Did you know...

70% of transformation efforts fail due to culture-related issues (Kotter, 2012)?

Only 31% of employees strongly agree that their company has a positive culture (Gallup, 2023)?

Toxic workplace cultures cost U.S. businesses over $223 billion in turnover in just five years (SHRM, 2019)?

76% of employees say culture directly impacts their productivity (MIT Sloan Management Review, 2021)?

Corporate culture isn’t just a trendy phrase—it’s the backbone of employee engagement, retention, and overall organizational success. Yet, despite its importance, many companies struggle to foster a truly positive and sustainable workplace environment.

So, where are organizations going wrong?

Why do leaders struggle to cultivate cultures that foster trust, collaboration, and innovation? And most importantly—how can we fix it?

To break this down, I’m joined by Barbara Patchen, Founder & Head Coach at Moonlight Strategy and an experienced organizational psychology practitioner. With a career spanning leadership roles in talent and organizational development—partnering with companies like Hyatt Hotels, Uber, Expedia, Cigna, CVS, and T-Mobile. Barbara brings a wealth of knowledge on how to build thriving workplaces in today’s fast-paced, ever-evolving business landscape.

🔹 Understanding the Problem

• What defines a “healthy workplace culture,” and why do so many companies struggle to achieve it?
• What are the most common signs of a toxic work environment?
• How does poor company culture affect engagement, retention, and productivity?

🔹 Root Causes of Culture Failure

• Why do leaders often underestimate the role of culture in business success?

🔹 Cultural Pitfalls & Barriers to Change

• How do companies unintentionally promote toxic behaviors?

🔹 Strategies for Building a Thriving Culture

• What are the essential ingredients of a successful workplace culture?
• How can organizations measure and track the health of their culture over time?

🔹 Leadership & Accountability

• What steps can leaders take to personally champion and sustain a strong culture?
• How can organizations recover after a culture crisis or scandal?

🔹 Future of Workplace Culture

• What trends will shape corporate culture in the next 5–10 years?

Barbara offers actionable insights on how organizations can stop treating culture as an afterthought and start making it a competitive advantage. If you’re a leader, HR professional, or someone passionate about transforming workplace culture, this episode is a must-listen.

🎧 Tune in to uncover why so many companies fail at creating healthy cultures—and how yours can get it right.

According to research from the Center for Talent Innovation, executive presence accounts for 26% of what it takes to get promoted within an organization. Yet, many professionals find it challenging to define and develop this crucial quality.

So, what exactly is executive presence? 

Is it about commanding a room with confidence, gravitas, communication, appearance, or is there more beneath the surface? How can you cultivate this presence to advance in your career?

Joining me to discuss this topic is Whitney Faires, an internationally recognized coach, keynote speaker, high-achieving executive, and leadership expert with two decades of corporate experience. 

 As the founder of Whitney Faires Coaching, Speaking & Development, she has worked with leaders and organizations worldwide, helping them build high-performing teams, strengthen resilience, and develop executive presence. 

 Whitney is a Certified Coach (PCC, ICF), passionate about empowering professionals to push past obstacles, unlock their full potential, and achieve lasting success. Beyond her work, she’s a proud mother and wife, committed to balancing leadership with personal fulfillment.

Connect with Whitney:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-faires-14955a38/

https://www.instagram.com/whitney_faires

https://www.facebook.com/WhitneyFairesCoaching/

https://www.whitneyfaires.com/

In this episode of The Leadership Code, my guest, Dave Martin addresses the challenge of leadership paralysis—the state of being stuck in indecision despite the pressing need to act. We explore the common causes behind this paralysis, including fear of failure, information overload, and perfectionism, and discuss practical strategies leaders can use to break free. Our conversation highlights the importance of self-awareness, decisive action, and fostering a team culture that embraces thoughtful risk-taking. Whether it’s fear of failure, information overload, or pressure to make the “perfect” choice, many leaders find themselves stuck, unable to act. So, if you’ve ever felt immobilized by the weight of leadership decisions, this conversation is for you.

In this episode of The Leadership Code Podcast, we explore the transformative power of Purpose-Driven Leadership, which is the key to unlocking fulfillment and peak performance. Research consistently shows that when leaders align their values with their work, engagement skyrockets, burnout decreases, and teams thrive. But how do we truly integrate purpose into leadership in a way that creates a lasting impact?

Joining me for this conversation is Bianca Best, a globally recognized speaker, author, and strategist who has collaborated with some of the world’s most influential companies, including Google, Amazon, WPP, Deloitte, Barclays, and Unilever. With a career dedicated to helping professionals achieve extraordinary success without sacrificing their well-being, Bianca brings a wealth of knowledge on how leaders can sustain high performance while staying true to their purpose.

As the author of Big Impact Without Burnout, Bianca shares actionable strategies for aligning values, vision, and leadership impact, even in today’s demanding corporate landscape. In our discussion, we cover:

✅ The science behind values-driven leadership and why it fuels engagement and productivity
✅ How to recognize and navigate misalignment between personal values and organizational goals
✅ Real-world examples of purpose-driven leaders who have transformed their workplaces
✅ Practical tools for sustaining purpose over time, especially in high-pressure environments
✅ How leaders can foster a culture of alignment and fulfillment for their teams

If you’re a leader looking to create impact without burnout, this episode is for you! Tune in for insightful strategies, inspiring stories, and practical takeaways that will help you harness the power of purpose-driven leadership.

