Transforming Culture: A Case Study on the Power of ‘Thinking Patterns’

BY the Editors | September 24, 2024

At a critical point in the growth of a publicly traded data company, the company faced significant leadership challenges. Stock prices were down, an activist investor was applying pressure, and the leadership team lacked diversity. To add a bit more stress, the pandemic happened the day Martha Delehanty, chief people officer, started her new position.

Having worked with fassforward in the past, Delehanty turned to Rose Fass and team to help executives adopt a new way of thinking. Her goal under the leadership of a new CEO was to help build a leadership team that would make clearer, more confident decisions and cultivate a healthier, more inclusive company culture.

Setting the Stage for Cultural Transformation

To understand how Fass and Delehanty began the conversation about reshaping the company culture, it’s important to start with a clear definition of it. “When Rose Fass, founder of fassforward, is asked what culture in the workplace is, she says, ‘It’s the environment we operate in. Simply put, culture is how we do things around here.’ Building a healthy, inclusive, and durable culture goes beyond surface-level changes. It requires a shift in how leaders think and interact.”

Rose Fass is the founder and chair of fassforward Consulting Group (company photo)

Fass’s partnership with Delehanty spans over two decades, beginning when Delehanty was CHRO at Verizon Wireless. During that time, they worked together to roll out a leadership initiative that transformed how top executives approached leadership. Encouraging leaders to reflect on their thinking patterns and consider how others think opened the door to four critical leadership conversations: Courage, Vision, Reality, and Ethics.

Their success at Verizon Wireless laid the groundwork for a broader business rollout. Verizon Wireless’s Realize program helped reshape the company’s leadership approach, thus strengthening the bench. And, when one leadership move at the top created 1,500 downstream opportunities, “we were ready,” Delehanty said. This transformation was then applied to her new role as CHRO of a well-known data company, and the conversation continued.

The Four Elements of Leadership Thinking

  1. Courage: Courage drives bold action. Leaders use Courage to determine the ‘when’—setting ambitious deadlines, making tough calls, and taking calculated risks.
  2. Vision: Vision focuses on exploring new possibilities. It’s about defining the ‘what,’ inspiring teams to think big, and setting a clear direction for the future.
  3. Reality: Reality is rooted in evidence and data. It’s the ‘how’ of leadership, ensuring decisions are grounded in facts and supported by actionable plans.
  4. Ethics: Ethics is about valuing people and building trust. It answers the ‘why’ of leadership, focusing on fairness, integrity, and keeping commitments.

Tasked with attracting new diverse leaders and aligning the team, she realized that shifting the HR function from merely handling the "hard stuff" to embracing acts of courage was essential for the company's success.

Creating a Common Language for Leadership

To shift from doing hard things to leading with courage, the company needed a common language—and Thinking Patterns became that shared framework. Over time, the company’s leadership evolved, moving beyond silos and reactive decision-making. Bringing in new leaders from different backgrounds changed the conversation and the business. The leadership team embraced different perspectives, encouraged collaboration, and ultimately drove innovation.

The tool not only aligned the leadership team but also fostered a more inclusive environment. Leaders began to think beyond immediate pressures, focusing on long-term outcomes and shared goals. This shift, made possible through the adoption of Thinking Patterns, played an important role in transforming the company’s culture and business performance.

Fass, who has guided leaders through these transformations for over two decades, often references The Chocolate Conversation—a metaphor for how leaders often talk past each other, misunderstanding the real message. With Thinking Patterns, leaders are able to break through these barriers and engage in meaningful conversations that lead to action and change.

Delehanty’s journey underscores the power of a different approach to leadership. Moving from reactive problem-solving to proactive, expansive thinking allowed her to align the team, attract diverse talent, and cultivate a culture where everyone could thrive.

Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, fassforward, for supporting this sponsor spotlight.

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