We often say culture starts at the top. But it’s middle managers who carry it, bend it and, more often than we admit, bear the weight when it breaks. These leaders are the bridge between strategy and daily reality. They translate vision into action, hold the emotional tone of an organisation, and influence the climate where performance either thrives—or slowly deteriorates.

In leadership conversations, culture is often invoked as both the problem and the solution. It’s what’s blamed when things feel misaligned, and what’s celebrated when organisations thrive. But amid the urgency to change culture, one fundamental truth is often missed: