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Explore every episode of the podcast The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer

Dive into the complete episode list for The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

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TitlePub. DateDuration
Amy Edmondson & Steve Brass on Psychological Safety03 Sep 202400:45:47

While “psychological safety” has become somewhat of a buzzword in management circles, it’s a concept that forward-thinking leaders dismiss at their own peril. 

“I cannot think of a place where lower psychological safety would help you in any way,” says Harvard Business School Professor Amy Edmondson, known for her pioneering research on the topic. “Lower psychological safety would make you take fewer risks, but not necessarily better risks. So having anxiety about what other people think of you isn't a great state for optimal performance.”

In this bonus episode of The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer, Edmondson, along with WD-40 CEO Steve Brass, joins hosts Jenny Chatman and Sameer Srivastava to discuss how to create a culture of psychological safety—and why it matters. This session was held November 13, 2023 as part of the Culture XChange series sponsored by the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation and is being broadcast publicly for the first time. 

Show Links:

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


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Stripe CEO Patrick Collison on Crafting a Culture that Prizes Details | Dean's Speaker Series [Bonus Episode #3]20 Aug 202400:39:22

When Patrick Collison and his brother John Collison founded digital payment company Stripe in 2010, he didn't come in with “any kind of enlightened leadership expertise or genetic muscle memory.” As the company took off and grew to a dominant platform with $1 trillion in total payment volume and millions of customers, its culture grew more intentional—and strategic. 

“Because Stripe's domain is really complicated and the details really matter, if we make a mistake—just one mistake—there's a very good chance that somebody's paycheck is wrong…There's a culture at Stripe of just really prizing the small details,” he says.

In this bonus episode of The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer, Collison shares his leadership journey and the evolution of Stripe’s unique culture in a fireside chat with hosts Jenny Chatman and Sameer Srivastava. This interview took place on April 16, 2024 as part of the Dean’s Speaker Series, co-sponsored by the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation. Bringing in a diverse mix of preeminent business leaders, the Dean's Speaker Series provides the Haas community with insightful perspectives on effective leadership and opportunities for thought-provoking discussions.  Learn more.

Full Episode Transcript here.

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


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Trailer28 Mar 202400:01:01

The world of work is truly a work in progress. There are so many unanswered questions.

What's the best approach to bringing workers back to the office? How can you keep remote and on-site workers from forming silos? How can you restore trust after layoffs? Is it possible, or even desirable, to get back to the culture you had before the pandemic? There’s lots to think about, and we’ll be thinking out loud in our new podcast: The Culture Kit with Jenny and Sameer.

I’m Jenny Chatman. And I’m Sameer Srivastava. We’re professors at UC Berkeley’s Haas School who have dedicated our careers to studying and advancing workplace culture.

We'll think through the questions you're struggling with today and share insights based on evidence from the latest research. You'll come away with concrete steps you can take to start fixing your company's culture right away.

Tune in to The Culture Kit with Jenny and Sameer. Starting April 2 on your favorite podcast platform.

Do you have a vexing question about work that you want Jenny and Sameer to answer? Submit your “Fixit Ticket!”

View the full transcript.

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


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The Remote Work Blueprint [Bonus Episode #2]06 Aug 202400:41:59

What are the benefits and challenges of running a fully remote company? What does research show about the shift to “work from anywhere”? In this bonus episode of The Culture Kit, host Sameer Srivastava interviews Prithwiraj (Raj) Choudhury, the Lumry Family Associate Professor at the Harvard Business School, and Brandon Sammut, Chief People Officer at Zapier, on how to use technology and organizational insights to create high-performing, inclusive, and engaging remote work cultures.

Choudhury is one of the pioneers in research on the future of work, especially the changing geography of work. He was included in Forbes’ Future of Work 50 list last year and Time’s Charter 30 list of thinkers and innovators shaping the future of work in 2024.

Sammut is a two-time chief people officer currently at Zapier, a software automation platform with an all-remote team that spans over 40 countries. He believes that remote work is the way to expand both individual opportunity and business results, drawing on his prior experience in talent acquisition, talent development, strategy, consulting, business development, and venture capital.

This episode is based on a CultureXChange forum held on April 11th, 2024 by the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation. Learn more.

Full Episode Transcript here.

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Author Michael Lewis on the cult-like culture around Sam Bankman-Fried | Dean's Speaker Series [Bonus Episode #1]23 Jul 202400:43:51

In a fireside chat with host Jenny Chatman, best-selling author Michael Lewis shares the inside story of the strange culture Sam Bankman-Fried created at his failed crypto exchange, FTX. Lewis got to know SBF for his latest book, "Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon." The story is a fascinating example of a strong organizational culture gone terribly wrong. 

Lewis is known for his New York Times bestselling books, including Moneyball, The Big Short, Liar’s Poker, and The Blind Side. He started his career in finance on the bond desk at Salomon Brothers, and then left the business world to become a journalist. His books tell stories about real characters and provide insights into the business world—from working on Wall Street to the 2008 financial crisis to the rise and fall of cryptocurrency. 

This interview was held on November 8, 2023 as part of the Dean's Speaker Series at Berkeley Haas. Bringing in a diverse mix of preeminent business leaders, the series provides the Haas community with insightful perspectives on effective leadership and opportunities for thought-provoking discussions.  Learn more.

