“We know that our P&Ls have to yield a net positive financial result, but I think also businesses need to yield a net positive people result… Net positive just means giving more than you take… When you use co-creation… people feel ownership and you don’t have to explain or implement it afterwards because when you’ve co-created, everybody is involved, and everybody knows what we’re talking about… In a company where people lead themselves, what do we need leaders for? We need leaders to give us direction and to inspire us, and we need leaders to push us out of our comfort zones and then have our backs when we fail…”

S03E08 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Ulla Sommerfelt, a dynamic serial entrepreneur from Denmark. Ulla is a seasoned CEO, founder with an exit, investor, and mentor. With a deep passion for leadership and culture design, she recently released her book Firesoul Leadership, which features a striking red cover. Ulla’s journey includes building a thriving culture from scratch at EGGS Design, an innovation consultancy where she grew the team from 27 to 130 people across 27 countries over a decade. Ulla is currently focused on her latest venture, Femtech Studios, dedicated to promoting female wellness.

In this episode, Ulla shares profound insights into the transformative power of workplace culture, emphasizing the need for intentionality in its design. She highlights the interplay of masculine and feminine leadership energies, advocating for a balance between achieving results and fostering empathy. Ulla underscores the importance of connection before performance, reminding us that people are not resources but human beings deserving trust and understanding. She challenges leaders to rethink culture as a dynamic system that must align with strategy to succeed. Through personal stories and practical advice, Ulla inspires us to lead with heart, prioritize people, and create workplaces where teams thrive.

The podcast is produced by Rethink Culture (rethinkculture.co). Our Culture Health Score provides an X-ray of your organisational culture, allowing you to measure and manage it.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:
• Why culture must be designed intentionally to align with strategy and prevent dysfunction.
• How masculine and feminine leadership energies can balance results-driven focus with empathy and care.
• The power of connection before performance in building trust and achieving team synergy.
• Why leading with heart and love creates loyalty and engagement in teams.
• How to treat culture not as a "fluffy" concept, but as a system that requires as much focus as strategy.
• Practical ways to redefine success by valuing employees as people, not resources.

Further resources:
• Ulla’s Website, Mother Hen Ventures: https://www.motherhen.ventures/
• Ulla on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ullasommerfelt/
• Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take, by Andrew S. Winston: https://www.amazon.com/Net-Positive-Courageous-Companies-Thrive-ebook/dp/B08TCHX4FY
• Firesoul Leadership: An Entrepreneur’s Blueprint for Fueling Growth, Igniting Creativity, and Crafting a Culture of Compassion, by Ulla Sommerfelt: https://www.amazon.com/Firesoul-Leadership-Entrepreneurs-Creativity-Compassion-ebook/dp/B0DGJ5G4P8

“The magic… is what happens between that frontline employee and the customer… the outcome is impact. It’s impact on people’s lives. And ultimately that impact, it drives business success. The framework to get there is to choose your mindset, create your culture, know your customer, define your differentiator, and pursue innovation and iteration. And those are not things we do once, we set them, we’re good and now we’re going to do something else. They’re continual. Culture is living, it’s people. It’s lives. It’s humans. We have to continually keep it alive.”

S03E08 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Elizabeth Dixon, President and CEO of the Trilith Foundation, a nonprofit for artists. Elizabeth is a speaker and entrepreneur with expertise in customer experience and workplace culture. She’s the author of two books, The Power of Customer Experience and The Strength of Purpose. Having worked with brands like Chick-Fil-A and inspired by visionaries like Horst Schulze of Ritz-Carlton, she brings purpose-driven leadership to life. Her book, The Power of Customer Experience, offers practical insights for creating impactful cultures and delivering exceptional service.

In this episode, Elizabeth shares how aligning personal purpose with organizational culture drives success. She highlights leadership through vulnerability, continual growth, and her five pillars of workplace excellence: mindset, culture, customer knowledge, differentiation, and innovation. Her insights offer a clear path to building thriving, people-centred organizations. Elizabeth reminds us that culture is not a static element but a living system, nurtured through purpose, collaboration, and ongoing innovation. Leaders who actively shape and support their culture create workplaces where employees feel empowered, and customers feel valued, unlocking the full potential of their organization.

The podcast is produced by Rethink Culture (rethinkculture.co). Our Culture Health Score provides an X-ray of your organisational culture, allowing you to measure and manage it.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:
• The crucial role of frontline employees in shaping culture
• The Five Pillars of a thriving workplace culture
• How leaders shape culture through actions, decisions, and what they allow
• The importance of aligning personal and professional identity
• Why a clear purpose is essential for leaders and organizations to inspire their teams
• How to stay adaptive by evolving your culture and practices
• Leadership lessons on generosity and service from Dan Cathy of Chick-Fil-A
• Lessons on excellence, consistency, and empowerment from Horst Schulze of Ritz-Carlton
• Why leaders don't need to have all the answers, but must embrace collaboration and vulnerability

Further resources:
• Elizabeth’s Website: https://www.elizabethdixonspeaks.com/ 
• Elizabeth on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethdixonspeaks/ 
• Elizabeth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethdixonspeaks/ 
• The Power of Customer Experience: 5 Elements To Make An Impact, by Elizabeth Dixon: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Customer-Experience-Elements-Impact-ebook/dp/B09X6HQXY3 
• The Strength of Purpose: A Guide to Knowing And Living Your Reason For Being, by Elizabeth Dixon: https://www.amazon.com/Strength-Purpose-Knowing-Living-Reason-ebook/dp/B0CLSYKWP3 
• Excellence Wins: A No-Nonsense Guide to Becoming the Best in a World of Compromise, by Horst Schulze: https://www.amazon.com/Excellence-Wins-No-Nonsense-Becoming-Compromise-ebook/dp/B07DXGL7VQ 
• A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas, by Warren Berger: https://www.amazon.com/More-Beautiful-Question-Inquiry-Breakthrough-ebook/dp/B00GC53AG8 
• The Book of Beautiful Questions: The Powerful Questions That Will Help You Decide, Create, Connect, and Lead, by Warren Berger: https://www.amazon.com/Book-Beautiful-Questions-Powerful-Connect-ebook/dp/B07FQT1BMR

"If leaders are willing to be vulnerable and listen to their employees.. those are cultures which empower everyone to feel safe and to bring their whole selves to work... A lot of leaders are still trying to hide behind stuff.. and they are not sleeping well at night. The most peaceful place for a leader to be is to have stated values and then can stand in the spotlight of those values."

While Rethink Culture is relaxing on summer holidays, we thought we'd bring you one of the podcast classics - How to Craft Company Values - with Will Scott, founder of Culture Fix Academy, entrepreneur, published author, servant leader, father and triathlete.

Will has worked with 10s of companies to transform them into culture-first workplaces. He talks about creating your values bottom-up, how to "notice and nominate" to reinforce values in the company using stories, how often to revise values, and how he started playing with values and culture as a young child in his treehouse.

The podcast is produced by Rethink Culture (rethinkculture.co). Our Culture Health Check helps you turn your culture into a competitive advantage, with data. Visit rethinkculture.co to see how you can create a healthier culture at your company.

"We founded the company with a crazy big mission. We wanted to end human suffering in the world as it relates to technology, by returning joy to both technology and to the teams that design it and build it… I had this picture in my head of, what do I want my work life to look like? And I thought… a big opening collaborative work environment, a place filled with human energy, a lot of collaboration, doing interesting, new, innovative things together, accomplishing big goals, not as individuals, but as a team."

S02E19 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Richard Sheridan, founder and CEO of Menlo Innovations, a Michigan-based software company where he is also known as the Chief Storyteller. Rich is the author of two books, Joy, Inc. and Chief Joy Officer. Menlo Innovations stands out for its unique culture, attracting around 3,000 visitors annually who come to observe it firsthand.

Rich discusses the early influences that sparked his passion for creating joy, which became the foundation for Menlo Innovations. He recounts how winning a programming contest during high school led to his first job as a programmer and how he later redesigned the culture at Interface Systems. Rich also describes the pivotal moment when the internet bubble burst, which spurred his journey into entrepreneurship and the founding of Menlo Innovations. Throughout the interview, Rich emphasizes the value of intentionality in creating a culture, collaborative work, joy in the workplace, and service to others.

The podcast is produced by Rethink Culture (rethinkculture.co). Our Culture Health Check helps you turn your culture into a competitive advantage, with data.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:
• What a workplace culture focused on joy looks like.
• How books on teamwork, management, design thinking, and leadership led Rich to a breakthrough in organizing people effectively.
• How rethinking a rejected promotion enabled Rich to transform the culture at Interface Systems as VP of Product Development.
• The contrasting reactions to his innovative teamwork methods.
• Rich's perspective on intentional culture and Menlo's unique hiring and onboarding processes.
• Menlo Innovations' day-long collaborative teamwork and the interview process for finding people who enjoy it.
• The importance of communicating core values from the initial interview.
• The benefits of working collaboratively in pairs across a company.

Further resources:
• Rich Sheridan's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/menloprez/
• Joy, Inc.: How We Built a Workplace People Love, by Richard Sheridan: https://www.amazon.com/Joy-Inc-Built-Workplace-People/dp/1591847125 
• Chief Joy Officer: How Great Leaders Elevate Human Energy and Eliminate Fear, by Richard Sheridan: https://www.amazon.com/Chief-Joy-Officer-Leaders-Eliminate/dp/0735218226 
• Extreme Programming Explained: Embrace Change, 2nd Edition, by Kent Beck with Cynthia Andres: https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Programming-Explained-Embrace-Change/dp/0321278658 

"I always hesitate a bit when organizations are like, happiness, happiness, happiness… because our pitfalls will never go away… I will always have those pitfalls. But if I can become conscious and intentional, then I can start to own my pitfalls instead of my pitfalls owning me. And I can start to take responsibility for them… We can talk about it together and no one ever punishes someone for being in their pitfall… We might lovingly make someone aware of it, give them feedback or encourage them… In one of our value statements we say, we see the five-year-old you and we love them, and we also lovingly support you to be bigger than that."

S02E18 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Lisa Gill. Lisa is an organizational and self-management coach and trainer with Tuff Leadership Training. Included in the Thinkers 50 Radar 2020, Lisa has made significant contributions to the field. She hosts the Leadermorphosis podcast, where she has interviewed nearly a hundred pioneers in the future of work. 

Lisa co-authored "Moose Heads on the Table," a book featuring stories about self-managing organizations from Sweden. With a rich international background, having lived in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore as a child, she brings a unique and diverse perspective to her purpose of helping leaders transform.

The podcast is produced by Rethink Culture (rethinkculture.co). Our Culture Health Check helps you turn your culture into a competitive advantage, with data. Visit rethinkculture.co to see how you can create a healthier culture at your company.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:
- How self-managing cultures attract people who enjoy responsibility and are capable of self-management.

- Why some organizations or individuals are not suited for self-management.

- Why founders and CEOs should recognize the different personal development rates of those they lead.

- The impact cultural transformations have on employee retention.

- The importance of creating compassionate spaces to process changes and difficulties.

- How to create safe spaces for sharing, owning, and taking responsibility for pitfalls.

- Why respecting your work capacity and wellbeing prevents burnout.

- The role of exposure to diverse leadership styles in personal development.

Further resources:

- Lisa Gill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-gill-23815a4/ 

- Leadermorphosis podcast: https://leadermorphosis.co/  

- Moose Heads on the Table, by Karin Tenelius and Lisa Gill: https://mooseheadsonthetable.com/ 

- Reinventing Organizations: A Guide to Creating Organizations Inspired by the Next Stage in Human Consciousness, by Frederic Laloux: https://www.amazon.com/Reinventing-Organizations-Frederic-Laloux/dp/2960133501

- Hospicing Modernity: Facing Humanity's Wrongs and the Implications for Social Activism, by Vanessa Machado de Oliveira: https://www.amazon.com/Hospicing-Modernity-Humanitys-Implications-Activism/dp/1623176247

- The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else In Business, by Patrick M. Lencioni: https://www.amazon.com/Advantage-Organizational-Health-Everything-Business/dp/0470941529

- Maverick: The Success Story Behind the World's Most Unusual Workplace, by Ricardo Semler: https://www.amazon.com/Maverick-Success-Behind-Unusual-Workplace/dp/0446670553

"Leaders are usually less perfect than we were taught, or books tell us about them because leading is a very complicated thing… I always like to joke with my clients… when they say, we don't know how we're going to take our culture to the next level. I tell them, give me the ingredients you have, and I'm going to help you out the same way that sometimes I get invited to a friend's house and say, tell me what you have in the kitchen… and I'm going to create some recipe with that… Each company requires its own recipe and I try to understand… the assets, their ingredients, and help them cook some interesting dish that's authentic, hopefully fulfilling, and positive for that particular company."

S02E17 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Gustavo Razzetti, workplace culture consultant, author and speaker. As the founder and CEO of the consultancy Fearless Culture, an accelerator of positive culture, Razzetti has dedicated over 30 years to helping a wide array of organizations, from Fortune 500 companies to startups and nonprofits, design better workplace cultures. 

Gustavo recounts pivotal moments in his life that shifted his career towards culture, discusses his book "Remote Not Distant," which provides insights on effectively managing remote teams, and introduces us to the Culture Design Canvas, a framework for enhancing organizational culture.

