“Leaders and managers shape the culture of an organisation, through every interaction they have, every day. Skilled, knowledgeable and compassionate leaders and managers are needed to achieve well led organisations.” – Skills for Care
Leadership in adult social care isn’t just about making decisions or managing rotas. It’s about setting the tone - day in, day out - for how people treat each other, how they show up to work, and how care is delivered. And with only 7% of the adult social care workforce in formal leadership roles, those leaders have a huge influence over the remaining 93%.
So, what kind of impact does leadership really have on company culture? In short: everything.
Culture doesn’t live in a handbook - it lives in your leadership
Whether we name it or not, whether it’s consciously shaped or not, every organisation has a culture. It’s in the stories we tell, the standards we set, the way we behave when no one’s looking - and especially in how we respond when things go wrong. Culture is "how we do things around here." And leaders shape that culture through their actions, decisions, and values.
When over 90% of services rated 'well-led' by the CQC also receive good or outstanding ratings overall, it's a clear sign that leadership matters. A lot. But what’s the link between leadership and workplace culture?
Soft skills, strong leaders
Leaders don’t just talk about values. They live them. Culture isn’t built in policy documents or posters. It’s built through the everyday choices leaders make: how they show up, how they listen, how they handle tough moments, and how they support their teams.
The Skills for Care Leadership Qualities Framework doesn’t start with strategic planning skills or financial expertise, important as these are. It starts with personal qualities:
- Self-awareness
- Integrity
- Relationship building
- Openness to learning
- Teamworking
Why? Because in social care, leadership isn’t about status - it’s about people. And people create culture. Which means soft skills aren’t soft at all - they’re essential.
Great leaders:
- Understand how their own assumptions and attitudes influence behaviour
- Lead with integrity, honesty and clarity
- Build trust and create psychological safety
- Champion values-based practice in everything they do
And the new Skills for Care Workforce Pathways make this clear:
- Values and behaviours are the 'must do’s'
- Knowledge and skills are the 'should do’s'
Not to downplay the technical skills, but to emphasise that how we work is just as important as what we do. Leadership doesn’t just influence culture, it is culture in action.
Leadership in action: what makes culture thrive?
When it comes to workplace culture, it’s not about fancy mission statements or inspirational quote posters on walls. It’s about the everyday things. Leaders shape culture when they:
- Model values – treating people with respect, even in tough moments
- Are visible and approachable – open-door conversations and regular check-ins
- Lead from strengths – lifting people up, not pulling rank
- Create clarity and vision – so that everyone knows what they’re working towards
- Keep learning – and encourage their teams to do the same
A stable, confident manager isn’t just a bonus - it’s foundational. Services with consistent, well-supported leaders tend to have lower staff turnover and better outcomes. Because when leaders are secure, the whole team can be.
When culture slips, people leave
We can’t ignore this stat: 30% of care workers who left their roles in 2023 cited poor workplace culture or communication as one of the main reasons for leaving.
And younger workers (aged 18–44) were much more likely to leave because of workplace culture. That’s a wake-up call no sector can afford to ignore.
In care, an investment culture isn’t just a “nice to have” - it’s a make-or-break factor in retaining great people.
Can leadership be taught?
Absolutely. Some leaders are natural motivators. Others grow into it. But what unites great leaders is a willingness to reflect, learn, and adapt.
At Flourish, we believe that values-based leadership can (and should) be nurtured. Through coaching, training, reflection, and real-life practice, leaders can learn to:
- Know their own leadership style
- Build emotionally intelligent teams
- Set clear goals and hold themselves (and others) accountable
- Create safe, inclusive, and empowering work cultures
Because leadership isn't about being perfect - it's about being present, purposeful, and people-centred.
Final thoughts: Leaders shape lives
In social care, culture is what holds everything together - from recruitment and retention to care quality and staff wellbeing. And culture comes from the top; when leaders flourish, teams do too.
Our Skills for Care created leadership courses, Well Led, Lead to Succeed, and LCIC, support the development of leadership skills in social care.