Full Episode Transcript here.

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Laszlo Bock on the Key Skills to Become a Successful Leader of Tomorrow11 Jun 202400:43:21

With the world of work constantly evolving and the introduction of new technologies like AI, how can leaders prepare themselves to successfully lead their companies into the new frontier?

On the season finale of The Culture Kit, Haas School of Business professors and organizational culture experts Jenny Chatman and Sameer Srivastava are joined by a special guest. Laszlo Bock, one of the leading industry voices on people management, was the Senior Vice President of People Operations at Google, served as the CEO of Humu, and then co-founded Gretel AI. He's also the author of The New York Times’ bestseller, Work Rules!: Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead. 

Jenny, Sameer, and Laszlo answer a question from Melissa Wernick, the Global Chief People Officer for Kraft Heinz, on what key skills leaders will need to be successful in the evolving workplace. They also announce the Berkeley Transformative CHRO Leadership Program that they just launched through Berkeley Executive Education.

Do you have a vexing question about work that you want Jenny and Sameer to answer? Submit your “Fixit Ticket!” 

You can learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*

 Jenny & Sameer’s 3 Main Takeaways:
  1. The best leaders are diagnostic and deliberate. They look at things on a situation-by-situation basis and ask themselves: How can I add value here? And they plan for that.
  2. Cultivate a broad and flexible set of leadership styles. Situations are varied and vast, so have a broad and flexible leadership portfolio that you can draw from depending on what the circumstances are.
  3. The best leaders recognize that they're never actually done learning. Leadership development is a lifelong pursuit, so keep working on it and be a student always (as we say at Haas).
 Show Links:

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How To Avoid Creating a ‘Yes Man’ Culture30 May 202400:15:54

A “yes man” culture that is adverse to dissent can not only be stifling for employees, but in some cases, can be downright dangerous. So how do you create a culture where everyone feels empowered to bring their ideas to the table? 

On today’s episode of Culture Kit, Haas School of Business professors and organizational culture experts Jenny Chatman and Sameer Srivastava answer a question from Shuchi Mathur, the Vice President of Customer Experience at Reelgood. Jenny and Sameer share examples of companies they’ve worked with like Pixar and Netflix that have built cultures around celebrating failure and farming for dissent. 

Do you have a vexing question about work that you want Jenny and Sameer to answer? Submit your “Fixit Ticket!” 

You can learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*

Jenny & Sameer’s 3 Main Takeaways:
  1. Be intentional – recognize that you need to go out of your way to prioritize dissent; otherwise you might inadvertently stifle it.
  2. Build systems – some organizations even establish processes to encourage people to take deliberate action to surface dissent. This is mission-critical in an organization where life and safety are on the line.
  3. Model what you want to see – leaders need to actively model a willingness to admit when they’re wrong and own up to mistakes. At the same time, they can seek out and defer to expertise, rather than acting like they always have the answers.
Show Links:

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Going Above and Beyond The Job Description14 May 202400:09:07

In this time of quiet quitting and burnout, how do organizational leaders create a culture that encourages workers to go above and beyond their job description?

Organizational culture experts Jenny Chatman and Sameer Srivastava are back to answer this question from Meili Hau, the director of the Student Health Center at San Francisco State University. Tune in to hear Jenny and Sameer share real-world insights and research as well as strategies you can put to work to improve your workplace culture.

Do you have a vexing question about work that you want Jenny and Sameer to answer? Submit your “Fixit Ticket!” 

Find the full transcript and learn more about the podcast at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*

 Jenny & Sameer’s 3 Main Takeaways:
  1. Codification – Codify your values and norms and systematically bake them into the fabric of your organization.
  2. Opportunity – Set up systems and opportunities for people to not only document their work and share knowledge across boundaries, but also to form relationships and meaningful connections that span those boundaries.
  3. Leadership – Leaders should reinforce the big picture, laying out a strong vision that inspires people to go above and beyond their job descriptions to achieve big goals together.
 Show Links:

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How to Manage the Tricky World of Subcultures30 Apr 202400:14:59

Is it better for an organization to have one unified culture or a collection of mini ones? What are the benefits and drawbacks of each approach? 

Organizational culture experts Jenny Chatman and Sameer Srivastava are back with more research insights, real-world examples, and tips for company leaders, this time about the complex world of subcultures. 

Do you have a vexing question about work that you want Jenny and Sameer to answer? Submit your “Fixit Ticket!” 

Find the full transcript and learn more about the podcast at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

*Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*

 Jenny & Sameer’s 3 Main Takeaways:
  1. Awareness – know what subcultures exist within the organization and anticipate the possibility that they conflict in dysfunctional ways.
  2. Agility – be willing to try out different cultural priorities. Before deciding that the counterculture is necessarily problematic you should look at what it is solving for.
  3. Alignment –  prioritize one cultural norm that applies to all units and unifies the organization rather than trying to be perfectly aligned on everything.
 Show Links:

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How to Keep Hybrid Workers Connected to the Mission16 Apr 202400:14:46

In this world of hybrid work, how to build and maintain long-lasting and impactful relationships at your company can be a head-scratcher of a question. 

