The culture of compliance is a transactional environment. The boss gives an order, the team adapts to the boss, and everyone nods to keep the leadership happy. No one asks questions. No one challenges a flawed strategy.

When I took over as president of my first manufacturing company, I ran into this problem immediately. Every morning, we held a production meeting where we would publish the schedule for the day, discuss what raw materials were coming in, what finished goods needed to go out, and in what sequence. We’d hand out the production schedule, go through it, and then I’d ask, “Everyone got it?” And of course, every manager in the room would nod. Yes, sir. Of course.

Then they would go out to the floor and do things completely different from what we had just discussed. Because I hadn’t confirmed their understanding, they engaged in selective interpretation. All too often, the wrong products went out the wrong doors to the wrong customers. At several times during the work week, we would have to halt production, fix the mistakes, and produce another set of product.

There’s a phrase I heard on that floor that I wasn’t supposed to hear:

“We never have time to do it right the first time, but we always have time to redo it”.

That mentality is expensive in any environment. During the downturn of 2008 and 2009, it became genuinely painful. Every redo was money out of our pockets when we were already losing revenue and income. Failing to establish clear, two-way communications was one of the most expensive mistakes a leadership team can make. Then and now.

To eliminate costly misunderstandings, leaders must introduce discipline into the communication process. And I want to be clear about what I mean by discipline, because some people hear that word and think it’s purely a military concept. It is not. Discipline is rigor. It is a pattern within which your organization operates. You cannot rely on people absorbing your intended message by osmosis. It has to be habitual, and leaders have to insist on it.

One of the most effective tools I brought from the military into the corporate world is the backbrief. At the end of a meeting, your team repeats back what they think they heard. It takes a little extra time on the front end, but it saves thousands of labor hours and dollars on the back end. That single habit alone creates the clarity that many organizations are missing.

Building a culture of commitment does not mean running a democracy where every choice goes to a vote. In my years in the U.S. cavalry, there were times when we simply had to “saddle up and ride to the sound of the guns.” No debate, no sensing session, no survey. We executed.

There were other times in my military life when we were expected to deliver thoughtful courses of action and argue the pros and cons of each (which we sometimes did very passionately). The best commanders promoted exactly that kind of healthy disagreement. But once the commander made the decision, the debate was over. We went out the door unified.

In the corporate world, I found the opposite was common. People would nod during the planning session and then gather in the hallway afterward to discuss what they really wanted to do. In the military, that was considered disloyal because it erodes the commitment of everyone around you. If you want exceptional results, you must build an environment where vigorous debate is welcomed before a decision is made and complete loyalty is expected once it is.

Breaking down the barriers to a commitment-driven culture requires leaders to be vulnerable. Most executives resist. No one wants to look ignorant, incompetent, or irresponsible, so they build defensive barriers instead.

But vulnerability is a profound strength. It is the core of authenticity. I had the great privilege of serving as Deputy Executive Assistant to General Colin Powell when he was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He was undeniably in charge. He was also willing to admit when he had made a mistake or when we needed to adapt our approach. That combination is rare in many circles; it is exactly what a Level Five leader looks like.

When something goes wrong on the production floor, an insecure leader charges out and demands to know what the team was thinking. An adaptive leader walks out and asks what everyone can learn from the situation. Those two questions elicit entirely different responses. One creates fear. The other creates trust, learning, and long-term loyalty. It takes far more courage to learn than to blame.

Transitioning your organization from compliance to commitment requires a deliberate approach. Adaptive Leadership is a learned skill, and it is grounded in what I call the Big 6 Leadership Principles.

Set the Azimuth. Establish a clear cardinal direction as a team so everyone knows exactly where you are heading and why. Define success.

Listen with the intent to understand, not with the intent to reply. Stephen Covey said it well, and it is still one of the most violated principles in leadership. Changing that habit changes everything.

Trust and Empower. You cannot micromanage a growing organization. Give your people the tools and the authority they need, then let them execute. Underwrite honest mistakes.

Do the Right Thing When No One Is Looking. Integrity is the bedrock. The culture you’re building will reflect it, or the absence of it.

When in Charge, Take Charge. Not through volume or intimidation, but by being the calm in the chaos. That is what your team needs from you, now more than ever.

Balance the Personal and Professional. You cannot manage time because time is finite. What you can manage are your four levels of energy: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. When those batteries run low, your leadership suffers, and your team feels it.

Transforming a culture takes consistent, disciplined effort. Three practices have made the biggest difference in my experience.

1. Conduct a daily communication audit. Spend ten minutes at the end of each day reflecting on how well you sent and received information. Did you confirm that your team heard what you intended? Did you hear what they were actually saying?
2. Apply the “two-second rule.” When someone finishes speaking, wait two full seconds before you respond. It prevents interruptions, gives you space to process what was said, and signals respect. When you interrupt someone, you signal the opposite.
3. Prioritize empathetic communication. Go into conversations genuinely curious about what makes the other person tick, not just looking for the moment to deliver your own perspective. When you focus on mutual understanding, the whole exchange changes.

We live in an era of intense polarization. People retreat into encampments of ideas, and the trench lines get deeper. These barriers prevent learning, collaboration, and growth.

The Level Five Culture of Commitment is the antidote. It is built deliberately, nurtured daily, and sustained by leaders who are willing to be vulnerable, listen before they speak, and understand that the mission always comes first, even though we care very much for each other. Moving your organization away from a compliance culture and toward genuine commitment will transform what your team is capable of.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Make the commitment.

Enjoy the journey!

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