The podcast is created by Rethink Culture. Our goal is to help 1 million businesses create healthier, happier cultures, by turning culture into a KPI. Visit rethinkculture.co to see how you can create a healthier culture at your company.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Oops! You might hear some audio gaps in this video. We hit a few bumps during recording. Thanks for sticking with us and enjoy the show!

Listen to this episode to discover:

- The true meaning of fearlessness.

- The importance of speaking up about respect in the workplace.

- Why a toxic culture is the responsibility of many people, not just one leader's.

- The toolkit for building thriving cultures with remote or hybrid teams.

- The rituals, such as the Washing Instructions, that support collaboration for remote teams.

- Why perfectionism and unsolicited feedback are enemies to culture.

- What your meeting culture is and how to have better, more efficient and inclusive meetings.

- Why we should focus on high-performing culture instead of high-performing people.

- What the Culture Design Canvas is and how it can benefit your organisation.

- Why you need to start designing your culture when you are still a startup.

Further resources:

- Gustavo's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gustavorazzetti/

- Fearless Culture website: https://www.fearlessculture.design/  

- The Culture Design Canvas: https://www.fearlessculture.design/canvas 

- Remote Not Distant: Design a Company Culture That Will Help You Thrive in a Hybrid Workplace, by Gustavo Razzetti: https://www.amazon.com/Remote-Not-Distant-Company-Workplace-ebook/dp/B09VXX4FN3

"You can't be productive unless your team is happy… It's not the foosball tables and the perks. It's that deeper happiness that comes from doing some meaningful work for people that you like and respect, working with people that you like and respect."

S02E16 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Nathan Donaldson from New Zealand. Nathan is the CEO and founder of Boost, a custom software agency for government that runs without managers. He is also the author of the book "Unicorns Over Rainbows," which focuses on making lasting, meaningful changes to organizations. Nathan is a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for Democracy in the Workplace from WorldBlu. As a designer at heart, he loves solving hard problems. Outside of work, Nathan enjoys computer game racing and embracing the great outdoors with activities like mountain biking, surfing, and snowboarding.

Nathan explains how his company operates without traditional hierarchical structures or managers. Instead, Boost's 25-30 employees manage themselves with the help of coaches, displaying a high level of responsibility.

The podcast is created by Rethink Culture. Our goal is to help 1 million businesses create healthier, happier cultures, by turning culture into a KPI. Visit rethinkculture.co to see how you can create a healthier culture at your company.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to find out:
- How a Dunedin controversy sparked a young Nathan's interest in political and social justice issues.

- What inspired Nathan to co-found his company and how the early internet shaped his entrepreneurial path.

- How a business crisis led Nathan to seek mentorship, embrace continuous learning, and adopt a no-manager approach.

- Why overwhelming your team with numerous ideas is counterproductive and what to do instead.

- How the Good Small Change framework focuses on implementing small, manageable business changes.

- The three key components of the Good Small Change framework: curiosity, accessibility, and safety.

- The importance of empathy in leadership and how Nathan improved his empathy skills transforming his leadership style.

- How Nathan's Scottish-influenced upbringing fostered a multicultural, client-focused team culture.

Further resources:

- Nathan Donaldson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathandonaldson/ 

- Unicorns Over Rainbows: Make lasting, meaningful change in your organization, by Nathan Donaldson: https://www.amazon.com/Unicorns-Over-Rainbows-meaningful-organization-ebook/dp/B0CC4PF4F7

- Joy, Inc.: How We Built a Workplace People Love, by Richard Sheridan: https://www.amazon.com/Joy-Inc-Built-Workplace-People/dp/1591847125

- Maverick: The Success Story Behind the World's Most Unusual Workplace, by Ricardo Semler: https://www.amazon.com/Maverick-Success-Behind-Unusual-Workplace/dp/0446670553

"As a manager, as a leader… one of your goals is to build the best team that you can afford… So when people say, I can't attract any talent… it's not the talent's fault. Just because you have a job… just because you have a vacancy, there is no God-given right for amazing people to show up at your door and apply for it… Are you a shit place to work or are you an amazing place to work?"

S02E15 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Dominic Monkhouse, Business Coach and CEO Mentor. He's the founder and CEO of Monkhouse & Company, with a remarkable track record of scaling technology service businesses from zero to 30 million pounds in just five years. He accomplished this while serving as managing director of UK-based Rackspace and Pier 1 Hosting. Dominic is also the author of 'Mind Your F**ing Business' and the host of the same-titled podcast, which recently reached 300 episodes. 

Without holding back, Dominic shares a wealth of information on how to build high-performing teams capable of rapid and sustained growth.

The podcast is created by Rethink Culture. Our goal is to help 1 million businesses create healthier, happier cultures, by turning culture into a KPI. Visit rethinkculture.co to see how you can create a healthier culture at your company.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to find out:

- What it takes to attract top talent away from competitors.

- How to use the monthly keeper test to decide who to keep and who to fire. 

- What to do if you fear losing or having trouble replacing employees.

- Why the war for talent is essentially a victim mindset.

- Why annual performance appraisals are equal to 12 months of avoiding difficult conversations.

- How to manage and measure expectations on deliverables.

- Which approach to employee promotion leads to growth and success.

- How to build a team of A-Players that is 5 to 10 times more productive.

Further resources:

- Dominic Monkhouse on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominicmonkhouse/

- Monkhouse & Company Website: https://www.monkhouseandcompany.com/

- Mind Your F**king Business: The no-nonsense guide to making your good business great, by Dominic Monkhouse: https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Your-king-Business-no-nonsense/dp/1781337268 

- Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't, by Jim Collins: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others/dp/0066620996

- BE 2.0 (Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0): Turning Your Business into an Enduring Great Company, by Jim Collins: https://www.amazon.com/BE-2-0-Beyond-Entrepreneurship-Business/dp/0399564233

- The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation, by Matthew Dixon: https://www.amazon.com/Challenger-Sale-Control-Customer-Conversation/dp/1591844355

- The JOLT Effect: How High Performers Overcome Customer Indecision, by Matthew Dixon and Ted McKenna: https://www.amazon.com/JOLT-Effect-Performers-Overcome-Indecision/dp/0593538102 

- The Peter Principle: Why Things Always Go Wrong, by Dr. Laurence J Peter and Raymond Hull: https://www.amazon.com/Peter-Principle-Things-Always-Wrong/dp/0062092065 

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, by Malcolm Gladwell: https://www.amazon.com/Blink-Power-Thinking-Without/dp/0316010669

"I think business owners have to really rethink who and how they hire, our judgments, our biases, and what as a society we can do, even as a small business like mine, to make it a more vibrant and equitable place... I wanted to make sure that we were treating everybody, no matter what their background was, where they were from, what language they spoke, what addiction they were overcoming, what jail sentence they had served, I wanted all of those people to have a level playing field."

S02E14 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Gina Schaeffer, founder, CEO, and co-owner of a chain of 13 Ace Hardware stores across multiple cities in the United States. Ace Hardware is the world’s largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative. Gina oversees the operations and management of over 300 dedicated employees.

Gina discusses her commitment to community initiatives and her experiences in creating a thriving work environment based on open-mindedness and acceptance. A beacon of inspiration in the entrepreneurial landscape, she challenges leaders to rethink their assumptions and reimagine culture by embracing the notion of providing opportunities for everyone to thrive, regardless of their background, such as a history of addiction or imprisonment. Beyond her business endeavours, Gina's passion for exploration and creativity is evident in her travels across South America and her hobby of crafting personalized greeting cards. 

The podcast is created by Rethink Culture. Our goal is to help 1 million businesses create healthier, happier cultures, by turning culture into a KPI. Visit rethinkculture.co to see how you can create a healthier culture at your company.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:
- How Gina defies conventional assumptions by hiring people who have experienced addiction, homelessness, or incarceration.

- Why extending opportunities to those with employment barriers promotes connection, support, and a strong community.
- The significance of adapting core values and practices to reflect evolving circumstances.

- Gina's insights into openness, trust, fairness, and the embodiment of organizational core values.

- What is the principle of "inspect what you expect" in encouraging accountability.

- How to enhance customer satisfaction by reflecting customer diversity in employee composition.

- The value of curiosity, maintaining a beginner's mindset, and being open to learning from everyone.

- Why we should care about business transition readiness and the education of future business leaders.

Further resources:
- Gina's website: https://ginaschaefer.com/ 

- Gina's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginaschaefer-speaker/
- Community work of Ace Hardware: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YVROFpjX1M&ab_channel=AceHardware  

- Culture by Design, by David J. Friedman: https://www.amazon.com/Culture-Design-individual-organizational-performance/dp/0692100784 

- Recovery Hardware: A Nuts and Bolts Story About Building a Business, Restoring a Community, and Renovating Lives, by Gina Schaefer: https://www.amazon.com/Recovery-Hardware-Restoring-Community-Renovating/dp/B0B6M6P168

"If you're not properly leading yourself, it's hard to lead others... How you do one thing is how you do everything. And if… the three areas of your life, if they're in order, if… yourself, mind, body, spirit is good and your family and relationships is good, then it's much easier to be good in the work world."

S02E13 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on David Henzel, a serial entrepreneur who owns several businesses with over 500 employees. Among his recent ventures are TaskDrive, an AI-driven virtual assistance platform, and upcoach, a coaching platform. His successful track record includes having co-founded and sold MaxCDN, which hosted over 6 million websites.

David talks about "Love Not Fear" a concept that drives his personal development course, Managing Happiness, and his organizational development course, Love Not Fear. David's commitment to fostering a positive workplace culture is reflected in his company's impressively high Cultural Health Score, which is scoring in the high 90s. David spends his free time at his Bodrum farm with his wife, daughter, three horses, ten dogs, and two donkeys.

The podcast is created by Rethink Culture. Our goal is to help 1 million businesses create healthier, happier cultures, by turning culture into a KPI. Visit rethinkculture.co to see how you can create a healthier culture at your company.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to find out:
· Why acting out of love rather than fear can transform your life and business. 

· How David practices Love Not Fear in his daily habits.

· What makes aphantasia and SDAM his superpower. 

· What is the Managing Happiness framework and how it supports personal and professional goals.

· Why rethinking product development improved employee happiness and productivity.

· How David combines accountability and compassion in his feedback.

Further resources:

· David's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidhenzel/ 

· The Managing Happiness course: https://www.managinghappiness.com/ 

· Reinventing Organizations: A Guide to Creating Organizations Inspired by the Next Stage in Human Consciousness, by Frederic Laloux: https://www.amazon.com/Reinventing-Organizations-Frederic-Laloux/dp/2960133501

"What I would tell a leader is that culture starts with you, but it's made up of the collective. You have to set the tone for it and be that role model. You have to inspire people to be their greatest. Don't be afraid to put your people first… You have to be intentional about it… So don't tolerate people who are taking away from the culture… You are that beacon. You should be the culture evangelist. If you aren't, then I think that you are really missing out on an opportunity to build a lasting, strong company."

S02E12 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Kerry Siggins, CEO of StoneAge. A 45-year-old industrial cleaning equipment manufacturer, StoneAge, is one of the top 100 Companies to Work For. In 2023, Kerry was named EY Entrepreneur of the Year. She hosts two podcasts, including the popular Reflect Forward, and is a YPO member. She's the author of Ownership Mindset and is starting her second book on finding purpose and meaning at work.

Kerry is passionate about leadership, impact, disruption, and empowering people to be their best selves and grow together while bringing value to the company's customers. Kerry shares her insights on fostering an ownership mindset among employees. She invites leaders to trust their employees and help them thrive at work, resulting in financial as well as emotional benefits. Kerry's perspective should inspire more leaders to see their employees as integral owners of the business, rather than merely as resources, thereby allowing them to contribute more effectively to its success.

The podcast is created by Rethink Culture. Our goal is to help 1 million businesses create healthier, happier cultures, by turning culture into a KPI. Visit rethinkculture.co to see how you can create a healthier culture at your company.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to find out:

· How an employee stock option plan created an ownership mentality at StoneAge.
· Why an "Own-It" culture has both financial and emotional benefits.
· The three main steps to instill an ownership mindset among employees.
· What is the most crucial characteristic of effective leadership.
· How to build trust within teams using frameworks like Lencioni's "6 Types of Working Genius".
· What are the benefits of leadership transparency.
· About Kerry's new writing project on purpose and its significance in the workplace.
· How to create a positive workplace culture through intentional leadership and role modeling.

Further resources:

· Kerry's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-siggins/ 

· Kerry's Website: https://kerrysiggins.com/ 

· The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate The Three Essential Virtues, by Patrick M. Lencioni: https://www.amazon.com/Ideal-Team-Player-Recognize-Cultivate-ebook/dp/B01B6AEJJ0 

· The 6 Types of Working Genius: A Better Way to Understand Your Gifts, Your Frustrations, and Your Team, by Patrick M. Lencioni: https://www.amazon.com/Types-Working-Genius-Understand-Frustrations/dp/1637743297 

· The Ownership Mindset: A Handbook for Transforming Your Life and Leadership, by Kerry Siggins: https://www.amazon.com/Ownership-Mindset-Handbook-Transforming-Leadership/dp/1637554346

"I tell founders this all the time, your goal is to build the company, the environment, to build the place where all the best people in your industry want to work and never want to leave."