The Culture Kit hosts, Jenny Chatman and Sameer Srivastava, are here to help. On today’s episode, they’re answering a question from HubSpot CEO Yamini Rangan about how to keep employees connected whether they’re at home or in the office.

Do you have a vexing question about work that you want Jenny and Sameer to answer? Submit your “Fixit Ticket!” at https://forms.gle/mxt7gBpRFqy4e52z5.

Find the full transcript and learn more about the podcast at: https://www.haas.org/culture-kit

Jenny & Sameer’s 3 Main Takeaways:
  1. Engage – connect people to the broader culture through meaningful shared experiences.
  2. Expand – make those shared activities opportunities to broaden their networks within the organization.
  3. Experiment – be open to new ways of creating connection, while also being willing to drop bad ideas and adjust over time.
Show Links:

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Key to Keeping a Culture Strong02 Apr 202400:14:59

Welcome to The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer, a podcast created by the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation. 

In this inaugural episode, hosts Jenny Chatman and Sameer Srivastava—two Berkeley Haas professors who have dedicated their careers to studying and advancing workplace culture—answer a question from WD-40 CEO Steve Brass about how to create and maintain a strong workplace culture. 

What does it mean to have a strong culture? According to Jenny:

“A strong organizational culture is one where people both agree about what's important and care. And so if you think about in your head a two-by-two box here, which is what academics love to think in terms of, you have one with agreement, low-high, one with intensity, low-high. If you're high on both, you have a strong culture. If you're low on both, you have a weak culture. But if you're high on agreement but low on intensity, you have what we call a vacuous culture. Everybody agrees, but nobody cares. And you could be high on intensity but low on agreement, and there you'll probably have a lot of conflict, or what we call warring factions. So those are the possibilities for how strong culture can array.”

Jenny and Sameer also discuss the dark side of strong culture. According to Sameer:

“I think it's also important to keep in mind that strong cultures can also have a dark side, and an organization with a culture that is too strong can quickly become stifling and fail to recognize the value and importance of non-conformists who are often really central to efforts to innovate and change the culture over time. In fact, if an organization's culture becomes too strong, it can actually take on the qualities of a cult. And so there's a risk of having a culture that may be just too strong.”

The two also discuss Jenny's take on Netflix and Genentech's cultures and how leaders even know how strong their culture is.

Do you have a vexing question about work that you want Jenny and Sameer to answer? Submit your “Fixit Ticket!”

Find the full transcript and learn more about the podcast at: https://haas.berkeley.edu/culture/culture-kit-podcast/posts/episode-1-the-key-to-keeping-a-culture-strong/

Jenny & Sameer’s 3 Main Takeaways:
  1. Define – understand what a strong culture is and its purpose
  2. Assess – understand how to assess and track it over time so you know if there are gaps between what your current culture emphasizes and what you need to be emphasizing strategically
  3. Reinforce – recognize that culture needs to be consistent and comprehensive so that people believe it’s real and are willing to support it
Show Links:

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jarvis Sam on Cultivating Inclusion Amid Polarization01 Oct 202400:20:46

In the season two premiere of The Culture Kit, hosts Jenny Chatman and Sameer Srivastava tackle the complex question of how to create a culture of inclusion and belonging in the face of growing polarization in the workplace and society at large.

To help answer this question, Jenny and Sameer turn to DEI expert Jarvis Sam. Jarvis is the CEO and founder of the strategy firm, Rainbow Disruption, which advises organizations on developing practical solutions that champion DEI in the workplace. Before that, Jarvis was the  Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at Nike, where he spearheaded initiatives to enhance diverse representation and foster inclusive leadership. He also led organizational efforts around DEI with athletes like Serena Williams and Lebron James, as well as leagues like the WNBA and NFL. 

Jenny, Sameer, and Jarvis discuss what an inclusive culture really means, go over actionable steps leaders can take to create and manage a culture of inclusion and belonging, and address some of the biggest myths and misconceptions surrounding DEI. 

Full episode Transcript here.

Show Links:

Resources referenced by Jarvis Sam:

Research by Jenny Chatman on group diversity: 

Research by Sameer Srivastava on measuring culture through language using AI tools: 

Related episodes of The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer:

Three main takeaways from Jenny & Sameer’s interview with Jarvis Sam:

  1. Know your “why”: Organizations need to ask, “Why are we doing this work from the very beginning? And how does that link to key actions that we may have taken previously?
  2. Comprehensive integration is key: Inclusion can’t be an add-on. It should be a key attribute in every area of the organization including talent acquisition, management, and succession planning.
  3. DEI Is not just for underrepresented communities: Inclusive cultures are ones where every team member feels that they can show up as their truest selves.

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


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How Tribal Instincts Can Bring People Together29 Oct 202400:28:23

“Tribalism” has a generally negative reputation these days. It’s often used to refer to an us-versus-them mentality, or a culture that’s divisive and exclusionary. But that perception, according to cultural psychologist Michael Morris, “could not be more inaccurate as a description of what human tribal instincts are. They're instincts for solidarity, not for hostility.” 

On this episode of The Culture Kit, hosts Jenny Chatman and Sameer Srviastava interview Michael Morris, a professor at Columbia Business School, about his new book Tribal: How the Cultural Instincts That Divide Us Can Help Bring Us Together. 

