Corporate culture is an industry buzzword that most would agree is important, but few fully understand. The benefits of a well-defined culture are well understood, and come in the form of higher productivity, more motivated employees, and higher rates of retention. But culture goes beyond cliché mission statements and vague core values. Culture comes from people, and culture change efforts must be aware of this fact. This is one of the reasons most cultural change projects never come to fruition. Cultural change must be led from the top. If an organization's leadership does not reflect the culture the organization is trying to promote, it’s doomed to failure before it starts. As such, effecting cultural change is an exercise in leadership and effective management practices. Additionally, there must be a personal commitment to change. Everyone on the team must have the freedom to internalize the brand so they can express it on a personal level. “Your corporate culture should be the internal manifestation of your brand promise at an individual level,” says Jim Perry, senior strategist at Market Insights. “Culture is about creating an environment that guides and empowers staff in all departments to ‘walk your talk.'”