Have you ever thrown your hands in the air, frustrated, and said, ‘the monkeys are running the zoo!’

If you haven’t, I bet one of your co-leaders has.

What does that mean, though? And why does it happen?

In this podcast episode we talk about how leaders should respond when they feel the monkey’s are running the zoo – and discuss another type of ‘zoo’ that should be avoided at all costs!

The culture of your workplace isn’t something that just happens—it’s deliberately shaped by leadership choices and team behaviours. In this episode, Simon Thiessen takes the ‘monkeys running the zoo’ metaphor and uses it to discuss ‘three zoos’ that captures different workplace cultures and the leadership approaches that create them.

What happens when the monkeys are running the zoo? This environment emerges when leaders fail to set clear standards or hold people accountable. Mediocrity becomes normalised, high performers grow frustrated, and even when leaders try to raise standards, resistance is fierce. Simon unpacks the leadership styles—often affiliative or absent—that create these situations and why they’re so difficult to turn around.

The second zoo represents workplaces ruled by fear, where employees avoid taking risks, hide problems, and dread coming to work. These environments stem from directive, demanding, and critical leadership that breaks trust and stifles initiative. Simon shares real-world examples of how this fear can become embedded, requiring consistent positive experiences to rebuild confidence.

But there’s a third option—the ideal workplace where employees operate with freedom within clear, agreed-upon standards. Here, people understand their purpose, collaborate naturally, and hold each other accountable. Research consistently shows these environments produce happier employees, better customer experiences, and superior results across all metrics.

Creating this ideal culture requires conscious leadership rather than defaulting to comfortable habits, clarity of vision about what excellence looks like, willingness to change (starting with leaders themselves), and a tolerance for uncomfortable conversations. The journey isn’t easy, but the rewards are transformative.

At its core, workplace culture comes down to leadership choice. We each have a best self and a worst self, and workplace environments can bring out either. Which environment are you creating?

Links and resources mentioned in the show

The Authentimeter (free culture survey with option – still free – for detailed analysis of results)

Plenty in 20: Holding People Accountable when you Can’t Afford to Lose Them (free, on demand webinar with actionable strategies and tips)

The Culture Nerds Newsletter, a free monthly summary of subscriber resouces

Organisational Culture Surveys – product page for those that want to talk with us about our services

What’s next?

Talk to one of our culture and leadership experts – a free 30 minute consultation to problem solve any issue you are facing.