Jenny, Sameer, and Michael discuss how tribal instincts allowed humans to break away from the primate back, and how these deeply ingrained instincts show up in organizations today. They also delve into modern and historical examples of leaders utilizing tribalism to adapt culture and even heal rifts.

3 Main Takeaways from Jenny & Sameer’s interview with Michael Morris:

Leaders can recognize and harness the three main types of tribal psychology:

  1. The Peer Code – This is the impulse to match the behavior of the people around us.These norms allow for the smooth functioning of human interaction and are the basis for collaboration.
  2. The Hero Code – This is the emulation of those with status or prestige. This instinct is triggered by symbols.
  3. The Ancestor Code – This is the curiosity and urge to maintain the traditions and customs of past generations. This instinct is triggered by ceremonies and rituals.
Show Links:

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Should Corporate Leaders Speak Out on Social and Political Issues?15 Oct 202400:23:16

Should corporate leaders speak out on social and political issues? And if they decide to do so, what’s the best approach?

On this episode of The Culture Kit, hosts Jenny Chatman and Sameer Srivastava chat with Matt Kohut, a leadership communications expert, about his new book Speaking Out: The New Rules of Business Leadership Communications. 

Jenny, Sameer, and Matt dig into historical examples of corporations and politics colliding, the potential pros and cons of deciding to weigh in on social issues, and strategies for business leaders to evaluate risk and maintain accountability when deciding to speak out. 

This episode’s question came from Laszlo Bock, co-founder of Humu and former Senior Vice President of People Operations at Google. 

3 Main Takeaways from Jenny & Sameer’s interview with Matt Kohut:
  1. Should you take a position at all? This should always be the first step before deciding what the position is or how to communicate it.
  2. Mission relevance: What are your organization’s values and how will taking a stance on an issue align with those values?
  3. Evaluate risk: How might this position potentially backfire? Hold a pre-mortem meeting to help determine risk.
Show Links:

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How to Combat the Hidden Gender Biases that Can Make Your Culture Unfriendly to Women12 Nov 202400:23:28

Despite efforts to eliminate gender bias at work, women still face barriers their male colleagues don’t. How can companies today identify whether gender bias has crept into their organization and create cultures that are supportive of women?

On this episode of The Culture Kit, hosts Jenny Chatman and Sameer Srivastava are joined by Laura Kray, a professor at Berkeley Haas and the faculty director of the Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership. Laura has been studying the psychological barriers that hold women back at work for decades. Her work sheds light on the hidden biases that persist today. 

Jenny, Sameer, and Laura chat about the perceived differences between male and female leaders in terms of power versus status, as well as how age plays into how women are perceived. Laura discusses her research debunking the notion that pay disparities between men and women come from differences in negotiation skills and shares strategies for business leaders to uncover and correct inequities.  

3 Main Takeaways from Jenny & Sameer’s interview with Laura Kray:
  1. Be open minded to the possibility that gender bias may have crept into your company’s culture.
  2. Engage in systematic tracking and auditing of things like pay and performance reviews and adopt a data-driven approach to correcting inequities.
  3. Be a confronter rather than a bystander. You don’t need to be at the top of an organization to inspire change..
Show Links:

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How to Use Art to Build A Culture of Innovation10 Dec 202400:45:31

How can artistic thinking and practices foster a healthier and more effective organizational culture?

On this episode of The Culture Kit, hosts Jenny Chatman and Sameer Srivastava host a panel of four experts to discuss using art in the workplace to unleash a team’s creativity and innovation—regardless of the industry. 

From Google’s art-infused Quantum AI Computing Lab to new methods of teaching, the discussion revolves around the profound impact of integrating art into business, the role of AI in creative processes, and practical advice for overcoming resistance from those who don’t understand the value of the sometimes-messy creative process.

Panelists:

Erik Lucero leads the Google AI Quantum lab. He believes in the deep relationship between art, beauty, and the ability to innovate. Erik brought art into his new lab for the sole purpose of inspiring creativity in the team.

Forest Stearns is the Principal Artist and co-founder of the Artist-in-Residence program at the Google AI Quantum project.

Nir Hindie founded The Artian, a training company committed to nurturing an artistic mindset in the business environment. He’s a relentless advocate for the connections between artistic talent and business entrepreneurship as two areas that fuel each other.

Léo Boussioux is an assistant professor of Information Systems at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business. He’s passionate about the transformative power of AI in art and creativity, and believes that we all have an artist within waiting to be unleashed.

This episode is based on the CultureXChange forum “Finding the Synergy between Art, Creativity, and Innovation” held on December 2, 2024 by the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation. Learn more.

Show Links:

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


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IBM’s Nickle LaMoreaux on how AI helped HR put people first11 Feb 202500:27:24

IBM Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Nickle LaMoreaux is helping to steer the tech giant through the fastest change she’s seen in her two-decade career. In this interview with UC Berkeley Haas professors Jenny Chatman and Sameer Srivastava, she shares how IBM’s bold shift to AI-powered HR helped free up her human team to better support the company’s 275,000 global employees. 