S02E11 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Jeff Hoffman, a successful entrepreneur, CEO, motivational speaker, and Hollywood film producer. He has also the producer a Grammy-winning jazz album and served as executive producer of an Emmy-winning television show. Throughout his career, he has also founded multiple startups. Jeff rose to prominence as CEO of priceline.com, which morphed into booking.com, youbid.com and many more.

Jeff shares his valuable insights and stories with us, discussing how to attract and retain rock star employees, how to reward culture fit, and how to demonstrate compassion without undermining performance. Jeff's current focus is on working with creative young people through events like Junk Kouture, encouraging them to pursue their passions and forge their own paths in life.

The podcast is created by Rethink Culture. Our goal is to help 1 million businesses create healthier, happier cultures, by turning culture into a KPI. Visit rethinkculture.co to see how you can create a healthier culture at your company.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to find out:
· How to discover, attract, as well as keep rock star employees. 

· About the inspirational story of Natalie and the Golden Ninja award.

· Why putting culture on a poster but not living it yourself undermines your credibility.

· Why it is essential to do both skill and cultural assessments for your staff as well as business partners.

· How to strike a balance between compassion and accountability, as well as high performance and caring.

· Why scaling your business happens when you have empowered your employees to the point where you can trust them enough to get out of their way.

· What a Culture Committee does and how to treat each other every day by engaging in behaviours that make people feel respected and valued. 

· What is the impact of culture on your brand.

Further resources:

· Book: 'Scale: Seven Proven Principles to Grow Your Business and Get Your Life Back', by Jeff Hoffman & David Finkel: https://www.amazon.com/Scale-Seven-Proven-Principles-Business/dp/1591847249 

· Jeff's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffhoff/ 

· Jeff's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakerjeffhoffman 

· Jeff's website: https://www.jeffhoffman.com/

"I can tell you from experience of… 11 years in a healthy, good culture way versus, winning at all costs... It feels a lot easier. And winning comes a lot easier. It’s a lot more fun. I’ve developed a lot more meaningful relationships in the business… people stay longer because they like it here... Don’t underestimate the power of impact that you can have on families outside your four walls because of the values you live and breathe every day inside your four walls… that can be world changing if we do it on a big enough scale…"

S03E07 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Jason Lippert, third-generation leader of Lippert, a $4 billion company with 15,000 team members. Known for its growth in RVs, automobiles, watercraft, and prefab homes, Lippert transformed under Jason’s leadership from a “win at all costs” mindset to a caring culture, reducing attrition from 125% to below 30%. Jason highlights integrity as essential for building trust, urging leaders to follow through on promises. His cultural transformation at Lippert began with small, impactful actions, like facility improvements, that addressed employee needs and built momentum for lasting change.

Jason emphasizes that CEOs, not HR, must own workplace culture, as leadership shapes values and behaviours. Through initiatives like the Leadership Action Plan (LAP), Lippert supports employees in setting personal and professional goals, fostering value, accountability, and a positive ripple effect on families and communities. Jason’s daily practices of reflection and inspiration keep him focused on leading a values-driven culture, echoing Bob Chapman’s belief that business can be a force for good, with small, intentional changes driving meaningful impact.

The podcast is produced by Rethink Culture (rethinkculture.co). Our Culture Health Check helps you turn your culture into a competitive advantage, with data.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:
• Why integrity is the cornerstone of leadership
• Why CEOs must own workplace culture
• Jason’s step-by-step approach to cultural transformation in his company
• How Lippert’s Leadership Action Plan (LAP) fosters growth and accountability
• The ripple effects of business beyond the workplace, on families and communities
• Jason’s faith-based personal habits for staying grounded and aligned with his values
• The power of meaningful workplace relationships
• How business and workplace culture can be forces for good

Further resources:
• Jason Lippert’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-lippert/ 
• The Purpose Driven Life, by Rick Warren: https://www.amazon.com/Purpose-Driven-Life-What-Earth-ebook/dp/B008EGV4BQ

"If it was easy to become a great leader, we would have totally different politics, totally different companies, totally different burnout rates… "Okay, interesting, why is it so difficult for me?" I think investigating that makes us humans. And that makes you also a better leader if you understand what happens inside yourself. It's also easier to be compassionate with others."

S02E10 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Wendy Van Ierschot, visionary founder and CEO of VIE people, an advisory firm for fast scaling companies in the Netherlands. Beyond that role, Wendy wears multiple hats: she's a business angel investor, a podcaster (with over 160 episodes recorded for The Work Professor, a Dutch business radio news channel), a leading member of the Entrepreneurial Organization, and author. She recently published her book, 'Scale-ups & downs', which aims to guide an organization through the stages of growth. She has spent years researching this topic and generously shares her best insights with us.

Wendy's experience, however, is defined not only by her professional ability, but also by her resilience. Despite coping with visual impairment, which is elegantly hinted at by her distinctive spectacles, Wendy has emerged as a prominent figure in the global HR landscape, ranking among the top 100 HR influencers worldwide.

The podcast is created by Rethink Culture. Our goal is to help 1 million businesses create healthier, happier cultures, by turning culture into a KPI. Visit rethinkculture.co to see how you can create a healthier culture at your company.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to find out:

• What are the 4 stages of a company's growth from 0 to 100 employees.
• Why leaders should encourage their team to exhibit appropriate behaviour, core values, and high performance.
• Why founders need to transition from working in their company to working on their company in order to grow their business.
• How a combination of tests, mentorship, mentoring, education, and self-investment is the most effective way to develop your leadership style.
• Why it is essential to hire people who have the potential to advance into leadership positions within your company from the start of building your company.
• What is the significance of good formal education, an effective feedback system, and instilling a sense of ownership in your team.
• How to embrace vulnerability by removing bits of our armour through compassion every day.
• How Wendy's visual impairment changed her personally and professionally, and how she's adapting to it.
• Why you should prioritize based on what is needed to scale your company, not what your experience or others tell you.

Further resources:

• Wendy's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyvanierschot/
• Scale-ups & downs: Gids je organisatie door elke groeispurt, by Wendy van Ierschot: https://www.amazon.com/Scale-ups-downs-Gids-organisatie-groeispurt/dp/9047016807/ 
• Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, by Ashlee Vance: https://www.amazon.com/Elon-Musk-SpaceX-Fantastic-Future/dp/006230125X

"The best organizations will win the battle for talent by creating cultures that allow people to be their best more frequently. And that means one of your practices as a leader needs to be gathering stories that tell you when your people are at their best."

S02E09 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Spencer Harrison, a professor of organizational behaviour at INSEAD Business School and a TED speaker. Spencer's expertise and research are widely recognized in the field, and his work has appeared in Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Money, and Inc. magazines. He co-founded The Creative Collaboratorium, the world's largest working group of creativity researchers, and serves as a culture advisor to some of the world's fastest growing companies, including Google, Salesforce, and Deloitte.

Spencer shares his journey from English to business professor and provides insight into ways of identifying outstanding management and leadership. He describes the differences and relationships between big C culture and small C culture, and highlights the value of a healthy work-life balance for employees. Despite their unpopularity, he stresses the role of office meetings in maintaining company culture and explains why leaders should take an interest in story-gathering and storytelling.

The podcast is created by Rethink Culture. Our goal is to help 1 million businesses create healthier, happier cultures, by turning culture into a KPI. Visit rethinkculture.co to see how you can create a healthier culture at your company.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to find out:

• Spencer's journey from wanting to be an animator and a poet to becoming a business professor.
• How to identify the excellent managers and the high-performing leaders.
• What is big C culture and what is small C culture.
• What anthropologists discovered conducting research on tribes sharing a sack of rice.
• The role of meetings in building a culture supported by visual information.
• How high-performing leaders transform meetings into cultural moments.
• Why leaders need to be story-gatherers and storytellers.
• How to give a sense of meaning to your team through stories.
• Why culture should not be abstract values and impersonal behaviours, but personal and relatable stories.
• Why culture needs to meet strategy, not just for breakfast but also for lunch, dinner and the after party.
• What you can do to create a better work-life balance for the people in your organisation.
• If we need the office to maintain culture.

Further resources:

• Spencer Harrison on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/curiosityatwork/ 
• INSEAD: https://www.insead.edu/ 
• Book of Questions, by Pablo Neruda: https://www.amazon.com/The-Book-of-Questions/dp/1592703224
• Odes to Common Things, by Pablo Neruda: https://www.amazon.com/Common-Things-Bilingual-Pablo-Neruda/dp/0821220802 

"No leader should lead alone. … they need a peer group, they need people they can share with, they need to be continually learning and developing, and they need … a support network. It's very easy for a leader to get to a point in their career where they know themselves well, they can be self-aware, they can develop the skills and be a passionate and vital leader inside an organisation. But unless they've got a safe space to unpackage things and grow and develop and learn how to handle tricky situations, they can very easy forget how the world perceives them. And that can be a really difficult place for a leader to get to."

S02E08 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Sandy Hall, a resilience specialist and the owner of re/cognition, a leadership development consultancy. Sandy managed IBM's Best Workplace Program in New Zealand for 18 months. She is also passionate about neuroscience and its applications to leadership.

Sandy shares her experiences growing up in a Pentecostal church and witnessing church culture, as well as her role as Head of People and Culture at Leading Edge, where she helped build the organization's leadership framework. She shares her insights into neuroscience and how It relates to leadership, as well as her wisdom teaching leaders to lead from a place of compassion, love and consistent support. 

The podcast is created by Rethink Culture. Our goal is to help 1 million businesses create healthier, happier cultures, by turning culture into a KPI. Visit rethinkculture.co to see how you can create a healthier culture at your company.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to find out:

• Why leaders need safe spaces in the form of mentors, coaches, feedback mechanisms, and organizations like EO.
• How leaders embracing feedback, self-reflection, and safe spaces for growth boost employee engagement and performance.
• What are the 3 elements of good feedback.
• What distinguishes empathy from sympathy.
• The fundamentals of the neurochemistry of leadership.
• The Daily D.O.S.E. of four key neurochemicals and their workplace use. 
• Why abandoning Western role models helps you find your authentic leadership style. 
• How to balance performance with care.
• That leadership can be lonely, but you don't have to lead alone.

Further resources:

• Sandy Hall's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandy-hall-recognition/ 
• re/cognition Website: https://www.recognition.co.nz/ 
• Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder, by Nassim Taleb: https://www.amazon.com/Antifragile-Things-That-Disorder-Incerto/dp/0812979680 
• The Great Game of Business, Expanded and Updated: The Only Sensible Way to Run a Company, by Jack Stack and Bo Burlingham: https://www.amazon.com/Great-Game-Business-Expanded-Updated/dp/0385348339
• Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34466963-why-we-sleep

"I always ask people right from the start to talk to me and decide what you want to be famous for… So, what's your intention in terms of that space and getting tasks done? … What's your intention in terms of the relationships that you want to have? What's your intention for the reputation of the team that you will serve?" 

S02E07 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Bruce Sullivan, keynote speaker, author, and business leader, voted Australian Keynote Speaker of the Year. Bruce has entrepreneurial experience leading people, and he teaches culture, teams, and relationships. He started managing his first business at 19 and a staff of 130 employees in nine retail sites by 22.

Bruce's encounter with Mrs. Evans while he was doing community service in high school was the catalyst that shaped his approach to work and life, orienting him towards problem-solving and serving others. He now coaches leaders, sharing his knowledge and experience.

The podcast is created by Rethink Culture. Our goal is to help 1 million businesses create healthier, happier cultures, by turning culture into a KPI. Visit rethinkculture.co to see how you can create a healthier culture at your company.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to find out:

• Why it's important to acknowledge the existing culture within your organization and use it as a starting point for making changes.
• What are Bruce's 3 key points: the frequency of interaction, the brightness of the future, and the intention.
• How to address the "ants at the picnic," the individuals in your company that do not contribute positively to the culture.
• How Bruce became an accidental entrepreneur at the age of 15 and how his early experience, his insight and empathy set him apart from other speakers. 
• What clarity of intentions in communication is and why leaders should overcommunicate.
• How to be aware of your own intentions by asking what you want to be famous for.
• Who Mrs. Evans was and what was her catalytic role in teaching Bruce formative life lessons.
• How to approach feedback by fostering psychological safety and embracing curiosity.
• Why we need to be curious about other people's intentions and not judge them by their actions alone.

Further resources:

• Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In, by Roger Fisher and William L. Ury: https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Yes-Negotiating-Agreement-Without/dp/0143118757 
• The Global Negotiation Initiative: https://www.pon.harvard.edu/category/research_projects/global-negotiation-initiative/ 

"If you're listening, you're on one or the other side of this quote, and the quote is, none of us will build great companies. We will lead incredible people who will build great companies. You either agree with that or you don't… It's a choice. It's a conscious choice."

S02E06 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Canadian entrepreneur Ron Lovett, CEO and chief community officer of VIDA Living, author of ‘Scaling Culture’ and ‘Outrageous Empowerment’, as well as podcast host of the Scaling Culture podcast.

Ron kickstarted his entrepreneurial journey at 21 with a security guard company based in Halifax, which he grew to 3500+ staff across Canada and sold at a 24x multiple. The purpose of VIDA Living, his current company, is to revolutionize affordable communities across North America. Ron is also the father of three kids and a huge foodie.

