thrive. More than any strategy or process, it’s the human elements. Feeling safe, being open, and sharing a meaningful mission that empower teams to solve hard problems together and keep moving forward. The lessons are simple yet profound: culture lives through people, and how we connect with each other each day determines whether our organisations merely function or genuinely flourish.

In the practice of executive coaching and team leadership, these insights take on a very practical form. Every conversation, every decision, every small gesture sends a signal about culture. In Coyle’s words, “Culture is a set of living relationships working toward a shared goal. It’s not something you are. It’s something you do.” 

This perspective reminds us that culture isn’t a fixed trait or a slogan on the wall. It lives in the everyday interactions between colleagues. The way a leader listens or responds to a mistake can either reinforce psychological safety or quietly erode it.

For instance, the moment a manager says “I don’t have all the answers – what do you think?” is the moment vulnerability starts to blossom into trust. And when purpose is woven consistently through team stories and actions, it stops being a distant ideal and becomes an everyday compass guiding decisions big and small.

From a coaching perspective, I often see these principles come to life in subtle but powerful ways. Leaders who embrace vulnerability. Who can candidly admit a fault or uncertainty often find that it sparks a ripple effect: others begin to lower their guard and contribute more boldly.

What might feel like a small act of openness from a leader actually creates a vulnerability loop where trust and cooperation expand in kind. It turns out that trust isn’t a prerequisite for vulnerability; it’s very often the result.

When a leader models the courage to say “I messed up” or “I need your help,” it signals to everyone that growth and learning matter more than saving face. In my coaching sessions, these “lightbulb moments” are often when clients realise that showing a bit of realness doesn’t weaken their leadership, it humanises it, inviting the team to step up as partners in problem-solving.

Likewise, prioritising psychological safety doesn’t mean avoiding hard truths or holding back on standards. It means delivering honesty with respect and empathy.

As one powerful example from The Culture Code showed, NBA coach Gregg Popovich would “tell you the truth, with no BS, and then he’ll love you to death." A mix of candour and care that forges deep trust on his team. That balance of unvarnished feedback and personal support sends a clear message: you belong here, even when you stumble. Indeed, Coyle emphasises that “the number-one job is to care for each other”.

When people know they’re cared for as human beings first, they feel safe. And safe teams can genuinely engage, take risks, disagree, and innovate without fear. The role of a leader-as-coach is to create this secure base where everyone can do their best work and grow from challenges rather than be crushed by them.

Take a moment to reflect on your own leadership or organisational culture:

• Psychological Safety: Do people on your team feel safe to speak up and share ideas without fear of embarrassment or retribution?

• Vulnerability: When was the last time you, as a leader, openly acknowledged a mistake or asked for help? How did that openness influence your team’s willingness to be honest?

• Embedded Purpose: Is your team’s deeper purpose clear and present in day-to-day work, or is it just words on a poster? How do you remind each other why your work matters?

These aren’t questions with one-time answers, they are ongoing guides for your leadership journey. Simply asking them of yourself (and listening carefully to the answers) can spark new awareness and commitment.

The goal isn’t to become a perfect leader, but rather to become a learning leader, one who consistently works at building safety, sharing their humanity, and highlighting purpose. Over time, those consistent efforts create an environment where people feel valued and motivated to contribute.

The culture we cultivate is a living, breathing entity, and tending to it is a bit like gardening. You plant seeds of trust and nurture them with consistency. A candid one-on-one conversation here, a team story there, a daily habit of saying “thank you” or “what can we do better?” that says “you matter, and we’re in this together.” Over time, those seeds grow into a resilient culture of connection and purpose.

It may not always be easy. Strong cultures, as Coyle noted, aren’t always “happy, lighthearted places” but are energised and united in solving hard problems together. This means there will be tough days and uncomfortable conversations. Yet that is precisely where growth happens. When you as a leader manage to tell hard truths without destroying safety, when you show vulnerability without losing credibility, and when you keep your team’s purpose in sight even amid adversity, you create the conditions for something special to emerge.

Ultimately, building culture is an act of leadership optimism. A belief that with care and courage, a group of ordinary people can achieve something extraordinary. It’s a hopeful endeavour, one that is never truly finished but always evolving.

As you step away from this reflection and back into your own workplace, I invite you to carry forward a sense of possibility. Think of the culture you shape as a legacy in progress – written not by grand gestures, but by many small, purposeful acts. In those quiet choices and everyday interactions, you hold the code to a healthier, more vibrant team. And perhaps the true secret is this: when you invest in psychological safety, vulnerability, and purpose, you’re not just building a better team, you’re lighting a path to a more human-centred way of working, one where everyone can truly thrive.