#Leadership #PurposeDrivenLeadership #BiancaBest #BigImpactWithoutBurnout #HighPerformance #SustainableSuccess #ValuesAlignment

In this episode, we’re joined by Irene Riad, Founder of SightCET, The Institute of Authentic Leadership Culture. Irene is an Inspirational Speaker, ICF PCC Executive Coach, Systemic Team Coach, and Author. She brings a wealth of expertise as a certified Complex Trauma Recovery Coach and a Master Jungian Coach. Together, we explored the critical role of cultural intelligence in leadership and organizational success. During our conversation, Irene shared insights on:

Whether you’re a leader, coach, or simply curious about building bridges across cultural boundaries, this episode will inspire you to rethink your approach to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing environment, coaching is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity for effective leadership. Leaders face complex challenges, from driving innovation to managing diverse teams and fostering inclusivity. Coaching provides them with the tools and insights to enhance their decision-making, communication, and adaptability.

In this episode, we’ll explore why coaching is a game-changer for leaders, how it unlocks potential, and how platforms like Terawatt are revolutionizing the way we approach growth and leadership development. Join us as Francie Jain shares her inspiring journey and her insights into the transformative power of coaching.

Francie Jain is a visionary leader dedicated to empowering individuals to reach their full potential and creating positive ripple effects in communities. With a career that began in alternative asset marketing, Francie transitioned to entrepreneurship to address a critical gap: the lack of professional support for individuals at pivotal crossroads in their lives. This passion led her to found Terawatt, an innovative platform that makes personal and professional growth accessible to everyone.

In this episode of The Leadership Code, we explore how organizations can effectively link measurable outcomes to strategic goals. My guest, Tim Beattie, CEO and co-founder of Stellafai, brings over 20 years of experience as an agile and lean coach, helping organizations move beyond task tracking to achieve impactful results.

Tim shares insights from his career, including his time as Global Head of Product for Red Hat Open Innovation Labs and his co-authorship of DevOps Culture and Practice, a book on delivering continuous business value. He explains how his work with Stellafai provides teams with the tools to align their daily work with organizational purpose, driving engagement and accountability.

We discuss common challenges organizations face when bridging the gap between strategy and execution, the role of measurable outcomes in creating alignment, and the importance of fostering a culture of ownership and transparency. Tim also shares actionable advice and real-world examples of how goal-oriented teams can adopt agile and lean principles to deliver results that matter.

Whether you're a leader seeking to enhance your organization's execution capabilities or a professional looking to align your efforts with strategic goals, this episode offers valuable frameworks and tools to ensure your strategies lead to measurable success.

Tune in to learn how to transform strategy into results with insights from one of the industry's leading experts in strategy execution.

#OKRs, #silos, #culture, #strategy, #communication, #leadership, #goal-setting

What if the secret to transforming organizational performance lies not in complex strategies or endless metrics but in how leaders see themselves? What if the first step to driving change starts with the courage to look inward and embrace a new perspective?

Welcome to The Leadership Code podcast, where we challenge conventional wisdom and explore the strategies that empower leaders to inspire excellence. I’m your host, [Your Name], and today we’re diving into “Ways Leaders Drive Organizational Performance” with an extraordinary guest who knows exactly how to turn insight into impact.

Dr. Laura Gallaher is a national best-selling author, organizational psychologist, and cultural transformation expert who brings a unique blend of radical self-acceptance and humor to her work. From helping NASA rebuild its culture after the Columbia accident to leading groundbreaking change at Disney and inspiring transformation at Yahoo, Dr. Laura has a proven track record of reshaping how organizations and leaders thrive.

In this episode, we’ll uncover the three powerful ways leaders can elevate organizational performance—starting with themselves. 

Take Dr. Gallaher's self-acceptance quiz to discover your path to continuous growth.

By 2025, millennials are projected to become the largest segment of the global workforce, comprising over 75% of employees, according to Pew Research Center. This generational shift presents both opportunities and challenges for organizations seeking to inspire effective leadership in a rapidly evolving and divided world.

In this episode, Fred sits down with Susan Inouye, a leadership expert and advocate for Sawubona Leadership. Derived from the Zulu greeting meaning "I see you," Sawubona Leadership emphasizes authentic connection, empathy, and empowerment—principles that resonate deeply with millennials seeking purpose-driven careers and inclusive workplaces.

Key questions explored during this engaging discussion include:

Susan shares her mission to spread the principles of Sawubona to leaders at all levels, providing actionable insights to help organizations cultivate leaders who can drive collaboration, innovation, and unity.

Listeners can learn more about Susan and her work at www.susaninouye.com/theleadershipcode.

In this episode of The Leadership Code, we’re joined by Andrea Wanerstrand, an accomplished executive coach and expert in emotional intelligence and leadership development. Together, we explore the vital role emotions play in the workplace and how leaders and teams can navigate them to create healthier, more productive environments.

Andrea shares her insights on why emotional intelligence is a must-have skill in today’s dynamic workplace and offers practical strategies for managing emotions during high-pressure situations. She also discusses the challenges leaders face when addressing emotionally charged conflicts and how to foster a culture of empathy and resilience.

We unpack several thought-provoking questions, including:

Tune in for a rich conversation that will leave you inspired to approach workplace emotions with greater understanding and intention!