IBM’s digital AI agent now handles 11 million interactions annually with a 94% resolution rate, and employee satisfaction has soared. LaMoreaux makes the case that this digital transformation has enabled her team to focus on high-value work like leadership coaching and complex problem-solving. She discusses how domain expertise has become more important than ever.

3 main takeaways from Jenny & Sameer’s interview with Nickle LaMoreaux:
  1. HR should lead by example before asking others to change. Leaders create a lot more credibility by transforming their own function first.
  2. Be intentional about AI adoption: What works for another company might not fit your culture or business needs. Focus on solving real problems rather than following trends.
  3. HR is uniquely positioned to guide organizations through AI integration, balancing business goals with employee readiness. It’s critical for HR to make sure employees are prepared while maintaining cultural values.

View the full transcript of this episode.

Show Links:

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How to Cultivate the Human-AI Sweet Spot for Innovation28 Jan 202500:25:38

How can leaders put AI to work without stifling human creativity and innovation? 

Berkeley Haas organizational culture experts Jenny Chatman and Sameer Srivastava are back for season 3 of The Culture Kit! The season kicks off with Hila Lifshitz, a Professor of Management at Warwick Business School and head of The Artificial Intelligence Innovation Network. She’s also a visiting faculty member at Harvard University’s Lab for Innovation Science (LISH). 

Jenny, Sameer, and Hila dive into her pioneering research on open innovation at NASA, revealing how they transitioned to an open innovation model and the significant cultural shift it required. They also discuss new research with fashion company H&M that revealed a common pitfall when implementing AI, and how to avoid it. 

3 main takeaways from Jenny & Sameer’s interview with Hila Lifshitz
  1. Think like a scientist and use an experimental mindset rather than an optimization mindset. Managers should understand that we’re still in the early days of AI and be flexible to how these tools might fit into their organizations.
  2. Keep pushing on the expertise of your people: Ask them what they are good at, what they want to be good at, and how the organization can set them up for success.
  3. Allocate resources for this expertise: How can the organization lean on these areas of expertise to push the boundaries of innovation even further—while using AI for lower-level tasks?
Show Links

 

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


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Work as Play: How Gaming Culture Can Power Your Career25 Mar 202500:21:34

With so many shifting rules and cultural norms, career success can feel like mastering a complex game.

Jessica Lindl, Vice President of Ecosystem Growth at Unity Technologies and a Haas MBA alum, shows how a gaming mindset can be an advantage in today’s workplace.

Her new book, The Career Game Loop: Learn to Earn in the New Economy, launches April 29.  

Jessica joins hosts Jenny Chatman and Sameer Srivastava in the season 3 finale of The Culture Kit to discuss the gamer mindset, strategies for job crafting, and how leaders can build game-inspired workplace cultures. 

3 main takeaways from Jenny & Sameer’s interview with Jessica Lindl:
  1. Embrace chaos and uncertainty: Learn how to find opportunity in  moments of change.
  2. Build durable skills: As AI integrates into the workforce, it’s more important than ever to have durable skills such as problem-solving and collaboration that make you a fundamental asset to your organization.
  3. Look for opportunities to job craft and continually evolve your role: This can spur innovation at the company as well as new opportunities in your career.
Show Links:

For more information about this podcast and a full written transcript, please see http: haas.org/culture-kit.

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


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Meet Your New Boss: An Algorithm11 Mar 202500:28:38

From ride-hailing services to warehouses to hiring platforms, algorithms are increasingly taking on the role of manager. What does this mean for worker autonomy and meaningful engagement with work? 

On this episode of The Culture Kit, hosts Jenny Chatman and Sameer Srivastava interview Lindsey Cameron, assistant professor of management at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, about the research insights she gained from getting behind the wheel as a ride-hailing driver. Cameron discusses the cultural aspects of gig work, the “good bad job” paradox, and strategies for fostering equity and worker dignity in an increasingly algorithm-driven world.

Main takeaway from Jenny & Sameer’s interview with Lindsey Cameron :
  1. Keep humans at the center. Rather than optimizing solely for efficiency, use human-centered design to consider worker well-being throughout their lifecycle with the company.

For more information about this podcast and a full written transcript, please see http: haas.org/culture-kit.

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*

Show Links:

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


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The Dishwasher Divide: How to Decode Tight and Loose Cultures27 Feb 202500:27:32

Why do some workplaces enforce strict rules while others never seem to start a meeting on time? What happens when a rule-following “Order Muppet”—think Kermit the Frog—pairs up with a “Chaos Muppet” like Cookie Monster? And what does how you load the dishwasher reveal about your cultural mindset?

In this episode of The Culture Kit, hosts Jenny Chatman and Sameer Srivastava welcome Dr. Michele Gelfand, a professor at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and pioneer of the “tight-loose” framework for analyzing culture. Gelfand, a cross-cultural psychologist, reveals how invisible cultural forces shape behavior across nations, organizations, and even households, offering a powerful lens to understand why some groups thrive with structure while others flourish with freedom. 

The conversation unpacks how companies navigate cultural challenges during crises like the pandemic, mergers, and the remote work revolution. Gelfand shares tools for leaders to identify when their organization has become too rigid or too lax, and strategies for achieving “tight-loose ambidexterity—a balance of accountability and empowerment that drives success.

