Who’s Driving Culture in Your Organization?
- Tara Giambrone
- Sep 18
- 3 min read
People and culture are no longer HR’s job alone—they are the heartbeat of effective, mission-driven organizations. Today we’ll discuss the five archetypes that are often at the center of change efforts. Understanding their unique goals, challenges, and roles can help you support transformation more strategically. It’s also important to note that your most potent change-makers might not have these titles… yet. Every staff member is fully capable of driving high performing culture and change at their organization if empowered to do so.
Meet the changemakers transforming workplaces from formal leadership positions:
The Visionary HR Leader
Title/Role: Chief People Officer, VP of People & Culture, Director of HR
Goals:
Build a people-first culture
Increase employee engagement, retention, and development
Align people strategy with organizational goals
Pain Points:
Burnout or disengagement among employees
Difficulty securing leadership buy-in
Culture challenges during growth or transition
What They Need Most: A thought partner and strategic facilitation
How Catalyst can help:
Providing strategic culture transformation
Custom workshops or coaching programs
A trusted thought partner in aligning values with practice
The Growth-Minded Executive
Title/Role: CEO, COO, Founder
Goals:
Lead change with clarity and confidence
Build a resilient, values-aligned organization
Improve team effectiveness and alignment
Pain Points:
Rapid scaling challenges
Team misalignment and disconnect between leadership vision and team execution
Insufficient people systems to support growth
What They Need Most: Strategic adand leadership coaching
How Catalyst can help:
Guidance through leadership and organizational transformation
Strategic organizational development and change management frameworks
Executive coaching and development
The Change Champion
Title/Role: DEI Lead, OD/L&D Manager or Consultant
Goals:
o Drive sustainable cultural change
o Implement inclusive and equity-centered strategies
o Empower others to live out company values
Pain Points:
Resistance to change or apathy
Limited influence or support from leadership
DEI or L&D fatigue and burnout
What They Need Most: External credibility, facilitation support
How Catalyst Can Help:
o External facilitation and change support
o Collaborative program design
o Tools and language to activate stakeholders
The Conscious Leader
Title/Role: Executive Director, Program Director, Founder
Goals:
Lead with mission-driven values
Build an effective, compassionate, high-performing team
Prevent staff burnout and increase resilience
Pain Points:
o Limited resources
o High turnover and burnout
o Challenges aligning operational goals with human-centered goals
What They Need Most: Practical, people-centered strategy and coaching
How Catalyst Can Help:
Empathetic and practical organizational strategy
Capacity-building facilitation for teams
Leadership coaching grounded in values
The In-House Facilitator or Trainer
Title/Role: Learning & Development Lead, Coach, Trainer
Goals:
o Design and deliver transformative learning experiences
o Support leadership and team development
o Drive measurable learning impact
Pain Points: Outdated content, low influence, capacity gaps
Outdated or uninspiring content
Lack of time or capacity for innovation
Struggles gaining visibility or influence internally
What They Need Most: Co-creation, innovation, visibility tools
How Catalyst Can help:
o Co-created transformative learning experiences
o Strategic input and fresh frameworks
o Partnership to enhance internal programs
When trying to identify who in your organization may be one of your changemakers, keep in mind that they may not be a formal leader or have authority in an official capacity - yet. We implore you to consider everyone - since we can all lead from where we are. It's also worth mentioning that not everyone in a leadership position or with a relevant title is a changemaker. Step
Beyond the changemakers in leadership roles, every organization has individuals who play a role in shaping culture. These changemakers are often hidden in the middle layers or at the edges.
The Vision Carrier
Keeps the “why” alive.
Consistently ties work back to values, mission, and long-term goals.
Others look to them for meaning and direction.
The Trust Builder
The InnovatorThe InnovatorThe InnovatorCreates psychological safety.
People feel they can be honest, vulnerable, or take risks around them.
Bridges gaps between teams or individuals.
The Innovator
Always asking “what if” or “why not.”
Pushes boundaries with new ideas, systems, or approaches.
Energizes others with creativity.
The Connector
Has relationships across silos and hierarchies.
Knows who to pull together to solve problems.
Builds community and belonging naturally.
The Energy Amplifier
Lifts morale, motivates teams, and helps people reframe challenges.
Brings optimism or grounded calm in tough times.
Their presence makes work feel lighter, not heavier.
The Skeptic
Listen actively
Address concerns
Bring concerns into dialogue.
The Survivor
Explores root causes (burnout, misalignment, poor systems).
If you need help identifying your changemakers, download our Changemakers Guide and schedule a Discovery Call with us today.
Download additional resources to help you on your journey.