Culture Eats Strategy for Lunch — Why Leadership Is the Real Difference Maker

Most leaders know the phrase:

“Culture eats strategy for Lunch.” — Peter Drucker

But few truly live by it.

Driven leaders often downplay “soft issues” — people, values, purpose — assuming strategy, plans, and performance targets are what move the needle.

Yet as Urban Meyer reminds us in Above the Line, leaders create culture, culture drives behavior, and behavior produces results.

That’s not soft — that’s science.

Why Culture Beats Strategy

Meyer captures it perfectly:

“Talent, schemes, tactics, and plans cannot replace a strong culture. A great culture can make even a mediocre strategy successful, but a weak culture will undermine even the best strategy.”

Think about that.

If your team has the right attitude and energy — accountability, collaboration, resilience — they can execute almost any plan.

But if your culture is full of blame, defensiveness, and apathy, even the best strategy won’t save you.

So, how would you grade your company culture today?

What’s the attitude and effort you see from your team telling you about your leadership?

Culture Starts with Leadership

Your culture is a mirror.

It reflects the leadership you provide.

Meyer writes:

“Your team will perform to the level of leadership you provide. Leadership isn’t a difference maker; it is the difference maker.”

Great businesses don’t just have great products — they have leaders who model the behavior they expect.
Because culture isn’t a top-down speech. It’s a daily demonstration.

Above the Line vs. Below the Line

Meyer describes two types of behavior:

Above the Line: Conscious, intentional, purpose-driven actions.
Below the Line: Impulsive, defensive, automatic reactions.

Below the Line feels comfortable — blaming others, complaining about circumstances, denying responsibility (what Meyer calls BCD: Blame, Complain, Deny).

Above the Line takes effort — pausing, thinking, owning the outcome, and choosing how to respond.

Teams that live Above the Line build trust, accountability, and results.
Teams stuck Below the Line create excuses, silos, and stagnation.

So ask yourself:

• Is your team quick to blame, complain, or defend?

If so, your culture isn’t driving performance — it’s dragging it down.

The R Factor: Taking Control of the Response

Meyer teaches a simple but profound formula:

E + R = O
Event + Response = Outcome

You can’t control every event — but you always control your response.

Great teams train this reflex deliberately, through six disciplines:

1. Press Pause – Step off autopilot before reacting.
2. Get Your Mind Right – Focus on purpose, not emotion.
3. Step Up – Do what the moment requires.
4. Adjust & Adapt – Change course when needed.
5. Make a Difference – Own your contribution to the team.
6. Build Skill – Practice discipline until it’s habit.

When pressure hits, we don’t rise to the occasion — we rise (or fall) to the level of our training.

Final Thought

Culture isn’t a slogan.
It’s a system of behaviors, reinforced every day by leaders who refuse to tolerate BCD and who live Above the Line.

A winning culture transforms not just strategy — it transforms people.

And in a world that’s changing faster than ever, the only sustainable advantage is a culture built on accountability, adaptability, and purpose.

Want help strengthening your company culture and leadership discipline?

Contact me at tedb@strategyandexecution.com.au to schedule a free 30-minute discovery meeting