3 main takeaways from Jenny & Sameer’s interview with Michele Gelfand:
  1. Cultural tightness and looseness exist on a spectrum. This pattern appears at all levels from nations to organizations to families, often developing in response to external threats or coordination needs.
  2. Both extremes can be problematic for organizations. Companies that become too tight risk stifling creativity and adaptability, while those that become too loose might lack accountability and coordination. “Tight-loose ambidexterity” balances empowerment with accountability for sustainable success.
  3. Leaders can strategically adjust cultural tightness.  By identifying which specific domains need structure versus flexibility, organizations can adapt to changing circumstances. This includes using "flexible tightness" in safety-critical areas while maintaining looseness in creative domains, or implementing the "tight-loose-tight" model with clear expectations, freedom in execution, and accountability for results.
Show Links:

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


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Rebecca Hinds on Overcoming a "Weapon of Mass Dysfunction": Meetings28 Oct 202500:33:58

It doesn’t matter where you work—bad meetings are a universal pain point. But they don’t have to be.

Rebecca Hinds is an organizational researcher who has spent the past 15 years helping teams fix their broken meetings—and broken collaboration in general. Hinds has applied her Stanford PhD to the future of work, founding think tanks at two technology companies, and is now the author of the forthcoming book, Your Best Meeting Ever: Seven Principles for Designing Meetings That Get Things Done, out February 2026. 

Hinds joins organizational culture experts Jenny Chatman and Sameer Srivastava to discuss how bad meetings can degrade your company’s culture, the purpose meetings should actually serve, and how to start treating meetings as your most valuable product—and not an inevitable headache.

Learn more about The Culture Kit and find the full transcript: https://haas.berkeley.edu/culture/culture-kit-podcast/

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*

3 main takeaways from Jenny & Sameer’s interview with Rebecca Hinds:
  1. Hold a “meeting doomsday” once a year—ancel every recurring meeting from employees’ calendars for 48 hours and then add meetings in a way that is effective and essential for the current state of business. 
  2. Get your communication system in order—Get everyone on the same page about where official communication takes place and what information they can rely on. This will help people evaluate when and whether a meeting should be called. 
  3. Use AI–When it comes to diagnosing dysfunction in meetings and creating equilibrium in contributions, AI can be your best friend. 
Show Links:

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


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How’s Your Battery? Calm CEO David Ko on Normalizing Mental Health at Work14 Oct 202500:48:02

With the majority of our waking life spent at work, conversations around mental health are crucial for a healthy workplace culture. But how do you open the conversation at work? How can leaders build the trust and psychological safety needed for these conversations? 

On this special episode, David Ko, CEO of the sleep and meditation app Calm and author of the book Recharge, shares his leadership journey from investment banking to purpose-driven leadership. Since 2022, he’s guided Calm’s work in over 190 countries, supporting millions of people seeking to improve their wellbeing.

Ko describes “the battery check,” a simple framework for starting conversations about mental health, describes how burnout happens when leaders don’t explain the “why” behind decisions, and shares some candid personal anecdotes.

The conversation is hosted by Professor Sameer Srivastava and led by UC Berkeley Haas students Avanika Lal and Esa Tilija, both MBA 26. The joint Dean’s Speaker Series and Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation event took place at the Haas School of Business on September 30, 2025. 

Three main takeaways from David Ko: 

1. Make mental health conversations accessible: Ask "How's your battery?" instead of "How's your mental health?" This simple reframing normalizes discussions that are otherwise difficult to start, creating psychological safety for your team.

2. Stop stacking, start subtracting: Burnout happens when leaders keep adding priorities without removing anything or explaining why. When assigning new work, identify what employees should stop doing. Help them understand the "why" to create shared purpose, not just more tasks.

3. Listen first, talk last: Be a "Chief Listening Officer" rather than the first voice in the room. Foster open dialogue where employees feel comfortable challenging ideas and speaking up. 

Learn more about The Culture Kit and find the full transcript: https://haas.berkeley.edu/culture/culture-kit-podcast/

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*

Show Links:

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


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Toby Stuart on Why You Can’t Ignore the Hidden Forces of Social Status in Your Organization30 Sep 202500:32:05

Think your workplace runs on pure merit? Think again. In this season-opening episode, Berkeley Haas professor and leading sociologist Toby Stuart reveals how hidden status dynamics shape whose ideas get heard, who advances, and why meritocracies might be a “nice myth to think about” but nearly impossible to achieve in practice. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.

 Stuart, author of the new book Anointed: The Extraordinary Effects of Social Status in a Winner-Take-Most World, joins organizational culture experts Jenny Chatman and Sameer Srivastava to explore how social status quietly drives decisions, what functions it serves in organizations and society, and how leaders can navigate—and reshape—these hidden hierarchies. 

The takeaway from Jenny & Sameer’s interview with Toby Stuart:
  1. No matter how hard they’ve worked to get where they are, leaders should recognize that only part of their status was truly earned. Act with humility, acknowledge the roles that other people have played, and generously share pass along the status you hold.
Show Links:

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


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Healthcare Has a Culture Problem. Can AI Help Fix It?19 May 202600:32:51

Healthcare organizations don't just have an efficiency problem—they have a culture problem. Siloed specialists, misaligned incentives, and fragmented decision-making leave patients frustrated and clinicians burned out.

