All leaders get surprised by feedback like “Our culture is really harsh” or “We’re arrogant,” but when they try to examine it directly to figure out what’s going on, they fall prey to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle of Management. The act of trying to measure your culture changes the result. When you ask your managers, “What is our culture like?” they’re likely to give you a managed answer that tells you what they think you want to hear and doesn’t hint at what they think you absolutely do not want to hear. That’s why they’re called managers.
