A recent post by high-performance guru Josh Phegan got my attention.
Not because it was loud.
Not because it was controversial for effect.
But because, in the current climate, it may rattle a few cages.
In an era where entitlement is often mistaken for empowerment, a reminder that people adapt to standards – not the other way around – sounds provocative precisely because it’s true.
That thought became the trigger for this post.
Culture Exists Before You Arrive
High-performance cultures aren’t formed on entry.
They’re built long before – through agreed values, reinforced standards, and repeat-behaviour, especially under pressure. Which means when you join one, there’s an unspoken contract already in place:
You joined us.
We didn’t join you.
That isn’t arrogance.
It’s clarity.
A Pattern We Recognise Instinctively
Anyone who’s watched a relationship unravel has seen this play out before.
One person enters believing the other will change – soften, adapt, evolve – and resentment builds when they don’t. Not because the person was dishonest, but because the expectation was unspoken and unmet.
Culture works the same way.
People join teams assuming:
- The standards will bend
- The system will adjust
- The environment will reshape around them
When that doesn’t happen, frustration follows.
Not because the culture failed –
but because the assumption went unchallenged.
Values Are Usually Tested – Not Attacked
Values are rarely challenged directly.
They’re tested quietly.
Often framed as fairness.
Inclusion.
Self-expression.
You see it in schools with a long history of high performance and proven results.
Uniforms.
Haircuts.
Standards.
Questioned so a child can “be themselves.”
It sounds reasonable.
It usually is – on the surface.
But what’s being tested isn’t a haircut.
It’s whether shared standards still outrank individual preference.
Ironically, those standard are often the very reason the school was chosen.
Once exceptions become the response,
standards stop shaping culture.
Objections do.
Why Standards Must Precede People
Consider McDonald’s.
You don’t walk in and:
- Create your own burger
- Rename menu items
- Decide how service should feel
Why?
Because consistency is the product.
The system protects the brand.
The individual serves the model – not the other way around.
High-performance cultures operate the same way.
Sport Has Always Understood This
Elite sporting environments don’t apologise for standards – they enforce them.
With our beloved All Blacks, the jersey comes first. Standards exist before selection. Legacy outweighs individual preference. Alignment is non-negotiable.
You don’t join to express yourself.
You join to uphold something bigger than you.
That’s not restrictive – it’s stabilising.
Ego Is the Quiet Erosion of Culture
Ego asks:
“How does this suit me?”
High-performance asks:
“How do I serve what already works?”
Dynastic teams – in sport and business – are built on role clarity, behavioural consistency, and trust in the system. Ego introduces exceptions. Exceptions introduce fragility.
Talent can win moments.
Alignment wins seasons.
Values Without Standards Don’t Survive Pressure
Many organisations talk about values.
Fewer are willing to defend them.
Commentary and research regularly published by Harvard Business Review consistently reinforce the same point: values only shape performance when they’re translated into explicit expectations, daily behaviours, and real consequences.
Posters don’t build culture.
Standards do.
And standards only matter when they’re applied consistently – especially when it’s uncomfortable.
Why Strong Cultures Attract People Anyway
Look at companies like Toyota.
People don’t join because it’s flexible.
They join because it’s proven.
Clarity creates confidence.
Consistency creates trust.
Alignment creates speed.
The Real Invitation
Strong cultures don’t promise comfort.
They promise growth.
They don’t ask you to change who you are –
but they do ask you to decide whether who you are is willing to align.
You joined us.
We didn’t join you.
That’s not exclusion.
That’s stewardship.
And cultures worth joining
are strong enough
not to bend.