The podcast is created by Rethink Culture. Our goal is to help 1 million businesses create healthier, happier cultures, by turning culture into a KPI. Visit rethinkculture.co to see how you can create a healthier culture at your company.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to find out:

• What was Ron’s “aha” moment when he realized he needed a new leadership style and to focus on culture.
• Why he wrote ‘Outrageous Empowerment’, his first book, about an impactful life chapter from starting to selling his first company.
• How Ron spends time with new hires as well as employees to establish and maintain connections.
• How Ron uses daily team huddles, Friday value calls, and the VIDA Vibe Check survey.
• What those strange words mean and how to apply them: “instimacy” and “funishments”.
• Why alignment with the company values is crucial, and how to screen, onboard, coach, and praise.
• Why vulnerability is bravery and why leaders must know when to speak first or last.

Further resources:

• The Song of Significance: A New Manifesto for Teams, by Seth Godin: https://www.amazon.com/Song-Significance-New-Manifesto-Teams/dp/0593715543 
• Nuts!: Southwest Airlines' Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success, by Kevin Freiberg and Jackie Freiberg: https://www.amazon.com/Nuts-Southwest-Airlines-Business-Personal/dp/0767901843 
• Uncommon Service: How to Win by Putting Customers at the Core of Your Business, by Frances Frei and Anne Morriss: https://www.amazon.com/Uncommon-Service-Putting-Customers-Business/dp/1422133311
• Outrageous Empowerment: The Incredible Story of Giving Employees Their Brains Back, by Ron Lovett: https://www.amazon.com/Outrageous-Empowerment-Incredible-Giving-Employees/dp/198299889X
• Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike, by Phil Knight: https://www.amazon.com/Shoe-Dog-Memoir-Creator-Nike/dp/1501135910
• Scaling Culture: How to Build and Sustain a Resilient, High-Performing Organization, by Ron Lovett: https://www.amazon.com/Scaling-Culture-Resilient-High-Performing-Organization/dp/1544528558  
• Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't, by Jim Collins: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others/dp/0066620996 
• Principles: Life and Work, by Ray Dalio: https://www.amazon.com/Principles-Life-Work-Ray-Dalio/dp/1501124021 
• BE 2.0 (Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0): Turning Your Business into an Enduring Great Company, by Jim Collins: https://www.amazon.com/BE-2-0-Beyond-Entrepreneurship-Business/dp/0399564233 
• HBR's 10 Must Reads on Talent, by Harvard Business Review: https://www.amazon.com/Talent-Building-Game-Changing-Strategy-Douglas/dp/1647824583

“You lead human beings and human beings have lives and sometimes those lives are going really well and other times are dealing with challenges. Recognize the humanity in the people that you lead… If we lean in with curiosity and lean in with compassion first and we make people feel like they are genuinely cared about and valued as part of our team, you will see people accomplish things that you just wouldn't imagine. Creating culture starts from genuinely caring about the people that are on your team and that needs to be genuine.”

S02E05 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Brian Brault, founder of Legacy of Significance, who recently sold his business Pure Wellness Rooms. Previously, he led Advanced Facility Services, which was named one of the best places to work for in western New York. He has served as Global Chair of the Entrepreneurs' Organization; he is currently one of the Formators of the Leadership Academy Program and leading the Entrepreneurial Masters Program.

Brian always looks for the good in people and recognizes the humanity in everyone. He’s passionate about helping people to live their best life, inspiring happiness, and developing managers and companies to be effective in their roles. In this episode he talks about creating a culture of collaboration and accountability, while also nurturing compassion and supporting vulnerability. 

The podcast is created by Rethink Culture. Our goal is to help 1 million businesses create healthier, happier cultures, through data. Visit rethinkculture.co to see how you can create a healthier culture at your company.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to find out:

• What inspired the founding of the Legacy of Significance.
• How Brian restructured Advanced Facility Services into 5 businesses with an overseeing leadership team, growing it from 100 to 300 employees in 3 years.
• How a leader shifting from positional to relational authority affects the culture of an organization.
• How to approach the 3 questions a leader must ensure the people they’re leading can answer.
• What EO leadership and mentoring under Jeff Hoffman and Warren Rustand taught Brian about a leader’s confidence. 
• Why emotional intelligence is one of the top qualities of a great leader today.
• Why vulnerability and accountability are key components of leading teams.
• How Brian responded to a challenge Pure Wellness Rooms faced by allowing his team to be part of the solution.
• What the Red Shoe moments are and how Brian and his team aim to improve lives.

Further resources:

• Discover Your True North, by Bill George: https://www.amazon.com/Discover-Your-True-North-George/dp/1119082943 
• The Power of Vulnerability, by Brené Brown: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Power-of-Vulnerability-Audiobook/B00CYKDYBQ 

“In the first 100 days in most organizations, employees feel overwhelmed. They feel unconnected. They feel unseen, unheard, unappreciated … I think lots of times leaders will say, well, it will be better if we're all back in the office. Why? What proof do you have? What data do you have? Because as we look anecdotally at anecdata or we look systemically or statistically at research data, it seems to indicate that the great majority of employees are happier working remotely than want to work in the office, and that pretty much cuts across all industries.”

S02E04 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Joey Coleman, a professional speaker and author who teaches people how to keep their employees and customers. He's the author of the book “Never Lose an Employee Again.” In addition to being an avid reader and Lego builder, he is a daring adventurer who has sailed around the globe, raced along the Great Wall of China, and visited every continent.

Joey's passion for employee retention is fuelled by his diverse career experiences, including working for the government, the CIA, various law firms, and in academia. Joey believes that having a keen understanding of the human condition is crucial for success in business, leadership, and employee roles.

The podcast is created by Rethink Culture. Our goal is to help 1 million businesses create healthier, happier cultures, through data. Visit rethinkculture.co to see how you can create a healthier culture at your company.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to find out:

·       What elements of a workplace encourage employees to stay on their job.

·       How remote work enhances employee engagement, productivity, and happiness, and can work as effectively as in-office. 

·       Why the first 100 days of an employee's onboarding into an organization are the most crucial.

·       Why the concept of Human Resource Management (HR) needs to change away from the term that considers people as resources.

·       What qualities make Sir Richard Branson a role model for Joey, and what qualities define a servant leader.

·       The importance of values, and the importance, as well as challenge, of being driven by them in both work and personal level.

·       How Joey prefers to award prizes to his audience via email without overwhelming them with unsolicited messages.

·       Why leaders should be strategic about building personal bonds, and elevating individuals and teams within organizational structures.

Further resources:

·       Never Lose a Customer Again: Turn Any Sale into Lifelong Loyalty in 100 Days, by Joey Coleman: https://www.amazon.com/Never-Lose-Customer-Again-Lifelong/dp/0735220034 

·       Never Lose an Employee Again: The Simple Path to Remarkable Retention, by Joey Coleman: https://www.amazon.com/Never-Lose-Employee-Again-Remarkable/dp/059354238X 

·       Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic-and What We Can Do About It, by Jennifer Breheny Wallace: https://www.amazon.com/Never-Enough-Achievement-Culture-Toxic/dp/0593191862

·       A Gentleman in Moscow: A Novel, by Amor Towles: https://www.amazon.com/Gentleman-Moscow-Novel-Amor-Towles/dp/0670026190 

"Culture is not about popcorn, peanuts, ping pong. It's about having a heart of gold and a backbone of steel. […] Be a caring organization […] It's a balance between being tough minded and tenderhearted. […] It's simple, it's not easy, and time is not your friend."

Episode S02E03 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on the incredible Garry Ridge. Garry is a “champion-of-hope” leader and has defined culture at the WD-40 Company for an impressive 35 years. He is currently serving as Chairman Emeritus at WD-40.

As the founder of The Learning Moment and an executive coach, Garry has dedicated his career to making the world a happier place by consulting leaders on how to create caring organizations. 

There is so much to unpack in this episode. Get ready to be inspired and acquire valuable knowledge from one of the industry's most respected leaders.

Listen to this episode to find out:

·       What are the ingredients that should go into the Petri Dish of Culture

·       Who is The Soul-Sucking CEO of Fear Inc

·       Which are the Four Pillars of Care

·       What is The Learning Moment

·       What are The Habits of a Servant Leader

·       Why Garry's four values are Hope, Harmony, Optimism, and Confidence

·       What influence Garry’s Dad, Mom and his employer Mr. Lambert had on him

·       Why we should call it Culture & Capabilities instead of HR

·       About the tribal culture they built in WD-40

·       And many, many more

Further resources:

Books:

·       The One Minute Manager, by Dr. Ken Blanchard

·       Helping People Win at Work, by Garry Ridge and Ken Blanchard

·       Multipliers, by Liz Wiseman

·       All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, by Robert Fulghum

·       To Be Honest, by Ron A. Carucci

·       What Got You Here Won't Get You There, by Marshall Goldsmith

·       The Song of Significance, by Seth Godin

Garry’s Info:

·       Website: thelearningmoment.net 

·       LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/garryridge

The podcast is created by Rethink Culture. Our goal is to help 1 million businesses create healthier, happier cultures, through data. Visit http://rethinkculture.co to see how you can create a healthier culture at your company.

Production, video and audio editing by Musicove.

“The thing to be careful about, which always worried me, was just drinking your own Kool-Aid too much… “strong convictions, loosely held” the value of the company, which means that this is our culture, this is how we do things. We're very, very committed to this... if you come along and you speak a truth that's going to improve or… invalidate something in here we are not attached to it. We will throw it out and adopt your truth... So I think it's extremely important… when creating your culture to make sure you don't become so attached to it that it's just one big group thing.”

S02E02 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Byron Darlison, the visionary founder of Rise – a cutting-edge Canadian content management firm for digital signage. He has spent a lot of time thinking about culture and organizing the business for efficiency. Byron unravels three impressive decades of invaluable insights in under 45 minutes, making every moment a treasure trove of wisdom.

Discover how Byron seamlessly integrates Peter Drucker's concept of performance agreements with Kim Scott's skip-level review framework and witness the transformation of mundane quarterly planning into an exciting game. Byron ingeniously incentivizes his team by turning goal achievement into a joyous celebration, complete with cash rewards and a dedicated Slack channel known as the "Happy Room."

The episode delves deep into Byron's personal evolution as a leader, highlighting his journey of overcoming biases and fostering an environment where employees thrive. Explore how he masterfully built a team of domain experts, empowering them to channel their focus, creativity, and productivity while staying out of their way.

Listen to this episode to find out:

·       Why at Rise employees either exit after the first year or stay for a very long time.

·       Why when shaping your organizational culture, it’s crucial to have “strong convictions, loosely held” and avoid becoming too attached to it.

·       How having experienced and knowledgeable employees and empowering them to excel defined the uniqueness of Rise.

·       What makes Rise special and what the words “focus, discipline, and cadence” mean for Byron.

·       How to tackle the Peter Principle using radical candor while also ensuring employees are in roles where they feel content.

·       How Byron extended the “Rocks and Sand” concept even further.

·       What is the practicality behind the concept of a functional accountability chart.

·       Byron's personal favorites among the myriad frameworks he has explored and implemented, such as Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), Scaling Up, 3HAG, StoryBrand, Topgrading, and more.

·       What Shannon Susko's strategic functional and hiring swimlanes are.

·       How Byron gamified the quarterly theme, injecting fun and uniqueness into the workplace.

·       Byron’s invaluable lesson on leadership: focus on one task at a time, and never underestimate the importance of punctuality in meetings.

Further resources:

·       Radical Candor, by Kim Scott: https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Candor-Revised-Kick-Ass-Humanity-ebook/dp/B07P9LPXPT/ 

·       3HAG WAY, by Shannon Susko: https://www.amazon.com/3HAG-WAY-Strategic-Execution-Wild-Ass-Guess-ebook/dp/B07C7RGVD2 

·       Topgrading, by Bradford D. Smart, Ph.D.: https://www.amazon.com/Topgrading-Hire-Coach-Keep-Players-ebook/dp/B09GS9GT25/ 

·       Building a StoryBrand, by Donald Miller: https://www.amazon.com/Building-StoryBrand-Clarify-Message-Customers-ebook/dp/B06XFJ2JGR/ 

·       The Six Week Cycle, by Basecamp: https://3.basecamp-help.com/article/35-the-six-week-cycle 

"I always think of culture like a garden. […] We're always in the middle of the journey. There's no real finish line to culture. It's always like that garden. You're always replanting it. You're always finding new crops. You're finding a new kind of seed to plant. And sometimes it doesn't work out and it's a failure. That's OK, too. There's learning in that as well."

S02E01 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Erik Lilla, the Founder and CEO of Metro Star Gymnastics, a large gymnastics company that celebrated its sweet 16th anniversary in January 2023 and teaches over 3,000 people per week. Erik’s “why” statement is “to coach and inspire others so we can celebrate their success,” and he has built such a strong culture that members of his staff are getting Metro Star Gymnastics logo tattoos.

Listen to this episode to find out:

·       How consolidating, launching, highlighting core values, and using customer-focused welcome boxes helped Metro Star Gymnastics attract a good culture fit in team members as well as customers. 

·       How EO's Entrepreneurial Master's Program shifted Erik's mindset from contrarian counterculture to culture enthusiast.

