In "Patterns for Decentralised Organising", Richard Bartlett uses the metaphor of baking bread to explain how culture is created. First, you need some "starter dough". This would be a person or people who embody the qualities you want to develop. Then you need to add "fresh ingredients", new people who have a desire to grow. "Kneading" happens when eveyone has open, heartfelt conversations, sometimes pushing into each other and causing discomfort. The culture "rises" during retreats, somewhere safe and quiet where they can be together for a few days, isolated from the outside world. There is no substitute for spending time together if you want to produce a thriving, distinctive culture.