Yes, leaders set the tone. Culture, however, is shaped every day by the words, actions and decisions of front-line employees, middle managers and executives alike. Everyone has a role to play.

I learned that lesson firsthand during my years as a corporate communications leader at GE.

Many managers assumed my title made me solely responsible for communicating business strategy and performance. My role certainly included designing communication processes, coaching leaders, developing tools and evaluating effectiveness.

Yet those resources only created value when employees, managers and executives embraced shared ownership of communication. Real impact came when people—regardless of title, tenure, level or function—actively shared information, asked thoughtful questions and offered constructive feedback during team meetings, town halls, one-on-one conversations and performance reviews.

The same principle applies to culture in the AI era.

Leaders can establish the vision, but they cannot build a thriving workplace culture on their own. They must loosen their grip and invite others into the process—not as spectators, but as contributors—by:

• Engaging front-line employees to help shape priorities, implement new ways of working and exchange lessons learned.
• Including new hires alongside seasoned employees, skeptics alongside supporters.
• Listening firsthand to employees by stripping away filters and asking: What’s working? What’s not? What changes are needed for people and AI to succeed together?

That inclusive approach is the foundation of the Spectator-Free Workplace™ that Dulye & Co. has championed for decades.

AI may be transforming how work gets done. People, however, will always determine how well organizations perform. Culture is a shared responsibility—and one of an organization’s greatest competitive advantages.