·       How Erik applies the “learn and grow” value to his company by providing monthly hands-on training and an annual learning-day Summit to his staff. 

·       What the High Five board is, how it represents the Metro Star Gymnastics core values and how it is used in a card-giving program to show staff appreciation.

·       What makes Erik’s staff members want to get a tattoo of the Metro Star Gymnastics logo.

·       How Erik practices the “confidence with humility” core value by taking a facility-by-facility monthly net promoter score.

·       Why culture, your “why” statement, and your authentic self must be central to everything you do. 

·       How Erik's team makes decisions collectively and each member is responsible for culture.

Further resources:
 The Song of Significance: A New Manifesto for Teams, by Seth Godin

https://www.amazon.com/Song-Significance-New-Manifesto-Teams/dp/0593715543 

"We found that there are some common traits in great managers… The best ones are really good motivators… sometimes they have to make tough decisions, but they're good at influencing people by helping to convince them why they are excellent… The best practice organizations… they have a really good intentional process for developing their… highly effective managers as coaches… I think if we do things right, and we combine autonomy with great managing, great leadership, that we could have the best workplaces ever."

S03E06 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Jim Harter, Gallup’s chief scientist for workplace management and well-being. Jim shares with us his extensive expertise on employee engagement and workplace culture. The author of five books, including the bestsellers It's the Manager, Wellbeing at Work and Culture Shock, Jim has led groundbreaking research, including the first large-scale study on engagement and productivity, covering 1.8 million employees across 200 organizations. With over 1,000 research studies in applied psychology and well-being, Jim’s data-driven insights are invaluable for understanding what drives organizational success.

In this episode, Jim breaks down the critical elements of a thriving workplace culture: engagement, purpose, and great leadership. He emphasizes that managers should act as coaches, leveraging employees’ strengths to align personal growth with company goals. Engagement, he stresses, must be a year-round strategy, not just an annual survey. While global engagement remains low (23% globally, 32% in the U.S.), Jim highlights that best-practice organizations achieve up to 70% engagement. Jim also talks about the evolving post-pandemic workplace, where balancing autonomy with accountability is key while tailoring approaches for hybrid and on-site teams. Central to his message is defining a clear purpose—why your organization exists—and the ability to communicate it effectively. Jim envisions workplaces where autonomy and inspiring leadership create environments where employees thrive.

The podcast is produced by Rethink Culture (rethinkculture.co). Our Culture Health Check helps you turn your culture into a competitive advantage, with data.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:
• How managers can align employees' strengths with organizational goals.
• Why leveraging natural strengths boosts both engagement and efficiency.
• Why engagement must be a year-round strategy, not just an annual survey.
• What are the key pillars of effective employee engagement.
• What are the traits that exceptional managers have in common.
• How career clarity and success impacts well-being.
• How the role of managers has shifted and how to adapt to the post-pandemic reality.
• Why managers must balance autonomy and accountability in the post-pandemic workplace.
• How flexible work arrangements, such as hybrid or four-day workweeks, can succeed with team and customer alignment.
• The importance of an intentional, purpose-driven culture for inspiring and engaging teams.

Further resources:
• Jim Harter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jkharter 
• It's the Manager: Moving From Boss to Coach, by Jim Clifton & Jim Harter: https://www.amazon.com/Its-Manager-managers-organizations-long-term-ebook/dp/B07RDMLJR7
• Wellbeing at Work, by Jim Clifton & Jim Harter: https://www.amazon.com/Wellbeing-at-Work-Jim-Clifton-ebook/dp/B08X4YKPZZ
• Culture Shock, by Jim Clifton & Jim Harter: https://www.amazon.com/Culture-Shock-unstoppable-solution-leadership-ebook/dp/B0C5Y3LCDG

“Is it companies who put employees first? Do they perform better than companies who put customers first? Or those that put stakeholders first?. I thought it was a fundamental question needed to be answered. And the answer [the came through John Kotter’s research] surprised everybody… The companies that outperformed by a factor of 10 were those that treated all 3 equally. That the employees, customers, and shareholders were all like a 3-legged stool.”

S01E12 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Verne Harnish, founder of the world-renowned Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) with 18,000 members globally, and CEO of Scaling Up, a global executive education and coaching company, and author of several books, including Mastering the Rockefeller Habits, and Scaling Up Compensation.

Listen to find out:
- how would Verne write a book about culture and its first three chapters 
- why every company is strange, as it tries to align its particular culture with the people that fit it.
- why you shouldn’t try to mess with the culture of an organisation after the first 5 years
- why we need to replace the word leadership with the word “careship”
- why people don’t want to be managed or led, but coached. 
- why language is a key component of a culture

Further references:
- Verne Harnish on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/verneharnish/
- Scaling Up: https://scalingup.com/
- Entrepreneurs Organization (EO): https://growth.eonetwork.org/

Books referenced:
- “Change to Strange: Create a Great Organization by Building a Strange Workforce” by Daniel M. Cable: https://www.amazon.com/Change-Strange-Organization-Building-Workforce/dp/0131572229
- “Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It...and Why the Rest Don't” by Verne Harnish: https://www.amazon.com/Scaling-Up-Companies-Rockefeller-Habits/dp/0986019526
- “Corporate Culture and Performance” by John P. Kotter and James L. Heskett: https://www.amazon.com/Corporate-Culture-Performance-John-Kotter/dp/1451655320
- Culture Renovation: 18 Leadership Actions to Build an Unshakeable Company by Kevin Oakes https://www.amazon.com/Culture-Renovation-Leadership-Actions-Unshakeable/dp/1260464369
- The Heart of Business: Leadership Principles for the Next Era of Capitalism by Hubert Joly https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Business-Leadership-Principles-Capitalism/dp/B09156FL17/ref=sr_1_1?crid=E77JU5VTTTZH
- “Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time” by Jeff Sutherland and J.J. Sutherland: https://www.amazon.com/Scrum-Doing-Twice-Work-Half/dp/038534645X
- “Elon Musk” by Walter Isaacson: https://www.amazon.com/Elon-Musk-Walter-Isaacson/dp/1982181281

“I think that culture has always been there […] There are two fish swimming in a pond, and a bigger fish swims past them and says, “How's the water?”. And when he swims away, the fish look at each other and say, “What's water?” […] Culture is always there. It's always around you. You can feel it, but you don't even realize you're in it.”

S01E11 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Miren Oca, the visionary behind the Ocaquatics swim school in Miami, a business whose primary customers are its own employees and for whom culture is the real competitive advantage.

Listen to find out:
- How Miren founded Ocaquatics when her life took an unexpected turn at 19.
- How growing up in a restaurant shaped Miren’s commitment to customer service and her passion to teach people
- What makes Ocaquatics' hiring process unique, and Miren’s worst firing mistake
- Why Ocaquatics is not a family but a high performance sports team
- The Leadership Ocademy, providing leadership skills like meditation, financial literacy, and soft skills like emotional literacy.
- Why it’s important to really be intentional about the kind of culture that you want
- What steps Ocaquatics took to attain their B Corp Certification, failing first before succeeding
- How Miren and her team turned a one-star Google review into a wealth of five-star feedback while having lots of fun
- The long term commitment to culture: “we want to have such a great business that you would want your children to work with us”

Further references:
- Miren Oca on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miren-oca-80561261/
- Ocaquatics: https://www.ocaquatics.com/

Books referenced:
- "Delivering Happiness" by Tony Hsieh: https://www.amazon.com/Delivering-Happiness-Profits-Passion-Purpose/dp/0446576220
- "The E-Myth Revisited" by Michael Gerber: https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/0887307280
- "Integrity" by Henry Cloud: https://www.amazon.com/Integrity-Courage-Meet-Demands-Reality/dp/006084969X
- "Atomic Habits" by James Clear: https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299
- "The Infinite Game" by Simon Sinek: https://www.amazon.com/Infinite-Game-Simon-Sinek/dp/073521350X

“Who you choose as your partner, what you choose as your vacation or your place of work, or the community you choose to live in, I think if these are not aligned to your values, you have a very low chance of success in the long run.”

S01E10 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Robert Glazer, founder and chairman of Acceleration Partners, a global affiliate marketing agency that’s recognized by the Glassdoor Employee Choice Awards for two years in a row. He's also the author of six books including Elevate and How to Thrive in the Virtual Workplace. Robert is the host of the very successful the Elevate Podcast and the Friday Forward newsletter, which reaches 200,000 subscribers.

Robert has a lot to say about how culture intersects with core values. He describes how he was inspired to build a company with a strong culture due to past negative experiences in high-growth venture-backed businesses. For Glazer, culture is what you do, not what you say - and he’s proud of creating a culture where what the company thinks, says, and does are in alignment. He describes how Acceleration Partners has a unique culture that fits only 1-2% of people that subscribe to their three company values - own it, embrace relationships, excel and improve - and how he’s worked over the years to distill the company values down to the essential three. And how he prefers to have a candid conversation and fire fast when a person is not the right culture fit.  He talks a lot about cultivating vulnerability within an organisation, but drawing a fine line between emotionally transparent and overly emotional, or the “drama” that might erode trust within a team. And why developing an authentic foundation grounded in core values is essential in becoming a level four or five leader.

Listen to Rethink Culture wherever you get your favourite podcasts, including:  

(Spotify)  https://open.spotify.com/show/4BLXQ8CgFHvYG6UoIQazj9  

(Apple podcasts)  https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/rethink-culture/id1655123154

(YouTube)  https://www.youtube.com/@rethinkculture 

Further references:  

Robert Glazer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glazer

Acceleration Partners: https://www.accelerationpartners.com/

Acceleration Partners on Glassdoor: https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Acceleration-Partners-Reviews-E775757.htm

Books referenced: 

Mistakes Were Done But Not By Me https://www.amazon.com/Mistakes-Were-Made-But-Not/dp/1491514132

“We ‘re a service business that just happens to to collect waste. I never get out of the bed in the morning thinking I’ m in the waste industry. Never, ever, ever. I don’t go to the waste management trade shows. Personally I can’t think of anything worse to do. It doesn’t inspire me. But I will read every book about the service industry. I wanna know what’s the best service industry in Asia. I wanna know what’s the best service industry in the US. What’s the latest thinking in service? And then apply them to our little waste industry.”

S01E09 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Gene Browne, the founder of The City Bin, a leading waste management company and a five-time winner of the ‘Deloitte Best Managed Company’ in Ireland. 

Gene recounts how City Bin started in 1997 as an experiment in service quality, out of his passion for creating amazing customer experiences. How his entrepreneurial journey was part luck and part naivety, especially when ruthless competition burned his warehouse to the ground. The lessons of expanding to the Middle East, and seeing how middle management struggled to adapt to the company’s autonomous culture. 26 years later, his unflinching attention to customer service has become deeply rooted in the company; like treating his customers the way he would like a business to treat his parents; tying  employee bonus to customer satisfaction to align employee actions with company values; and even apologising for bad service to customers by sending them flowers. Gene talks passionately about avoiding aspirational values, in favour of those principles that are as unique to any company as a fingerprint is to any person. And about giving his staff the gift of education, with a pledge to help the 80% of his less educated workforce to achieve their lifelong education goals.

Listen to Rethink Culture wherever you get your favourite podcasts, including: 
(Spotify)  https://open.spotify.com/show/4BLXQ8CgFHvYG6UoIQazj9 
(Apple podcasts)  https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/rethink-culture/id1655123154
(YouTube)  https://www.youtube.com/@rethinkculture
Further references: 
Gene Browne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genebrowne100/
City Bin: https://www.citybin.com/
Books references:
Good strategy Bad Strategy, by Richard Rumelt https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11721966-good-strategy-bad-strategy
Building the Happiness-Centred Business by Paddi Lund [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10088113-building-the-happiness-centred-business
Mastering the Rockefeller Habits by Verne Harnish https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16120.Mastering_the_Rockefeller_Habits

“The first thing that I needed to do was to start creating a safe space for my staff to challenge me. The harder part was for my staff to fail. And sometimes when they failed, we lost clients. And that was really bitter, bitter pills to swallow. But I realised very quickly that if I was to create the safe space, I had to stop micromanaging. Because the minute I started micromanaging, the space was no longer safe. “

S01E08 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Dillon Jeary, a Cape Town based serial entrepreneur with empathic leadership. Dillon is the founder of Kilowatt, a live events production company, 180 digital, an animation and digital content creation business, Three Peak Studio, for virtual broadcasting, and Circle Forward, a consultancy for team building events.

Dillon is a micromanager turned empathic leader with an open mind and a wide open heart. He talks about the importance of creating a safe space for his staff to make mistakes, to challenge him, and to share their feedback. Why “culture is what happens when no one else is watching” and how he came to realise the importance of culture only once his company hit 30 people. How he audits the culture of his companies, and has a committee of company representatives to solve the most important culture issues. How he gives factory workers flexible work hours, something unheard of in his industry. Why he thinks that mental health is extremely important for his staff, and how he makes his people “battle ready” by helping them look after themselves. And finally, why a culture of accountability, freedom, trust, communication and emotional intelligence are critical to attract the top young talent of today into our businesses, but also to attract good customers, good suppliers, and create a sustainable ecosystem.

