How Bold Cultures Drive Radical Innovation in Science-Led Companies
In a business world obsessed with disruption, it's tempting to think that innovation starts with big ideas or breakthrough technologies. But in science-led companies, where complexity, compliance, and rigor rule the day, innovation doesn't begin in a lab. It begins in the culture.
In this episode of Advancing Ideas, Cultivate's Founder and CEO Steve Garguilo and Chief Innovation Officer Bhavik Modi break down the link between bold organizational cultures and sustainable innovation.
Spoiler: Culture isn’t just a support system for innovation. It’s the launchpad.
Why Culture is the Real Innovation Engine
It’s a common mistake to think innovation is about hiring the right experts or implementing agile methodologies. These things matter, but they aren’t enough. As Steve Garguilo puts it:
“Innovation doesn’t start with technology or ideas—it starts with culture.”
Organizations that consistently deliver innovation have something in common: cultures that reward experimentation, de-risk failure, and elevate curiosity. In other words, they create a climate where people feel safe pushing boundaries.
Especially in science-led organizations, where precision and predictability often dominate, the culture must be intentionally shaped to encourage innovation without compromising excellence.
The Three Cultural Conditions Innovation Needs to Thrive
Psychological Safety
When employees fear mistakes, they self-censor. Cultures that foster psychological safety enable idea-sharing, risk-taking, and faster iteration—all core ingredients for innovation.
Permission to Experiment
In high-performance organizations, “failure” often has negative consequences. But bold cultures recognize that experimentation is essential for progress, and they reward learning over perfection.
Aligned Purpose and Curiosity
Innovation is strongest when people understand the “why”. Cultures that link everyday work to a meaningful purpose energize teams and unlock intrinsic motivation.
What Bold Leaders Do Differently
Innovation doesn’t scale without leadership support. But support isn’t enough - leaders must model the culture they want to see.
Bhavik Modi shares:
“Leaders must go beyond driving results. They must create the conditions for others to experiment, challenge assumptions, and learn out loud.”
In bold cultures, leaders:
Ask better questions instead of always providing answers
Celebrate progress, not just outcomes
Make it safe to surface tensions, conflicts, or missteps
From Culture Talk to Culture Work
At Cultivate, we believe that culture is built through behavior. It’s not a branding exercise. It’s what gets rewarded, reinforced, and repeated. That’s why science-led companies must evolve how they measure and manage culture—not as a side initiative, but as a strategic priority.
We work with teams to identify:
Moments where culture gets shaped (like onboarding, team rituals, and performance reviews)
Opportunities to amplify the right behaviors
Systems that make experimentation a sustainable practice
The Innovation-Culture Flywheel
When innovation succeeds, it reinforces the behaviors that led to it. But this flywheel can also reverse: if innovation efforts fail in a punitive culture, risk aversion intensifies.
Bold cultures ensure the flywheel spins forward. They:
Normalize iterative cycles
Make room for reflection and learning
Keep teams aligned on a shared purpose
The Bottom Line
Radical innovation doesn’t live in strategy decks or innovation labs. It lives in everyday conversations, behaviors, and decisions. In science-led organizations, where excellence is non-negotiable, culture is the competitive advantage.
Cultivate empowers organizations to not just adapt to change, but to lead in shaping the future of work. Let us help you build a thriving culture now — send us a message.
