Change the Culture, Change the Game is a practical leadership guide by Roger Connors and Tom Smith that explains how organizational culture directly drives results—and how leaders can intentionally shape culture to improve performance. Rather than treating culture as an abstract concept, the book provides a clear, actionable framework for changing behaviors in ways that produce measurable outcomes.

The central premise is simple but powerful: culture is the sum of the behaviors people practice every day, and those behaviors determine results. When leaders want better performance, they must change the behaviors that define “how work really gets done.” The book challenges the notion that culture change is slow, soft, or unpredictable, showing instead that it can be deliberate, disciplined, and measurable.

At the core of the book is a results-focused model that connects organizational purpose to specific, observable actions. Leaders learn how to define the results that matter most, identify the vital few behaviors that drive those results, and consistently reinforce those behaviors through leadership actions, systems, and accountability. Culture changes not through slogans or programs, but through what leaders model, measure, and reward.

The book emphasizes that sustainable culture change requires alignment across the organization. Leaders must clearly communicate expectations, hold themselves accountable first, and create systems that reinforce desired behaviors. When leaders do this consistently, culture becomes a competitive advantage rather than an obstacle.

Change the Culture, Change the Game is widely used by executive teams, managers, and organizations seeking to accelerate performance without adding complexity. Its strength lies in translating culture from an intangible idea into a practical operating discipline—one that leaders can manage with the same rigor as strategy or execution.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Implement the Results Pyramid to Change the Culture

1. Creating a Culture of Accountability

2. Defining the Results That Guide the Change

3. Taking Action That Produces Results

4. Identifying the Beliefs that Generate the Right Actions

5. Providing Experiences That Instill the Right Beliefs

Part 2: Integrate the C2 Best Practices to Accelerate the Culture Change

6. Aligning a Culture for Rapid Progress

7. Applying the Three Culture Management Tools

8. Mastering the Three Culture Change Leadership Skills

9. Integrating the Culture Change

10. Enrolling the Entire Organization in the Change