Listen to Rethink Culture wherever you get your favourite podcasts, including: 
(Spotify)  https://open.spotify.com/show/4BLXQ8CgFHvYG6UoIQazj9 
(Apple podcasts)  https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/rethink-culture/id1655123154
(YouTube)  https://www.youtube.com/@rethinkculture
Further references: 
Dillon Jearey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dillon-jearey/
Dillon Jearey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DillonJearey
Kilowatt: https://kilowatt.co.za/
Humankind, by Rutger Bergman: https://www.amazon.com/Humankind-Hopeful-History-Rutger-Bregman/dp/0316418536

“Why should I constrain myself with Seattle’s geographic region when I can get talent throughout the world. Yes, it’s more challenging and I have to do more processes and technology to facilitate, but I believe fundamentally that there’s more talent that I can access and that outweighs having geographic proximity to the office.”

S01E07 of the Rethink Culture podcast features David Niu, a serial entrepreneur, who founded NetConversions, BuddyTV and TINYpulse, all of which were acquired by publicly traded companies. 

For David culture is  the norms and expectations “when no one’s looking”, and something he’s become increasingly intentfull with. His 3rd company, TINYPulse, measures employee engagement, and works with tons of culture data. David talks about some of the surprising findings from that work, for example how the single metric that correlates the most with employee happiness is how transparent management is. 

David shares many culture design tips. He explains how he front-loads his company values in the job description and interview process to hire for a culture fit.  He also talks about some of his favourite culture programs - like the 1% pledge, Cheers for Peers, employee nominated awards with oscar statuettes and customer parties with tuxes and wigs! 

Listen to Rethink Culture wherever you get your favourite podcasts, including:
(Spotify)  https://open.spotify.com/show/4BLXQ8CgFHvYG6UoIQazj9
(Apple podcasts)  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rethink-culture/id1655123154
(YouTube)  https://www.youtube.com/@rethinkculture

Further references:
David Niu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidniu/
David Niu on Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidniu
TINYPulse: https://www.tinypulse.com/
Die With Zero book https://www.amazon.com/Die-Zero-Getting-Your-Money/dp/0358099765

“The culture I had at the time was the wrong culture, but it was the culture I deserved. It wasn’t my people. It wasn’t my clients. It wasn’t the environment. It wasn’t the economy. It was me. It was me trying to be the boss, to drive my team as opposed to the leader to lead my team”

S01E06 of the Rethink Culture podcast features Arnie Malham, author of Worth Doing Wrong, founder of BetterBookClub and CJ Advertising, an award-winning CEO, eight-figure entrepreneur, and best-selling author who helps leaders create engaging workplace cultures.

In his early days as a solopreneur, Malham struggled letting go of control, as his ego was running the company.  10 years in, he realised that culture reflects leadership; he needed to radically change his leadership, for his company to change. 

Since then he spent 10 years getting things right, He shifted his focus to helping employees grow, promising that everyone would leave a better person than when they arrived. He took ownership of CJ’s culture, delegated its culture programs to the bottom of the org chart, and gave every program a champion a checklist, KPIs and - most importantly - permission to fail. 

His book, Worth Doing Wrong, is a virtual tour of CJ's company’s culture. He encourages others to learn from his methods and adapt them to their own businesses.

Malham talks about his latest passion and venture, BetterBookClub.com,  and how it uses recognition and approval to help people develop reading habits - and why most book reading initiatives fail.

Further references:

Arnie Malham on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/arniemalham/
Arnie Malham personal page: https://www.worthdoingwrong.com/
Arnie’s book recommendations: https://www.worthdoingwrong.com/bookrecommendations
BetterBookClub: https://betterbookclub.com/
Worth Doing Wrong book: https://www.worthdoingwrong.com/

In S01E05 of the Rethink Culture podcast, Mehmet Yitmen, co-founder at ACM Agile, talks about the principles of autonomous organisations and the process he uses to transform traditional hierarchical organisations into self-organising ones. Yitmen has worked with tens of organisations in Europe and the Middle East to transform them using agile and self-management principles over 20 years and carries a deeply ingrained practitioners perspective of the future of work.

He argues that our hierarchical, command-and-control way of working has been inspired by the industrial revolution. Similarly, autonomous, and self-managed organisations are inspired by the internet revolution, which is leaderless, distributed and transparent - qualities that reflect in the new ways of working. 

He sees two elements as the foundation of autonomous organisations - alignment (through purpose, values and principles) and transparency (so that teams can self-correct and re-align).

Yitmen also discusses some of the risks of applying autonomous principles - how individuals have to be 100% accountable for their work, and how managers need to unlearn when they no longer need to manage people.

He also discusses how in autonomous organisations, traditional HR functions like hiring, training and development need to happen locally within a team, while the role of a horizontal HR function is to support and coach staff.

Further references:

ACM Agile: https://www.acmagile.com/

Mehmet Yitmen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mehmet-yitmen-a3723718

Vodafone: Our Agile Story book https://www.acmagile.com/books/our-agile-story

Reinventing organisations by Frederic Laloux https://www.reinventingorganizations.com/

Corporate Rebels: https://www.corporate-rebels.com/

"A lot of entrepreneurs often believe that they have to have it all figured out, before they introduce it to their team. I ve always believed that if lead with authenticity and I say when we really know what's going on and when we testing something, people give us a lot of grace. "

In S01E04 of the Rethink Culture podcast, David Nilssen, CEO of DOXA Talent, a 600-strong outsourcing group talks about running not a business with a purpose, but a purpose with a business, to elevate local communities in Vietnam, Philippines and Kazakhstan. Learn why it’s hard to be the best in class in everything if you’re a hybrid company, why they hire Caretaker and Idealist personas, and how DOXA Con, a staff and client event combines a rockstar party with training, and community work to feed 10,000 people. 

In this episode of Rethink Culture podcast we talk to Alexis Pantazis, Exec Director and Co-Founder of HellasDirect, a 200-strong disruptive insurance company, built ona culture of shared vision and self-managing, diverse teams.

"You always think of a strong leader as a general in the army, as opposed to somebody that has emotions and is much more open. Having people that are constantly learning or willing to admit their mistakes, who listen more, that’s the leaders that I look up to and I aspire to be, and that's something we need to rethink"

Listen to this episode to learn:

• which culture best practices they stole from organisations such as Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, and the special forces army unit
• why they encourage staff to rotate around the business
• why the CEOs are still involved in interviewing new hires at a 200 people company
• what HR gets wrong with recruitment
• why they started a People & Culture team after they hit 100 people
• why in-office work is important when people need to learn through osmosis
• why passion (about anything!) is important to look for in a new hire
• why they are proud of their 3-month next-generation leadership program

More about the guest

Alexis Pantazis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexispantazis/

Hellas Direct: www.hellasdirect.gr

“You see companies: “I'm going to put a… ping pong table in the break room… and I'm going to have a massage therapist come in and do chair massages…” Those are all nice amenities, but they aren't culture… Culture… is the force that keeps everything together… Some people never get that, they never understand this is necessary… But if… they want to stick around for a while… they need to create a workplace that the people want to come back to every single day… You're going to be alone unless you understand that the only way you create anything is through people… Do you want to do this alone? Because if so, you shouldn't even hire people… But if you want to do great things with people, you better start with people”.

S03E05 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Joseph Michelli PhD. As an expert in organizational culture and customer experience, Joseph has collaborated with some of the world’s most renowned brands. He is the author of several insightful books that delve into the cultures of companies like Starbucks, Zappos, Ritz-Carlton, Mercedes-Benz, and Airbnb, revealing how these leaders have crafted lasting and impactful cultures within their organizations. Interestingly, Joseph began his career as a radio host at the young age of 13, highlighting his passion for communication and connection from an early age.

In this thought-provoking conversation, Joseph emphasizes the value of a people-centric leadership approach and how fostering authentic relationships can drive organizational success. He discusses the significance of intentional culture-building and how leaders can create environments where employees feel valued and engaged. Drawing on his extensive experience working with top CEOs, he provides actionable insights into the dynamics of remote work and interpersonal connections, urging leaders to prioritize meaningful interactions. With his unique blend of storytelling and expertise, and his commitment to passing down his wisdom to future leaders, Joseph inspires us to rethink our approach to culture, leadership, and the pursuit of a balanced and impactful career.

The podcast is produced by Rethink Culture (rethinkculture.co). Our Culture Health Check helps you turn your culture into a competitive advantage, with data.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:
• Insights from top CEOs on how intentional company culture drives innovation, employee engagement, and long-term success.
• How leaders can build a vibrant culture that boosts employee engagement rather than accepting a “culture by default”.
• The significance of work-life balance for long-term health, and advice Joseph would give his younger self.
• The irreplaceable value of in-person interactions for trust, and practical ways to build emotional connections in remote teams.
• How in-person gatherings strengthen bonds beyond what digital tools can provide.
• The importance of genuinely caring for your team for success and profitability.
• The risks of workforce disengagement and how intentional culture can engage more employees.
• Why great leaders encourage rather than compete with the next generation.
• Tips for leveraging small moments to cultivate a strong, cohesive team culture.

Further resources:
• Joseph Michelli, Ph.D. on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephmichelli/
• Joseph’s Website: https://www.josephmichelli.com/ 
• When Fish Fly: Lessons for Creating a Vital and Energized Workplace from the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market, by John Yokoyama and Joseph Michelli PhD: https://www.amazon.com/When-Fish-Fly-Energized-Workplace-ebook/dp/B000FC1VVA/ 
• Stronger Through Adversity: World-Class Leaders Share Pandemic-Tested Lessons on Thriving During the Toughest Challenges, by Joseph A. Michelli: https://www.amazon.com/Stronger-Through-Adversity-World-Class-Pandemic-Tested-ebook/dp/B08CQHCJT4/ 
• My Life in Full: Work, Family, and Our Future, by Indra Nooyi: https://www.amazon.com/My-Life-Full-Family-Future-ebook/dp/B08YN8H8GF/

"If leaders are willing to be vulnerable and listen to their employees.. those are cultures which empower everyone to feel safe and to bring their whole selves to work... A lot of leaders are still trying to hide behind stuff.. and they are not sleeping well at night. The most peaceful place for a leader to be is to have stated values and then can stand in the spotlight of those values."

The second episode of Rethink Culture, features Will Scott, founder of Culture Fix Academy, entrepreneur, published author, servant leader, father and triathlete.

Will has worked with 10s of companies to transform them into culture-first workplaces. He talks about creating your values bottom-up, how to "notice and nominate" to reinforce values in the company using stories, how often to revise values, and how he started playing with values and culture as a young child in his treehouse.

In this pilot episode of Rethink Culture we speak with Haluk Can Hur, founder of Latro Chemical, a company pioneering a no-hierarchy, self-management model, that in 2022 received the 2nd Best Place to Work in Europe award. 

Latro is a 70-person company in Turkey running on a no-hierarchy, completely autonomous model with no titles, sales targets, OKRs, KPIs, no HR department and where decisions are taken at a team level, based on a unifying vision, and shared values. The founder Haluk Can Hur talks about his childhood influences, his vision and how he transformed the company structure in only 1.5 years. He describes many principles behind Latro's autonomous self-management - for example where decisions are taken by individual consent (not collective consensus), radical transparency where salaries and P&L are open to everyone, profit sharing, and culture as the shared values and vision that bonds and aligns people together in the company.

Resources referenced in the podcast:

• Reinventing organisations book by Frederic Laloux 
• The Latro Way, describing the self-management organisational model of the company 

"If you're not happy and you're not enjoying your environment, it's going to be hard to feel fulfilled… I tried a few different things, and they didn't work out… I think that really helped build my resilience and helped teach me that maybe the world judges successes and failures based on outcome. But it helped me create a deeper meaning for myself of what, actually, success looks like. And for me, it's really following my beliefs and having that clarity and focus and passion."

S03E04 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Seth Casden, the CEO and founder of Hologenix. As the force behind CELLIANT—a groundbreaking infrared textile technology that boosts local circulation, enhancing performance, recovery, and sleep—Seth shares how Hologenix’s culture has been instrumental in its recognition as one of Inc.’s top 5000 fastest-growing U.S. companies for three consecutive years.

In this episode, Seth shares his 20-year ascent in cultivating an empowering, resilient culture within Hologenix, drawing on the endurance and strategic thinking required in mountaineering. He highlights the importance of prioritizing people and fostering self-awareness and open communication, all essential to navigating challenging terrain in business. He discusses the value of a supportive environment where employees feel safe to grow, reflect, and collaborate. Seth also shares stories of mentors who influenced his leadership style, approaches for navigating conflict with empathy, and how these values create a meaningful workplace aligned with his broader definition of success.

The podcast is produced by Rethink Culture (rethinkculture.co). Our Culture Health Check helps you turn your culture into a competitive advantage, with data.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:
• How a culture built on perseverance and learning from failure enables teams to navigate challenges and grow.
• Why prioritizing people and cultivating a positive, servant-led workplace drive greater alignment and success.
• How resilience and emotional detachment empower teams to handle criticism and build confidence.
• Why redefining success to include time freedom for meaningful activities enhances gratitude and fulfilment at work and in life.
• What active listening can achieve in deepening understanding and connection across teams.
• How mentorship and living abroad shaped Seth’s approach to fostering a resilient, empowered culture.
• Why Seth uses fear as an indicator to identify workplace conflicts that might otherwise go unspoken.
• How Seth's leadership style prioritizes empathy, empowerment, communication, and self-awareness over micromanagement.

