Succeeding as an Outsider in a Legacy Culture

Every leader at some point joins a work culture they didn’t create. They’re expected to bring new ideas and energy—all while trying to learn the unwritten rules and gain buy-in from their colleagues. The challenge is integrating without losing the fresh perspective they were hired to bring.

While some organizations—often mid- and small-cap firms—regularly hire from a variety of industries and backgrounds, others are much harder for outsiders to navigate. Many larger S&P 500 companies have what can be called a legacy culture: deeply embedded norms and shared history that can make the environment feel insular and difficult to break into. Leaders just entering may struggle to build influence, affecting their performance and retention.

Historically, these types of companies have relied on internal successors for executive roles. But that is beginning to shift. As industries face faster cycles of disruption, boards are increasingly open to outside candidates who bring capabilities and experiences the organization hasn’t developed internally. As a result, the ability to understand, adapt to, and work within legacy cultures is becoming a valuable leadership skill.

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Through both my own experience and my work with senior leaders navigating high-pressure career transitions, I’ve learned that succeeding as an outsider often comes down to how quickly you can adapt and earn trust. Here’s how to strengthen that capability and thrive within a legacy culture.

Understand What You’re Walking Into

Legacy cultures form naturally over time as traditions, norms, and a shared organizational language take shape. You’ll hear it in the acronyms no one explains, see it in the rituals that repeat year after year, and feel it in the pride people take in “how we do things here.” At their best, these cultures create loyalty and stability. At their worst, they create barriers for leaders hired to drive change.

You may arrive at the company with a clear mandate and strong track record, but find that the culture resists before you’ve even had a chance to understand it. This is where most new executives go wrong: They misread the cultural landscape or struggle to align with expectations they can’t yet see. Complicating matters, many organizations don’t realize they have a legacy culture, because they’ve been “in it” so long that it feels invisible.

This is why your first job is to observe. In a legacy culture, you build credibility faster through curiosity than by immediately pushing change. Spend time watching how decisions get made, who holds influence, and how people interact—who shapes the conversation in meetings, who defers in key moments, and who openly receives (or resists) new ideas.

Listen for insider language (widely used acronyms), subtle cues about unwritten rules (what people praise, avoid, or warn you about), and the stories people repeat about the company’s past (successes, failures, defining moments).

As you observe, ask yourself:

• What signals show who’s “in” and who’s not?

• What traditions or rituals hold meaning here—and how might I participate authentically?

• Who has informal power, and how is their trust earned?

Meetings and hallway conversations can reveal a lot about the patterns and behaviors that shape culture. They can show you how and where you fit into the story.

What this looks like in practice

Years ago, I joined a major public university that had nearly doubled its fundraising team. I was the only team member who hadn’t graduated from the institution—an immediate disadvantage in a culture shaped by shared history and longstanding relationships.

That difference surfaced quickly. In meetings I presented ideas clearly and confidently, yet they rarely gained traction. Rather than pushing hard, I started observing more closely. I watched who spoke first, how ideas were framed, and how senior leaders signaled disagreement without directly challenging one another.

What became clear was that influence wasn’t earned through speed or certainty, but through demonstrating respect for what already existed. I adjusted my language. I began to connect my ideas to prior decisions and the people who made them, signaling continuity alongside change. Over time, colleagues began engaging more openly, inviting my perspective earlier, and treating me less like an outsider and more like a thought partner.

2. Find Shared Purpose, Not Shared Background

In legacy cultures, people often feel connected because of a shared history—common alma maters, decades-long tenure, or deep institutional roots. As an outsider, you may never share those markers, but you can build trust through something more powerful: shared purpose.

Rather than trying to mirror others’ histories, focus on the “why” behind the work. Legacy organizations are typically anchored to a mission. Take time to understand what the organization stands for. Ask leaders how past decisions were made, listen for the values that recur in conversations, and pay attention to which priorities receive sustained investment over time.

Then find opportunities to align yourself with the mission in visible, authentic ways—and connect with colleagues beyond your professional credentials alone.

Ask yourself:

• What shared values or commitments unify this group—and how do my personal or professional values align?

• How can I contribute to the organization in ways that reinforce its larger mission?

What this looks like in practice

Laurene, an operations leader I worked with, joined a legacy organization with strong community roots. Instead of trying to fit in through a shared work history or long tenure, she invested time in learning how the organization defined its responsibility to the community it served. By participating in volunteer initiatives alongside colleagues, she demonstrated genuine commitment to what the organization valued most—and built trust and credibility in the process. Shared values proved to be a stronger bridge than similar resumes.

I see this pattern repeatedly in my work as an executive team advisor. When leaders take time to articulate what they are working toward, why it matters, and how they will achieve outcomes together, they create connections that go beyond tenure.

3. Use Your Outsider Lens as a Strategic Advantage

Once you’ve taken time to observe and understand the culture, the next challenge is knowing how to use your voice without undermining it. As an executive entering a legacy organization, remember that your role is highly visible. You were hired for your expertise, and your observations carry weight. They may even be interpreted as signals of future direction. You’re expected to add value early on, but not so early that it reads dismissive. This is where your outsider lens can be powerful—when it’s used with intention.

Because you haven’t “always done it this way,” you’re well positioned to notice inefficiencies, assumptions, or opportunities others no longer see: duplicated processes that accumulated over time, unclear ownership across teams, or initiatives that made sense in a different era but no longer support the strategy.

Don’t make the mistake of turning those observations into prescriptions. A more effective approach is to share what you’re seeing without advocating for immediate change.

Ask yourself:

• What dynamics do I notice that could limit the organization’s next phase of growth if left unsaid?

• How can I frame observations in a way that honors the organization’s history while supporting its future?

Be intentional in your communication. Name patterns, not solutions. Frame insights as questions or hypotheses, not judgements. Above all, avoid comparing the organization to previous roles, institutions, or experiences—even when those comparisons are accurate—as they can trigger defensiveness or derail the conversation. Instead, anchor your recommendations in the organization’s strategy and goals

For example:

• “I’m noticing several teams solving similar problems—how has coordination here worked here in the past?”

• “I’d love to partner with someone who knows this process well and explore how it could evolve to help us deliver on our priorities more quickly.”

This approach shows respect for organizational knowledge while introducing a fresh perspective.

What this looks like in practice

I once joined a legacy institution and quickly noticed the executive team struggling to lead cohesively after rapid expansion had increased its size and complexity. The organization had outgrown structures designed for a smaller, more centralized operation. Instead of pushing for a restructure, I focused first on reflecting what I was observing: unclear roles, duplicated efforts, and leaders working in parallel on projects.

By surfacing those patterns first in one-on-one conversations and then later with the full team—without assigning blame or prescribing fixes—I created space for leaders to recognize the issue themselves. That recognition made it easier later to explore changes together. The conversation shifted from my recommendations to our shared reality.

Once you’ve earned trust as an outsider, use your influence to make belonging easier for others. Small, intentional actions—welcoming new team members personally, explaining unwritten norms, or connecting them with helpful peers—lower barriers and accelerate connection.

Belonging is built one action, and one reaction, at a time. When leaders model intentional belonging in legacy institutions, they transform culture for everyone from the inside out.

Copyright 2026 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. Distributed by The New York Times Syndicate.

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