Jonathan Kolstad is a professor of economic analysis and policy at UC Berkeley Haas and is one of the country's leading health economists. He’s the founder and faculty director of the Center for Healthcare Marketplace Innovation (CHMI), a joint center between Haas and UC Berkeley’s College of Computing, Data Science, and Society. CHMI’s executive director is Ted Robertson, who specializes in designing and building healthcare products with the best mix of human and AI insights in decision making. 

On this episode of The Culture Kit, Jon and Ted join organizational culture expert and co-host Jenny Chatman, Dean of the Haas School, to explain why healthcare’s broken structure is ultimately a culture problem, and how AI—deployed in the right way—might help fix it. 

(Note: Co-host Sameer Srivastava was out of town for this episode.)

3 Main Takeaways:
  1. Healthcare's fragmentation is baked into the incentive structure, creating professional subcultures that work against patients and each other.
  2. AI has the potential to reduce burnout in healthcare providers and give patients a higher quality standard of care. 
  3. General-purpose AI isn't enough: healthcare needs models trained on real clinical decision-making, not medical textbooks.

Read the full transcript of this episode on our website: https://haas.berkeley.edu/culture/culture-kit-podcast/posts/healthcare-has-a-culture-problem-can-ai-help-fix-it

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*

Show Links:

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


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The Office Has to Earn It: How Physical Space Shapes Organizational Culture05 May 202600:25:21

The office has never been just a place to work, it both reflects and shapes an organization’s culture. The furniture, the light, the layout, the ratio of private to shared space—all of it sends signals, whether leaders intend them to or not. 

Paul Cooper and Christopher Good have spent their careers translating between what organizations say they value and what their spaces actually communicate. Paul is a principal at the architecture firm, TEF Design, and has spent 30 years designing places where people come together. Christopher is Chief Creative Officer at One Workplace, a workplace design and furnishings company, with the philosophy that no one should have to come into an office by default anymore, the office needs to earn it.  

On this episode, Paul and Christopher join organizational culture experts Jenny Chatman and Sameer Srivastava to discuss what offices should look like now in the age of remote and hybrid models, why rents in one AI-centric San Francisco neighborhood have doubled why downtown office space sits empty, and the unknowns of designing for the future as AI takes off. 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*

3 Main Takeaways:
  1. One solution does not fit all spaces. Come up with some guiding principles, as a team, that align with the overall mission and vision for that space’s design.
  2. Ask why your workplace exists. If it’s about people, own that, invest in it, and design for what their needs are.
  3. Design for the in-between experiences. When workers aren’t at their desks or in a conference room, how does the design of the space create moments for connection?

Read the full transcript of "The Office Has to Earn It: How Physical Space Shapes Organizational Culture."

Show Links:

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


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Jeanne Tsai on the Invisible Standard That’s Governing Your Organization: Emotions21 Apr 202600:30:29

Culture doesn’t just shape behavior; it shapes the emotional states people value. Those values operate largely below the surface and can drive some of the most consequential decisions organizations make—who gets hired, who gets promoted, who looks like a leader, and increasingly, how we design AI.

For 30 years, psychologist Jeanne Tsai, the Dunlevie Family Professor at Stanford University and director of the Stanford Culture and Emotion Lab, has been building the science of how culture shapes emotion and its implications for decision-making, health, and how people are perceived. She joins organizational culture experts Jenny Chatman and Sameer Srivastava to discuss why it’s important for leaders to understand and examine this unwritten standard for how employees feel at work.

3 Main Takeaways:
  1. Name and examine your organization’s emotional ideal—and as a leader, think about how that might be at odds with your employee’s own personal emotional ideal.
  2. Consider the possibility that your evaluation of a job candidate or employee might be a reflection of your emotional ideal rather than just a reflection of their merit or performance.
  3. Understand that emotional misreads are often cultural misreads, and leaders should not view those differences as character judgments.
Show Links:

Read the full transcript on The Culture Kit website.

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


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Melissa Valentine on Assembling Your ‘Avengers’: Flash Teams in the Age of AI07 Apr 202600:24:13

We tend to treat organizational structures—such as job titles, departments, and reporting lines—like furniture: always there, moved around a bit, but rarely questioned. But what if AI is about to redesign the whole office? And in a world where you have humans and agents working alongside each other, how can leaders build a cohesive culture? 

Stanford professor Melissa Valentine anticipated some of these changes in her book, Flash Teams: Leading the Future of AI-Enhanced, On-Demand Work. In this episode of The Culture Kit, Melissa joined organizational culture experts Jenny Chatman and Sameer Srivastava to discuss how AI and online labor markets are enabling leaders to assemble teams, solve problems, and then disband at superhero speeds. They also explore tensions between algorithmic decision-making and human structures, the challenges of deploying AI agents alongside humans, and how to recognize the “invisible labor” that keeps everything running smoothly.

Melissa is an associate professor of management science & engineering at Stanford University and a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI.

