Everyone says they want growth. More revenue. More deals. More momentum. But if that’s true, here’s the harder question most leaders avoid:
What would your culture say about your ability to grow?
Businesses don’t stall in marketing, sales, or business development because of one bad hire, one weak campaign, or one missed quarter. There is no quick fix, and there shouldn’t be. While processes and tools may appear similar across companies, culture is always unique. Culture is shaped by leadership behaviors, clarity (or lack thereof), and what is actually rewarded every day.
And culture always reveals the truth.
Every organization has one. The real question is whether your culture produces the outcomes you say you want, or quietly works against them.
When growth slows, fear creeps in. Not loudly, but subtly. Fear of missing targets. Fear of accountability. Fear of changing what feels “safe.” Over time, that fear creates paralysis. Activity drops. Follow-up weakens. Messaging becomes cautious. Teams stay busy, but are not effective.
This is where growth really breaks down.
Common cultural signals that quietly kill growth:
- Lack of a clear, shared vision tied to daily activity
- Unclear ownership across marketing, business development, and sales
- Fear of honest feedback and uncomfortable conversations
- Activity without accountability or alignment
When these exist, strategy doesn’t fail because it’s bad. It fails because culture won’t let it live.
Marketing can’t help the business become known if it’s disconnected from customer truth. Business development can’t help the company become loved if messaging lacks confidence and clarity. Sales Operations can’t become trusted if expectations are misaligned from the start.
If 2026 is the year you plan to finally “crack the sales code,” start here, not with a new tool or tactic.
Be brutally honest about your culture. Or better yet, ask someone outside your business what they see. Listen without defending. Accept the feedback. Then intentionally build a culture designed for the outcomes your business actually needs.
At ROHLING, we help companies build a Growth Operating System, aligning strategy, marketing, sales, and culture so growth becomes repeatable. Because enduring growth doesn’t start with ideas. It starts with truth.