Performing Cultural Due Diligence Before Accepting a Leadership Role
Most leaders prepare thoroughly for interviews. They study the role, the strategy, the stakeholders, and the reporting lines. But here is the reality. What often makes or breaks your success is not the scope of the job. It is the culture you are walking into.
Culture is the unwritten system of values, behaviours, and decision making norms that shape how work truly gets done. You can be the most capable executive in the room, but if the culture works against you, your ability to lead, influence, and create impact can shrink dramatically.
So the question becomes, how do you perform cultural due diligence.
Start by listening carefully during interviews. Pay close attention to how leaders describe challenges. Do they talk about collaboration, learning, and accountability, or do they drift toward blame, politics, and defensiveness. Their language often reveals more than any formal values statement.
Then ask thoughtful probing questions. How are major decisions made here. How is conflict handled. What happens when targets are missed. How are people rewarded and recognised. The answers provide insight into the lived culture, not just the one written on the website.
Watch for red flags. Cultures that avoid accountability. Leaders who refer to people as resources instead of humans. An overemphasis on cost cutting without any reference to growth. Constant talk about firefighting with no long term strategy or direction. These signals suggest an environment where execution may be draining and unsustainable.
At the same time, look for green flags. Leaders who speak openly about both successes and failures. Evidence of collaboration across teams and silos. Clear alignment to values such as innovation, customer focus, or resilience. And most importantly, real stories that demonstrate those values in action rather than as slogans.
Finally, ask yourself a deeper question. Do I simply fit this culture, or can I genuinely thrive here. Will this environment enable me to lead authentically, deliver meaningful impact, and grow into the next chapter of my leadership journey.
Because at the executive level, cultural due diligence is not just about belonging. It is about ensuring you are stepping into an environment where you can succeed, sustain your energy, and create lasting results for both yourself and the organisation.
