Culture Rules, by Mark Miller - Review

What makes a great organization truly great? Is it the products? The marketing? The people? While all these things matter, Mark Miller argues in Culture Rules that the ultimate competitive advantage is something deeper: culture. And leaders don’t just influence culture—they create it, whether they realize it or not.

Culture: An Intentional Choice

Too many leaders think of culture as something that “just happens” over time. But Miller has a different take on it. Culture isn’t a natural consequence of success—it’s the engine that drives it. When an organization is not shaping culture on purpose, it will shape itself by accident. And chances are, it won’t be in ways we like.

Miller lays out three rules for building a thriving organizational culture:

1. Aspire – Define the culture you want. Get specific. What values and behaviours should define your team, your church, your community?
2. Amplify – Reinforce those values and behaviours. Culture grows through consistent words and actions, not just an inspirational mission statement on the wall.
3. Adapt – Keep refining your culture. The world changes, people change, and great leaders evolve without losing their core identity.

It’s easy to say, “We value integrity” or “We care about people,” but culture is less about about what’s written down and more about what’s lived out in the daily organizational setting. When leaders don’t model the behaviours they want to see, they risk having members of their teams seeing their words as meaningless. Culture is shaped by what we celebrate, what we tolerate, and what we reward.

For example, in a church setting, we can say we value community, but if leaders never make time for genuine connection, that culture won’t exist. If we claim to value servanthood, but leadership is all about control, people will see through the words. Culture is revealed in actions.

The Church and the Culture Question

What are good takeaways from Culture Rules to the Church life?

The reality is, every congregation has a culture—whether intentional or not. Some churches cultivate warmth and inclusion, while others unintentionally foster rigidity and even division. Some celebrate growth and outreach, while others resist change at every turn. One of the backbones of such cultural traits is leadership.

When hospitality is thought of as one of the core characteristics of a Church, one needs to notice it being practised in the life of the Church, even beyond Sunday mornings. Newcomers feel noticed and valued, as regular participants share a consistent sense of belonging. When discipleship and spiritual growth are emphasized, one will see clear investment in teaching and mentorship, rather than expecting people to just “figure it out” on their own.

Another important question is, how does the church adapt? The Word is unchanging, but the way and forms in which we share it may very from context to context, depending on the world in which the congregation is inserted. A faithful and thriving church culture is not one that is necessarily growing in numbers, but one that stays anchored in Christ and His Word while being attentive enough to its surroundings to read the time, set a clear path to connection and constantly striving to address the spiritual needs of its people.

The kind of culture we build in our churches reflects our Word culture. It will show in a higher or lesser degree our commitment to the Word of God and its application in the life of the Church.

Intentional leaders don’t just talk about culture—they create it. But for a Christian congregation, that doesn’t mean success as measured by the world’s standards. It means a culture that reflects God’s will, Word, and works, leading people to see Him, believe in Him, and live with Him.

This is shaped every day, on purpose and with direction, as the Church’s rule for its cultural strength and consistency is ultimately shaped by the peace of Christ:

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:15-16)