By Rebecca Sutherland, Investor and founder of HarbarSix Ltd
Culture isn’t the fluffy stuff
Too often, when people hear the word culture, they think of beanbags in the office, a Christmas party, or a set of corporate values printed on a glossy wall poster. But culture isn’t something you bolt on once you’ve got the “real” work done. It’s the air your team breathes every day. It’s the way people make decisions when no one is watching.
If you strip a business back to its bare bones, what’s left after the systems, services, and products is people and the way they work together. That’s culture. Ignore it and it will still exist; it will just grow in whatever shape the loudest voices allow.
The myth of scaling first
A lot of founders and leaders have an obsession with scaling. The language is all about growth – more customers, more revenue, more markets. But here’s the truth I’ve learned: you can’t scale what you can’t lead. If you haven’t built a culture that people want to be part of, you’re building a bigger version of a problem.
I’ve seen businesses pour energy into hiring quickly, launching into new regions, or introducing flashy tech before they’ve worked out how they want their people to behave, feel, and collaborate. The result? Confusion. Burnout. High turnover. And ironically, slower growth in the long run.
Scaling isn’t just about systems and capacity; it’s about creating an environment that can handle change without falling apart.
Leadership is culture in action
You can’t separate leadership from culture. Every decision you make as a leader, from who you hire to how you handle mistakes, shapes the way your team behaves. People notice how you show up.
Do you admit when you’re wrong? Do you back your team in a tough meeting? Do you listen as much as you talk?
These aren’t soft skills. They’re leadership fundamentals, and they’re contagious. If you show up with integrity and empathy, your team learns to do the same. If you lead through fear or inconsistency, that’s the culture you’re scaling.
The truth is, culture doesn’t come from a handbook. It comes from leaders modelling the behaviour they want to see – every single day.
Why values have to be lived, not laminated
Plenty of companies have values. They’re often written during a workshop and signed off by leadership, then quietly filed away until the next brand refresh. But if your values aren’t alive in your decisions, they’re just marketing copy.
For example, if one of your values is “collaboration” but promotions are given based solely on individual performance, you’re sending mixed messages. If you say you value “innovation” but punish people for taking calculated risks, your team will stop trying.
Living your values is about alignment. It means your policies, rewards, hiring decisions and everyday actions all reinforce the culture you’re trying to build. And yes, that takes more work than printing a poster – but it’s the only way to create something that lasts.
The hidden cost of a broken culture
A poor culture isn’t just unpleasant – it’s expensive. Recruitment costs climb because people leave. Productivity drops because teams don’t trust each other. Decision-making slows because everyone’s protecting themselves.
And here’s the kicker: your customers will notice. Culture leaks out of your business. It shows up in how quickly you respond to problems, how you treat your partners, and how consistent your service is.
If your internal culture is toxic or unstable, your external reputation will eventually reflect it. That’s why I say culture is the product. No matter what you sell, the way your people work together determines the quality of what your customers experience.
Building culture isn’t a one-off project
It’s tempting to think you can “fix” culture with a single initiative – a leadership retreat, a training programme, a team-building day. These things can help, but they’re not the whole answer.
Culture is built in the everyday moments: the way feedback is given, the tone of an email, the openness of a meeting, the space people have to speak up. It’s not a campaign, it’s a habit.
Leaders need to treat culture like a constant, ongoing priority – not something to be checked off once it’s “done.”
How to start leading the culture you want to scale
If you’re wondering where to start, here are three things that work in the real world:
- Get clear on what you stand for – This isn’t about buzzwords. Be specific about the behaviours you expect and the ones you won’t tolerate.
- Model the standard – You can’t ask for respect, collaboration or transparency if you’re not demonstrating it yourself. Your team takes its cues from you.
- Listen more than you speak – The best insights into your culture come from your people. Ask them what’s working, what’s not, and be willing to act on what you hear.
Scaling a business is exciting. But it’s also risky if you’re not clear on your culture. Leadership is about more than strategy and targets – it’s about creating an environment where your team can thrive no matter how big the business gets.
The takeaway
You can have the best product in the world, the smartest technology, the slickest marketing plan – but if your culture is weak, you’re building on sand. Strong leadership and strong culture go hand in hand. You can’t scale what you can’t lead, and you can’t lead without knowing the culture you want to create.
In the end, your culture isn’t just part of the product. It is the product. Treat it that way, and you’ll build something worth scaling.
Rebecca Sutherland Bio
CEO & Founder, HarbarSix
Rebecca Sutherland is the visionary force behind HarbarSix, a hybrid investment fund and business accelerator designed to power up high-potential founders with more than just capital. At the heart of her mission is a belief that exceptional businesses are built not only with smart strategy but with empowered leaders and the right ecosystem of support.
With over 20 years of experience in scaling small businesses and transforming overlooked ventures into sustainable success stories, Rebecca brings a unique blend of commercial acumen, leadership insight, and emotional intelligence to the table. She has a sharp eye for spotting potential where others see obstacles, and she’s on a mission to make sure bold ideas don’t fall through the cracks simply because they don’t fit the traditional startup mould.
Through HarbarSix, Rebecca leads a highly selective programme investing in six standout businesses every six months. But this isn’t your average accelerator. HarbarSix offers deep partnership, one-on-one coaching, access to expert networks, and a shared toolkit that founders can use. It’s a growth ecosystem built for those who are ready to do the work and scale with integrity.
Rebecca’s approach is grounded in the belief that mindset drives results. She champions founders who lead from within, and she’s known for combining big-picture strategy with the kind of practical, hands-on support that truly moves the needle. Whether guiding a business through a make-or-break quarter or helping a founder breathe through a boardroom curveball, her leadership is clear, calm and unapologetically committed.
At HarbarSix, Rebecca isn’t just investing in businesses, she’s backing people, because she knows that when founders grow, their companies follow.
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