Build a culture that drives predictable, scalable success

Dr. Tony Bridwell, organisational behaviourist and people optimisation expert, explains why most leaders and founders struggle to scale their organisations: they underestimate the power of culture and its role in producing predictable outcomes.

Scaling with purpose means creating a culture that aligns your people, mindsets, and processes so your business grows sustainably—without burning out your team or yourself.

THE PROBLEM:

• Leaders often focus solely on behaviour and outcomes.

• Many entrepreneurs don't truly understand how culture works.

• As a result, scaling efforts create tension, drift, and command-and-control dynamics.

• Short-term success can be a poor teacher if you focus only on immediate outcomes.

SCALING WITH PURPOSE:

Building a culture that drives predictable success:

• Understand the clock of culture:

• 12 o'clock – Stories: what people perceive is happening.

• 3 o'clock – Mindset: beliefs, values, and biases shaped by stories.

• 6 o'clock – Behaviour: actions driven by mindset.

• 9 o'clock – Outcomes: results produced by behaviour.

• Cycle repeats: each outcome tells a story, shaping mindset and culture.

• Focus on stories, not just behaviours.

• Align purpose, vision, and values to guide decisions.

• Spot cultural drift early: repeated behaviour modification signals misalignment.

COACH'S LIFE-CHANGING ADVICE:

"Culture drives results. Focus on the stories that shape mindset, not just the behaviours you want to see."

VERSUS "Only trying to fix outcomes by telling people what to do."

THE REFLECTION:

If your team isn't performing predictably or your business feels chaotic:

• Are your people's mindsets aligned with your vision?

• Are outcomes being dictated by stories or behaviours?

• Are you muscling results instead of intentionally designing culture?

THE REALISATION:

Most leaders don't realise:

• You have a choice in designing culture.

• Culture is either designed or it will be dictated by circumstance.

• Investing in culture compounds over time—like disciplined investing in a portfolio.

KEY INSIGHTS:

• Culture is how people think, feel, and act.

• Predictable scaling comes from clarity, discipline, and alignment, not constant behaviour modification.

• Leaders must understand stories, mindsets, behaviours, and outcomes as a continuous loop.

• Command-and-control approaches create drift, misalignment, and toxic culture.

QUESTIONS TO ASK:

• What stories are shaping my team's mindset?

• Are our behaviours aligned with our values and vision?

• Where is cultural drift occurring?

• Are outcomes consistent and predictable?

ABOUT Dr. Tony Bridwell:

• Organisational behaviourist with 25+ years' experience in employee experience and culture.

• Chief Talent Officer, The Encompass Group; leads the firm's organisational consulting practice and the E3 Leadership Academy.

• Former Chief People Officer at Ryan, LLC and Brinker International; Senior Partner at Culture Partners.

• Author of eight books, international speaker (44 countries), consultant specialising in purpose and culture.

• Recognised as 2015 HR Executive of the Year (Dallas HR), 2015 Strategic Leadership Award winner, 2022 Top 50 HR Professional (OnCon Icon Awards).

• Adjunct professor at SMU Dallas, teaching Executive Leadership for MBA students.

• Committed organ donor and board member for Southwest Transplant Alliance.

CONNECT WITH Dr. Tony Bridwell:

• Website: https://www.drtonybridwell.com

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonybridwell/

• Books: Available through his publisher (eight titles on leadership, purpose, and culture)

SCALEX AND SIMPLE SCALING:

Book: Simple Scaling: 10 Proven Principles to 10x Your Business ScaleX Elevate: https://simplescaling.com/scalex-elevate ScaleX Accelerator: https://simplescaling.com/scalex-accelerator-programme Website: https://simplescaling.comEmail: [email protected]

Podcast Host: Brendan McGurgan, Co-Founder, Simple Scaling