The leadership thermostat: regulating culture before it boils over

By Dr. Toye Sobande · First published in BusinessDay, 1 August 2025

Whether they intend to or not, leaders set the emotional temperature of the cultures they lead. Dr. Sobande uses the image of a thermostat: a leader can either reflect the heat in the room or deliberately regulate it.

The argument

A leader’s tone, words and reactions shape culture more powerfully than any statement of values on the wall. Leaders who react to stress tend to intensify it, while those who regulate it acknowledge the pressure honestly and redirect attention to clear priorities.

Teams take their cues from what leaders model and tolerate. A leader who wants accountability or innovation has to show it first. Warning signs of an overheating climate are often subtle: quieter meetings, fewer ideas, more caution. These are signals to investigate, not personality quirks.

Key takeaways

• Leaders set cultural temperature more than written values do.
• Reacting to stress amplifies it; regulating it creates steadiness.
• Model the behaviours you want, because teams copy what you tolerate.
• Treat quiet meetings and fewer ideas as climate signals.
• Open meetings by asking what is going unsaid, and check team morale regularly.

“Leaders often think they are holding a compass, steering the ship.”

Dr. Toye Sobande

A question to take away

If your team rated the emotional temperature of your last meeting, what number would they give?