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*

3 Main Takeaways:
  1. Hierarchy isn’t going anywhere, but departments might. While hierarchy will remain essential for accountability and coordination, departments as we know them are likely to blur and collapse as AI puts design, engineering, and product capabilities in everyone’s hands.
  2. Adopt a mindset of “experts everywhere all the time.” Instead of thinking in terms of “expert scarcity,” leaders should recognize how easy it’s becoming to assemble the right talent—human or AI—for any given challenge.
  3. Management is now org design. The core management loop of scoping a problem, assembling resources, and evaluating the outcome is accelerating and becoming more like a design practice. Leaders aren’t just managing people anymore; they’re architecting the structures of work teams.

Read the full transcript of "Melissa Valentine on Assembling Your ‘Avengers’: Flash Teams in the Age of AI."

Show Links:

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


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Jack Goncalo on What Organizations Get Wrong About Creativity—and What It's Costing Them24 Mar 202600:31:18

Most organizations say they want to foster creativity. But decades of research by Jack Goncalo, PhD 04, reveals they misunderstand it in fundamental ways: Leaders often implicitly reject novel ideas and penalize creative people when they’re up for leadership roles. 

In our Season 5 kickoff, Goncalo unpacks the science behind why—and shares some genuinely counterintuitive findings: the conditions we think suppress creativity sometimes do the opposite. And the costs of creative work? They show up in places no one is tracking—including what your employees might eat and drink after a big brainstorm.

Goncalo joins organizational culture experts Jenny Chatman and Sameer Srivastava to discuss why the bias against creativity is worst precisely when organizations need it most, why constraints and even social rejection can actually fuel original thinking, and why asking people to be creative all day has downstream consequences leaders aren't accounting for.

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*

Jenny & Sameer’s 3 Main Takeaways:
  1. When building teams, look for the people who have a history of not fitting in or seeing things the way everyone else sees them.
  2. Build norms, not just freedom:  provide a framework that guides people and gives them a set of expectations that make them feel comfortable sharing their creative ideas.
  3. Create deliberate processes for assessing novel ideas that counteracts any evaluation bias.
Show Links:

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


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Glenn Carroll and Jenny Chatman on How to Make Your Organizational Culture Great02 Dec 202500:36:13

On this special episode, Sameer turns the tables on Jenny and puts her in the guest chair to talk about the new book she wrote with Stanford Professor Glenn Carroll – Making Organizational Culture Great: Moving Beyond Popular Beliefs, out April 2026. 

Based on decades of research, Glenn and Jenny’s book takes on the myths, clichés, and wishful thinking about organizational culture and replaces them with what works. In this interview, they give Sameer a sneak preview of some of the top tips in the book and how leaders can start building a great organizational culture today. 

Learn more about The Culture Kit and find the full transcript: https://haas.berkeley.edu/culture/culture-kit-podcast/

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*

4 main takeaways from Sameer’s interview with Jenny and Glenn:
  1. Get a spreadsheet: Be deliberate and serious about culture: treat culture like anything else in your organization that you prioritize. That means tracking!
  2. Don’t start and end with announcing your values: Be consistent and comprehensive in the changes you make in an organization. Embed cultural values into every process your organization has.
  3. Be aware that culture can change: Be willing to continually drive it and cultivate it into the kind of culture you’re hoping for. Be patient and don’t expect overnight success.
  4. The science is easy to understand, but executing is hard. Understand the science to operate from a position of confidence.
Show Links:

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


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Erica Bailey on Authenticity at Work—Beyond the Buzzword11 Nov 202500:26:18

Should you bring your “whole self” to work? Why does authenticity matter for organizations? And what does being “authentic” even mean? 

On this episode of The Culture Kit, Jenny and Sameer sit down with their colleague Erica Bailey, whose research is changing how we think about authenticity and leadership. Bailey, an assistant professor in the Management of Organizations Group at UC Berkeley Haas, talks about why she began studying authenticity,  generational differences in attitudes about authenticity at work, and how we might preserve our human value in the age of AI. 

Learn more about The Culture Kit and find the full transcript: https://haas.berkeley.edu/culture/culture-kit-podcast/

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*

3 main takeaways from Jenny & Sameer’s interview with Erica Bailey:
  1. Focus on your own authenticity and less on convincing others: Most people’s perception of your authenticity has more to do with their own preconceived notions and less about who you really are. Spend more energy on learning about who you are, at work and in your relationships.
  2. Leaders should seek to create a respectful environment:yLeaders foster authenticity in others by valuing their contributions and setting norms of genuine respect and engagement—rather than mandating people to be “authentic” with their managers. 
  3. Find authentic peer relationships: Authenticity is best nurtured through trusted, horizontal relationships at work. Find peers who earn and nurture your vulnerability and meet you with authenticity in return. 
Show Links:
  • Erica’s website: http://ericarbailey.com/
  • “The preeminence of communality in the leadership preferences of followers,” By Rebecca Ponce de Leon and Erica Bailey, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2025: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2025-76072-001
  • “What do workers really want in a leader?” By Erica Bailey, Haas News: https://newsroom.haas.berkeley.edu/research/what-do-workers-really-want-in-a-leader-new-study-challenges-stereotypes/
  • “Positive—More than unbiased—Self-perceptions increase subjective authenticity.” By Erica Bailey and Sheena Iyengar, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2023: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2024-18545-001?doi=1

Learn more about the podcast and the Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation at www.haas.org/culture-kit.

 

*The Culture Kit with Jenny & Sameer is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*


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