There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather, Only Bad Clothing

Why strong cultures are built for uncertainty, not calm conditions

“The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.”- John C. Maxwell

As Melbournians, we’re constantly teased about our weather…

“Four seasons in one day?”
“How can you possibly live there?”

The truth is, I love it.

The unpredictability. The beautiful autumns. The crisp, bracing winters. During summer, you can be sweltering through a 40-degree day and then suddenly a few hours later, reaching for a jacket. You don’t wait for perfect conditions in Melbourne, you learn to dress for reality!

Recently, I came across a Norwegian saying that really resonated:

“There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.”

Often attributed to Helly Juell Hansen, a 19th-century Norwegian sea captain (also the co-founder of Helly Hansen clothing brand along with his wife), it’s not really about weather at all. It’s about preparation. And that’s a great metaphor for how leaders should shape culture, particularly in uncertain conditions.

This Is The Climate Now

Uncertainty is no longer an occasional disruption… it’s our new operating environment.

AI is reshaping roles and dismantling everything that we thought was certain. Skills, jobs and industries are expiring fast. We’re now required to transform, with little clarity or security on what the future looks like.

The mistake that many organisations make is assuming this is temporary. That things will “settle down” before they choose to invest properly in leadership and workplace culture development.

Well… things won’t settle. This is the weather now. And hoping it improves is not a strategy.

Culture Is Your Protective Clothing

When conditions are tough, culture stops being a cliché or buzzword. Instead, it starts functioning like protective gear.

Strong, positive, robust cultures don’t remove pressure, rather it helps people work more effectively within it. It keeps teams insulated from unnecessary friction, providing grip when decisions become hard. Importantly, it helps people to stay connected when uncertainty rises.

When culture is weak, every change feels much harsher than it needs to be. People retreat. Trust erodes. Performance suffers.

Not because conditions are extreme, but because the organisation is poorly dressed for them. They failed to build their essential culture foundations.

Culture By Design

Great leaders don’t try to control the weather. They prepare people to work well within it.

Their culture doesn’t happen by default. They design it together as a team, agreeing to operate ‘above the line’ in a positive, professional and proactive way.

They invest in trust before it’s tested. They build relationships before pressure hits. And they develop decision-making skills that creates space for honest conversations, knowing that when the weather changes, their people will rely on what’s already been set in place.

Uncertainty isn’t the enemy. Poor design and being under-prepared is!

When people feel supported, respected and protected by a strong culture, then performance follows. Even when conditions are far from ideal.

Final Thought…

I don’t love Melbourne, despite its weather. I love it because of it.

I don’t continue to love Proteus (over the last 27 years!), despite working in a precarious and volatile industry. I love it because of it.

The weather will keep changing. The question though is… whether your culture is dressed for it?

Wishing you a wonderful week of recalibrating a positive and robust culture for 2026.

Richard Dore
Co-CEO - Director of Partnerships
Proteus Leadership