Further resources:
• Seth Casden on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethcasden/
• CELLIANT website: https://celliant.com/

"It feels good to do good with your business. I think we underestimate ourselves as businesspeople and the impact that we can have on people in the world. And we look at politicians and policy, and we look at the slow going, and the barriers to things changing. If we want a more just and equitable future, where all of us can thrive and seek opportunity, business can play an important role in doing that... It starts with caring for your people and giving them good jobs. Not jobs where you're depending on them to have less so you can have more. And frankly, the feeling that you get from that is one that I have enjoyed from the moment we opened our doors as Nest DC."

S03E03 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on lisa wise, the visionary founder of Nest DC and the birdseed Foundation. Nest DC is a socially conscious property management company dedicated to ethical practices and sustainable housing solutions that foster community-building and equity in real estate. The birdSEED Foundation is lisa’s philanthropic initiative that provides no-strings-attached down payment assistance to disadvantaged minority homebuyers, addressing racial discrimination and empowering communities to build generational wealth through homeownership.

Learn how lisa's innovative real estate management company oversees $2 billion in properties while her nonprofit empowers minority homeowners with essential downpayment grants. Join us for an inspiring episode packed with insights on workplace justice, activism, entrepreneurship, and lisa’s powerful impact on both business and community.

The podcast is produced by Rethink Culture (rethinkculture.co). Our Culture Health Check helps you turn your culture into a competitive advantage, with data.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:
• What makes Nest DC a game-changer in property management.
• How Nest DC creates great jobs with competitive pay and growth opportunities.
• The importance of a justice mindset that places people before profit.
• Lisa's approach to servant leadership.
• How lisa tackles profitability challenges.
• How lisa views employee ownership vs. responsibility
• Lisa’s habits for maintaining mental and physical well-being.
• The intentionality of public praise and private feedback.
• How lisa's housing insecurity and privilege shaped her mission with birdSEED.
• Lisa's vision for scaling birdSEED to help thousands more.

Further resources:
• lisa wise on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisawise/ 
• birdSEED: https://www.birdseed.org/ 
• Nest DC: https://www.nest-dc.com/ 
• Self-Elected: How to Put Justice Over Profit and Soar in Business, by lisa wise: https://www.amazon.com/Self-Elected-Justice-Over-Profit-Business-ebook/dp/B0B9T2H5QH
• Radical Candor, by Kim Scott: https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Candor-Revised-Kick-Ass-Humanity-ebook/dp/B07P9LPXPT/

"High self-worth leaders want to create environments where everyone can flourish. Low self-worth leaders create environments that control people. So, if they're willing to work on their self-worth… we can build a democratic company in a Democratic Leadership style… seeing how employees feel differently when they work in a WorldBlu certified freedom-centered company, because suddenly they're seen. They're treated with dignity. They're treated with respect. They're treated as a person who has worth."

S03E02 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Traci Fenton, a celebrated keynote speaker, coach, and author of Freedom at Work. Traci is the founder and CEO of WorldBlu, a well-known leadership, culture, training, and certification company dedicated to transforming leadership and workplace culture through freedom-centered principles. Recognized by Inc. magazine as a Top 50 Leadership Thinker and a recipient of the prestigious Thinkers50 Radar award, Traci founded WorldBlu during her senior year in college, with the vision of empowering 1 billion people to work in freedom-centered organizations. WorldBlu has already impacted 1.25 million people by training and certifying companies to foster cultures of democracy and freedom in the workplace.

In this episode, Traci dives deep into her experiences with organizational democracy and her personal journey of discovering the importance of freedom at work. She discusses the Freedom at Work Scorecard, a unique tool that measures the level of freedom and democracy within companies and offers practical advice on how leaders can build environments where both individuals and the team thrive. She also shares insights on the link between self-worth, knowing your inherent value, and leadership, and how businesses can foster a culture that balances individual empowerment with collective success.

The podcast is produced by Rethink Culture (rethinkculture.co). Our Culture Health Check helps you turn your culture into a competitive advantage, with data.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:
• Traci’s college experience that sparked her passion for organizational democracy.
• Her eye-opening experience in Indonesia and the impact of witnessing a lack of freedom.
• Why organizational democracy is important.
• How cultural influences shape leadership styles.
• The Power Question Practice for overcoming fear.
• The importance of hiring people with high self-worth.
• How to foster a world where everyone lives, leads, and works in freedom, not fear.
• The Freedom at Work framework for building freedom-centered cultures.
• Measuring and improving organizational democracy with the Freedom at Work Scorecard.

Further resources:
• Traci Fenton’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracilfenton/
• WorldBlu website: https://www.worldblu.com/  
• Freedom at Work: The Leadership Strategy for Transforming Your Life, Your Organization, and Our World, by Traci Fenton: https://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Work-Leadership-Transforming-Organization/dp/1953295495

"I present a vision of the world the way it was meant to be… As we come together in organizations, we need leaders who know how to be good stewards of the people who join this organization, and we send them home fulfilled each night, which will create better families, heal the brokenness we're seeing in our communities… We could heal the brokenness in the world, if we had leaders who had the skills and courage to care."

S03E01 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Bob Chapman, Chairman & CEO of Barry-Wehmiller. Under Bob's leadership, Barry-Wehmiller has transformed from a struggling $20 million business into a $3 billion global company with over 12,000 team members. His unique approach, rooted in people-centric leadership, has driven over 130 acquisitions while focusing on improving lives—not just for customers, but for employees too. Beyond his business role, Bob founded the Chapman & Co. Leadership Institute, emphasizing leadership training and cultural transformation. He's also the co-author of Everybody Matters and the newly released The Journey of Leadership, which explores servant leadership and building happier workplaces.

In this thought-provoking conversation, Bob Chapman redefines leadership with a powerful message: it's not about profits, it's about people. He highlights how traditional leadership often overlooks teaching leaders to care, instead focusing on using people for success. At Barry-Wehmiller, Bob flips the script, championing a culture where "The People are our Purpose." By seeing every employee as someone's precious child, he creates a workplace where people feel valued. The result? A thriving company that measures success by the impact on lives. Bob’s insights will challenge you to rethink what true leadership looks like.

The podcast is produced by Rethink Culture (rethinkculture.co). Our Culture Health Check helps you turn your culture into a competitive advantage, with data.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:
• Bob Chapman’s revelations about the positive impact business can have on the world.
• Why leaders were not taught to care for the people they’re leading, and how they can start.
• How to shift from management to human-centered leadership.
• The importance of showing pride in your employees and addressing their needs with compassion.
• How to balance people, purpose, and performance equally.
• Why creating both human and economic value matters.
• The power of courageous patience and healing the poverty of dignity.
• If business is more like a family or a sports team.
• Whether Barry-Wehmiller's culture or business model is what drives its success.
• How the way we see people affects the way we treat them, and in turn their performance.

Further resources:
• Truly Human Leadership: https://www.barrywehmiller.com/blog 
• Chapman & Co. Leadership Institute: https://www.ccoleadership.com/ 
• Humanistic Leadership Academy: https://humanisticleadershipacademy.org/ 
• Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family, by Bob Chapman and Raj Sisodia: https://www.amazon.com/Everybody-Matters-Extraordinary-Caring-People/dp/1591847796
• Bob Chapman – Truly human leadership – TEDxScottAFB: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01NQZrWIXno 
• Impressions of Truly Human Leadership: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVyQ_IuzuKA

"I learned a very hard lesson in my early twenties when I was running my painting business. I had a lot of my painters quit partway through the summer and I didn't understand why they were quitting on me… I was dictating. I wasn't inspiring them. I wasn't sharing my vision with them or my goals. I wasn't treating them like teammates. I was being a dictator. And my dad said to me, Kristi, people are priority. If you don't have a great team of people, you've got nothing. So make people your priority. And so I would whisper in the ear to anyone, people are priority and play is powerful. Make people priority by having some fun with some play and because it's powerful, you'll get back a lot of value from doing so."

S02E01 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Kristi Herold, the founder and CEO of JAM. JAM is a company that has brought the joy of play to millions of people at work through more than 4,000 corporate events across 30+ countries. JAM has been recognized with Canada's Most Admired Culture Award, while its founder, Kristi Herold, has been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women.

Kristi is the best-selling author of the book It Pays to Play. Driven by a vision to engage one million people in play annually, Kristi’s passion for fun extends beyond her business. In her 40s, she taught herself to play the guitar so she could sing along, and she loves to engage in various playful activities, from card games to theatre to singing. Kristi's mission is connecting people through play, and she shares with us her insights on why prioritizing people and incorporating play into the workplace can enhance team cohesion, employee satisfaction, and overall productivity.

The podcast is produced by Rethink Culture (rethinkculture.co). Our Culture Health Check helps you turn your culture into a competitive advantage, with data.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to find out:
• How JAM became a workplace where thousands of friendships, marriages, and business relationships have flourished.
• What are the benefits of prioritizing people and integrating play into the workplace.
• Why the first day at work should be a memorable and engaging experience.
• How play fosters meaningful interactions, creativity, friendship, as well as trust and vulnerability.
• If play is suitable for your business, even if it is a serious institution.
• How JAM incorporates playful aspects into the interview process.
• Why Kristi prioritizes hiring for cultural complement over culture fit.
• Why cutting play during the pandemic was detrimental to JAM's employee performance.
• Why Kristi prefers to hire people with workplace experience that can appreciate the culture at JAM.

Further resources:
• Kristi's website: https://www.kristiherold.com/ 
• Kristi's book offer for our listeners: https://www.kristiherold.com/rethink25/ 
• Kristi's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristi-herold/ 
• JAM website: https://jamgroup.com/  
• It Pays to PLAY: How Play Improves Business Culture, by Kristi Herold: https://www.amazon.com/Pays-PLAY-Improves-Business-Culture/dp/1544536224

“If you think your team or your organization are not working well, are not doing things, are not to be trusted, are not ready for this, there's something in you here that is all of that. So what in you needs to change, so this space appears for the rest of the team to rise? Be hungry for the collective intelligence to arise. Be happy when you join a meeting and the outcome from it is different from what you envisaged it was going to be. Go with the curiosity of seeing what the solution will be, as opposed to “how am I going to convince everybody that my solution is the one.” If you don't get too attached to your solutions, that's when the magic happens.”

S03E16 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Dunia Reverter, co-founder of Krisos, a company that buys and transforms businesses into a force for good, and co-founder of JobsWithNoBoss.com, a job board for self-managed organizations. In this episode, Dunia shares her journey from corporate disillusionment at GE to pioneering radical workplace transformations through self-management, transparency, and distributed leadership. She discusses how Krisos acquires companies and restructures them into self-governing, profit-sharing models, proving that autonomy and trust drive both financial success and employee fulfillment. The conversation dives into decision-making by consent, conflict resolution through emotional intelligence, and liberating meeting structures that foster collective wisdom. Dunia leaves us with actionable insights on how leaders can rethink hierarchy, embrace vulnerability, and cultivate cultures where people thrive.

📢 Do you want to build a high-performance culture? It all starts here: www.rethinkculture.co
Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:
• Why self-managed organizations without bosses outperform hierarchical structures
• The financial and cultural benefits of employee-owned, autonomous workplaces
• How collaborative decision-making integrates objections for stronger outcomes
• How to build high-trust cultures through conflict resolution and emotional intelligence
• Meeting tools like Liberating Structures that boost inclusivity and effectiveness

Further resources:
• Krisos’s Website: https://krisos.eu/ 
• Dunia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethdixonspeaks/ 
• Reinventing Organizations, by Frederic Laloux: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20787425-reinventing-organizations 
• Brave New Work, by Aaron Dignan: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40338432-brave-new-work 
• Moose Heads on the Table, by Lisa Gill and Karin Tenelius: www.goodreads.com/book/show/55048428-moose-heads-on-the-table

“Who you choose as your partner, what you choose as your vacation or your place of work, or the community you choose to live in, I think if these are not aligned to your values, you have a very low chance of success in the long run.”

We're republishing one of our "Culture Classics" with Robert Glazer, founder and chairman of Acceleration Partners, a global affiliate marketing agency that’s recognized by the Glassdoor Employee Choice Awards for two years in a row. He's also the author of six books including Elevate and How to Thrive in the Virtual Workplace. Robert is the host of the very successful the Elevate Podcast and the Friday Forward newsletter, which reaches 200,000 subscribers.

Robert has a lot to say about how culture intersects with core values. He describes how he was inspired to build a company with a strong culture due to past negative experiences in high-growth venture-backed businesses. For Glazer, culture is what you do, not what you say - and he’s proud of creating a culture where what the company thinks, says, and does are in alignment. He describes how Acceleration Partners has a unique culture that fits only 1-2% of people that subscribe to their three company values - own it, embrace relationships, excel and improve - and how he’s worked over the years to distill the company values down to the essential three. And how he prefers to have a candid conversation and fire fast when a person is not the right culture fit.  He talks a lot about cultivating vulnerability within an organisation, but drawing a fine line between emotionally transparent and overly emotional, or the “drama” that might erode trust within a team. And why developing an authentic foundation grounded in core values is essential in becoming a level four or five leader.

📢 Do you want to build a high-performance culture? It all starts here: www.rethinkculture.co
Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:

· How culture and core values shape a company.

