The Culture Equation: Why Organizational Fit Matters in Executive Selection
In the high-stakes world of executive search, much attention is paid to track records, leadership competencies, and strategic vision. But one factor remains both elusive and critical: organizational culture. It is no longer enough to ask, “Can this person lead?” We must also ask, “Will this person lead here?”Organizational culture—the shared values, norms, and behaviors that shape how work gets done—can either be reinforced or disrupted by executive leadership. Executives are not passive participants in a company’s cultural landscape; they are its most potent shapers. This interplay between leader and culture means that when selecting external candidates for executive roles, cultural alignment is not a soft metric—it's a strategic imperative.Culture Starts at the TopExecutives don’t merely adapt to organizational culture; they define it. Their behavior, decision-making, and priorities become the reference points for others. Decades of research show that the kind of organizational culture an executive creates is driven by their values. At Hogan, we measure values with the Motives, Values, Preferences Inventory (MVPI). The 10 values of the MVPI are not surface-level preferences; they are enduring motivations that influence how a leader communicates, what they prioritize, and how they build their teams.For instance, an executive with high scores on [...]
