‘Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast’

..is a quote attributed to management consultant Peter Drucker and emphasises the power of organisational culture over business strategy. The idea behind this phrase is that no matter how well-designed a strategy might be, it will fail if it is not supported by the right culture within the organisation.

Culture refers to the shared values, beliefs, behaviours, and norms that guide how people within an organisation interact and work together. It shapes the workplace environment, decision-making, and employee engagement.

A strong culture fosters collaboration, trust, and alignment with the organisation’s mission and goals. If the culture is positive and supportive, employees are more likely to go above and beyond to make the strategy work, even in challenging circumstances.

On the other hand, strategy is the plan or roadmap set by the management to achieve long-term goals. It involves making decisions about resource allocation, market positioning, and organisational priorities. While strategy is essential for direction, it is the organisational culture that drives how effectively employees will implement it.

At Latitude45 our focus is on developing Performance Cultures within teams and organisations. This involves working with clients to identify the vision, values and desired behaviours to embed through the training or event experience.

In conclusion, the quote highlights that without a strong, aligned culture, even the best strategy will struggle. For example, a strategy that demands innovation or change can be undermined by a culture that resists risk-taking or is set in its ways.

In this way, the right culture creates the conditions necessary for strategic success, showing that culture is often the deciding factor in achieving lasting organisational success.