The pandemic didn't just shift where we work. It shattered how many teams operate — culturally, emotionally, and structurally.
Some companies adapted. Some white-knuckled their way through. Others quietly lost what made them strong: connection.
Now, as I consult with founder-CEOs and leadership teams in 2025, one thing is painfully clear: Culture didn't survive the transition to remote. It fractured — and no one's quite sure how to rebuild it.
What Culture Used to Mean
Before 2020, many companies measured culture by proximity:
- Ping-pong tables and catered lunches
- Company off-sites and hallway conversations
- The unspoken rhythms of working side by side
You didn't need a system — the environment held it for you.
Then remote hit. And suddenly:
- Trust had to be earned, not assumed
- Communication needed intention, not osmosis
- Misalignment became expensive, not just inconvenient
Where Most Leaders Got It Wrong
When culture started breaking, many leaders did what they knew:
- They scheduled more meetings
- They launched new values statements
- They tried to inject "fun" into Slack
But here's the truth no one wants to say:
You can't meme your way back to trust. You can't Zoom your way back to clarity. And you can't "engage" your team out of a misaligned system.
Culture wasn't lost because of remote work. It was exposed by it.
What I Saw on the Inside
When I led ACICO — managing cross-border teams, factories, hotels, and executive offices — I relied heavily on in-person rhythm.
But even then, I knew: Culture isn't built in a room. It's built in the structure behind the room.
Today, in my consulting work, I step into organizations where:
- Employees feel isolated but can't say it out loud
- Meetings are full of smiling screens but little truth
- Teams are productive — but not cohesive
And what we uncover is this: Remote didn't break the culture. It just removed the distraction that was covering the cracks.
What Culture Actually Needs Now
If you're a CEO or executive trying to "fix culture," here's where to start:
1. Stop Measuring Engagement by Visibility
Just because someone shows up on camera doesn't mean they feel safe — or seen.
2. Identify Energy Leaks, Not Just Performance Drops
Burnout, attrition, and disengagement often show up after the problem is systemic.
3. Rebuild Accountability as a Shared Value, Not a Top-Down System
When culture breaks, trust erodes. Rebuild it by giving ownership back — not more rules.
4. Design for Connection, Not Surveillance
If your team is only "together" in meetings, they're not together at all.
The Operating Model of Trust
In one Fire-to-Focus Diagnostic I ran recently, the CEO said: "I don't know what's off — but something's missing."
The numbers looked fine. The team was "engaged." But the energy? Flat.
We did a cultural audit — not with surveys, but through story. And what we uncovered was powerful:
- No shared understanding of what mattered most
- No ritual for recognition or conflict repair
- No space for meaning, just motion
So we rebuilt from the inside out:
- Defined team agreements (not policies)
- Created a rhythm of reflection and clarity (not just reporting)
- Reinforced safety at the leadership level, not just the staff level
What CEOs Must Understand
Culture in 2025 isn't something you "have." It's something you continuously design.
If you're hoping your old culture will bounce back — it won't.
But that's not bad news. It's your opportunity to build something deeper:
- Clearer values
- Healthier leadership rhythms
- More honest communication
- And operational systems that reflect the human behind the title
Final Thought
Remote didn't kill your culture. It revealed what was never fully aligned in the first place.
And now — without the noise — you have the chance to rebuild it on purpose.
Because real culture isn't perks, emojis, or company statements. It's the shared truth people feel — whether you're in the same room or not.
Rebuilding starts with clarity. And clarity starts with leadership.