· Robert’s journey to building a strong culture after bad experiences in venture-backed businesses.

· Why culture is what you do, not just what you say.

· The three essential values that define Acceleration Partners.

· The importance of firing fast when culture fit isn’t there.

· Balancing vulnerability with trust-building, not drama.

· Why core values are key to becoming a top-tier leader.

Further resources:

· Robert Glazer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glazer

· Acceleration Partners: https://www.accelerationpartners.com/

· Acceleration Partners on Glassdoor: https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Acceleration-Partners-Reviews-E775757.htm

“What really changed was the experience during the pandemic. The pandemic, in my view, put a very bright spotlight on things that are not working in society as well, put a spotlight on inequalities that exist in society. But it also put a stark spotlight on what is not working in the workplace, why people are actually quitting, why they're frustrated, and why engagement levels are so low.”

S03E14 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Stephan Meier, leading expert at the intersection of behavioural economics, corporate strategy, and the future of work, whose journey from humble beginnings to becoming a renowned professor at Columbia Business School illustrates his deep expertise in human behaviour and organizational strategy. 

In this episode, Stephan delves into the transformative power of an employee-centric approach and the critical role of trust and intentional leadership in building thriving cultures. He explores the challenges and opportunities of hybrid work, emphasizing the balance between autonomy and effective teamwork. Stephan also reflects on how data-driven insights and AI can be leveraged to create personalized and engaging employee experiences. He advocates for leadership that shifts from micromanagement to empowered coaching, ultimately driving sustainable business success through enriched workplace culture.

The podcast is produced by Rethink Culture (rethinkculture.co). Our Culture Health Score provides an X-ray of your organisational culture, allowing you to measure and manage it.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:
• The impact of employee-centric leadership on business success.
• Balancing autonomy with collaboration in a hybrid work environment.
• Treating employees as the new customers to drive innovation.
• Leveraging data and AI for personalized employee experiences.
• The importance of trust and intentional social interactions at work.
• Real-world examples of transformative cultural practices.https://youtu.be/i8jLV8IjJbU

Further resources:
• Stephan’s Website: https://www.stephanmeier.com/ 
• Stephan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephan-meier-cbs/

“I think my deepest ambition for work is that it's a place where we don't just have well-being, but we have well-being in its true sense, great social connections, great relationships. It's not lonely anymore. It's not miserable. That we support each other and challenge each other, but it's also a place of personal growth and development… And that we go to work to grow and evolve as humans, as well as deliver a great service to other people.”

S03E13 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Helen Sanderson, founder of the UK-based home care organization Wellbeing Teams, which transformed its workplace culture by prioritizing trust over hierarchy through self-management principles. In this episode, Helen reflects on the challenges of transitioning from a traditional leadership role to fostering a culture rooted in autonomy, direct communication, and empathy. She discusses how such a shift demands fundamental changes in both leadership mindset and organizational structure, emphasizing the need for leaders to model desired behaviors rather than impose top-down mandates.

At Wellbeing Teams, psychological safety is treated with the same importance as physical safety, cultivating an environment where team members feel secure enough to voice concerns, take risks, and express their authentic selves. Helen reveals how building a culture of trust and value not only enhances employee satisfaction but also leads to higher-quality client care. Tune in to explore the tangible benefits of rethinking workplace dynamics through empathy and empowerment.

The podcast is produced by Rethink Culture (rethinkculture.co). Our Culture Health Score provides an X-ray of your organizational culture, allowing you to measure and manage it.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:
• How self-management principles transform both leaders and organizations.
• Why psychological safety is the foundation of innovative workplace cultures.
• Practical approaches to fostering team autonomy and empathy.
• The importance of direct, transparent communication in enhancing team dynamics.
• Why modeling desired behaviors is essential for authentic culture development.
• How leaders can unlearn entrenched behaviors and embrace vulnerability.

Further resources:
• Helen Sanderson Associates Website: https://www.helensandersonassociates.com/ 
• Helen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helensandersonhsa/ 
• Reinventing Organizations: A Guide to Creating Organizations Inspired by the Next Stage of Human Consciousness, by Frederic Laloux: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20787425-reinventing-organizations 
• The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self, by Martha N. Beck: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55481231-the-way-of-integrity 
• Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection, by Charles Duhigg: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/157981748-supercommunicators 
• The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth, Amy C. Edmondson: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40275161-the-fearless-organization

"The best organizations will win the battle for talent by creating cultures that allow people to be their best more frequently. And that means one of your practices as a leader needs to be gathering stories that tell you when your people are at their best."

We're republishing one of our "Culture Classics" with Spencer Harrison, a professor of organizational behaviour at INSEAD Business School and TED speaker. Spencer's expertise and research are widely recognized in the field, and his work has appeared in Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Money, and Inc. magazines. He co-founded The Creative Collaboratorium, the world's largest working group of creativity researchers, and serves as a culture advisor to some of the world's fastest growing companies, including Google, Salesforce, and Deloitte.

Spencer shares his journey from English to business professor and provides insight into ways of identifying outstanding management and leadership. He describes the differences and relationships between big C culture and small C culture, and highlights the value of a healthy work-life balance for employees. Despite their unpopularity, he stresses the role of office meetings in maintaining company culture and explains why leaders should take an interest in story-gathering and storytelling.

The podcast is created by Rethink Culture. Our goal is to help 1 million businesses create healthier, happier cultures, by turning culture into a KPI. Visit rethinkculture.co to see how you can create a healthier culture at your company.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to find out:
· Spencer's journey from wanting to be an animator and a poet to becoming a business professor.

· How to identify the excellent managers and the high-performing leaders.

· What is big C culture and what is small C culture.

· What anthropologists discovered conducting research on tribes sharing a sack of rice.

· The role of meetings in building a culture supported by visual information.

· How high-performing leaders transform meetings into cultural moments.

· Why leaders need to be story-gatherers and storytellers.

· How to give a sense of meaning to your team through stories.

· Why culture should not be abstract values and impersonal behaviours, but personal and relatable stories.

· Why culture needs to meet strategy, not just for breakfast but also for lunch, dinner and the after party.

· What you can do to create a better work-life balance for the people in your organisation.

· If we need the office to maintain culture.

Further resources:
· Spencer Harrison on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/curiosityatwork/

· INSEAD: https://www.insead.edu/

· Book of Questions, by Pablo Neruda: https://www.amazon.com/The-Book-of-Questions/dp/1592703224

· Odes to Common Things, by Pablo Neruda: https://www.amazon.com/Common-Things-Bilingual-Pablo-Neruda/dp/0821220802

“At some point in the Industrial Revolution, it made sense that we create humans that conform and just produce. In our day and age we need to go back to what makes us human, especially with AI taking over all those manual processes. We need to relearn to be the children now. To be creative, to be human, to have human connections… Whatever happens, deal with it with love... You can't lead anybody until you love yourself. And you can't lead anybody that you don't love.”

S03E11 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Natacha Neumann, the founder and manager of Erdbär, a company dedicated to creating healthy snacks for kids under the brand Freche Freunde. With a multicultural background and a passion for impact, Natacha transitioned from corporate life to entrepreneurship. The influence of her parents’ personalities, combined with her experiences as a mother, shaped her into a leader who values empathy, autonomy, and the transformative power of workplace culture. Under her leadership, Erdbär grew rapidly, becoming a pioneer in self-managed organizational structures inspired by Holacracy.

In this episode, Natacha delves into the practicalities of implementing self-management, including the initial chaos and eventual clarity that came with adopting Holacracy. She emphasizes the importance of balancing male and female energies in leadership and that the true magic lies in helping employees move from being passive followers to active leaders. Natacha also discusses the critical role of love and belonging in the workplace, arguing that leaders must create environments where people feel safe to express themselves, take risks, and innovate. Her insights challenge traditional notions of leadership, urging leaders to let go of control, trust their teams, and focus on fostering a culture of autonomy, purpose, and human connection.

The podcast is produced by Rethink Culture (rethinkculture.co). Our Culture Health Score provides an X-ray of your organisational culture, allowing you to measure and manage it.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:
• How Natacha transitioned from a corporate mindset to self-management and Holacracy.
• Why balancing male and female energies creates empathetic, effective leadership.
• The role of psychological safety and trust in empowering employees.
• The challenges and rewards of transitioning to self-managed teams.
• How personal transformation fuels successful self-management.
• Why love and belonging are essential for innovation and growth in the workplace.

Further resources:
• Natacha on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natacha-neumann-333b19/ 
• Reinventing Organizations: A Guide to Creating Organizations Inspired by the Next Stage in Human Consciousness, by Frederic Laloux: https://www.amazon.com/Reinventing-Organizations-Creating-Inspired-Consciousness-ebook/dp/B0D8WKRFMB 
• The Art of Loving, by Erich Fromm: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Loving-Erich-Fromm-ebook/dp/B00BBPWAJC

“It's not about charity, it's about impact… unlocking the human potential through making people see that enormous power they have in making a difference.”

S03E10 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Masami Sato, founder of B1G1, a global social enterprise dedicated to integrating impactful giving into everyday business operations. Masami is a 2-time TEDx speaker, Amazon bestselling author of four books, and a transformative leader whose B1G1 movement has delivered over 360 million giving impacts worldwide. Her diverse background, from studying architecture to becoming a chef and ultimately leading a social initiative, reflects her creative and adaptable approach to life and leadership. Fresh off celebrating her 50th birthday, Masami shares her approach to building workplace cultures where purpose and business thrive together.

In this episode, Masami highlights innovative ways businesses can integrate social impact into their workflows. She discusses how micro-giving, embedding small, meaningful acts of generosity into day-to-day business activities, can profoundly influence employee engagement and satisfaction. She shares practical examples, such as empowering employees to choose causes they care about and gamifying giving initiatives to make them engaging and fun. She emphasizes the power of gradual, authentic cultural shifts over large, top-down initiatives. Drawing from her Japanese heritage, she emphasizes the importance of long-term thinking, trust-building, and the essence of family-business values in fostering lasting cultural success. Leaders are encouraged to reflect on their own sense of purpose, ensuring their vision enriches both themselves and their teams.

The podcast is produced by Rethink Culture (rethinkculture.co). Our Culture Health Score provides an X-ray of your organisational culture, allowing you to measure and manage it.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:
• How micro-giving transforms workplace culture through small, everyday actions.
• Why gradual, authentic changes resonate more with employees than top-down initiatives.
• The power of letting employees choose causes they care about for deeper engagement.
• Creative ways to gamify social impact and celebrate achievements collectively.
• How aligning day-to-day tasks with a larger mission fosters purpose at work.
• Insights from Japanese business culture about long-term trust and sustainability.
• Why purpose-driven leadership enhances workplace fulfilment and impact.
• Must-read resources for embedding social giving into your business strategy.

Further resources:
• B1G1 Website: https://b1g1.com/
• Masami on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/masamisato/ 
• Giving Business: Creating the Maximum Impact in a Meaning-Driven World, by Masami Sato: https://www.amazon.com/Giving-Business-Creating-Maximum-Meaning-Driven-ebook/dp/B01FFA28VI 
• Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take, by Paul Polman & Andrew Winston: https://www.amazon.com/Net-Positive-Courageous-Companies-Thrive-ebook/dp/B08TCHX4FY

“The first thing that I needed to do was to start creating a safe space for my staff to challenge me. The harder part was for my staff to fail. And sometimes when they failed, we lost clients. And that was really bitter, bitter pills to swallow. But I realized very quickly that if I was to create the safe space, I had to stop micromanaging. Because the minute I started micromanaging, the space was no longer safe.“

We're republishing one of our "Culture Classics" featuring Dillon Jearey, a Cape Town-based serial entrepreneur known for his transformation from micromanager to heart-led, empathic leader. Dillon is the founder of several innovative ventures:

• Kilowatt: a live events production powerhouse
• 180 Digital: an animation and digital content studio
• Three Peak Studio: a virtual broadcasting company
• Circle Forward: a consultancy specializing in purposeful team-building experiences

In this episode, Dillon gets real about what it takes to build a thriving company culture. He shares how he evolved as a leader, the systems he’s put in place to protect culture as his companies scale, and why emotional safety, flexibility, and trust aren’t just buzzwords, but business strategy. Dillon believes “culture is what happens when no one is watching,” and he backs that up with actions: giving factory workers flexible hours (a radical move in his industry), prioritizing mental health, and putting power in the hands of a culture committee made up of his own team. Whether you're building a business or leading within one, Dillon’s story offers a masterclass in creating companies people love to work for.

📢 Do you want to build a high-performance culture? It all starts here: www.rethinkculture.co

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:
· How Dillon transformed from a micromanager into an empathic, heart-forward leader

· Why culture became a priority only after his team hit 30 people

· What it means to create a workplace where it’s safe to fail and speak up

· How Dillon uses a culture committee to address tough team issues

· The surprising ways Dillon brings flexibility into factory work

· Why mental health is non-negotiable for team performance

· The secret to attracting top young talent and keeping them

· How a culture of accountability and trust strengthens the entire business ecosystem

Further resources:
· Dillon Jearey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dillon-jearey/
· Dillon Jearey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DillonJearey
· Kilowatt: https://kilowatt.co.za/
· Humankind, by Rutger Bergman: https://www.amazon.com/Humankind-Hopeful-History-Rutger-Bregman/dp/0316418536