In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast On The Road, we sit down with Khalil Smith, VP, Inclusion, Diversity, and Engagement at Akamai Technologies, to unpack what it really takes to build a performance culture where people trust each other enough to speak up, challenge ideas, and grow.

Khalil explains why culture is not what leaders say they want, but what the organization actually rewards, and why silence is often the clearest signal that trust has broken down.

He shares how leaders can build stronger cultures by creating trust, encouraging healthy disagreement, aligning systems with values, and making recognition and feedback feel honest, specific, and useful.

Most importantly, Khalil reveals why the future of culture belongs to organizations that close the gap between what they say and what they reward, creating environments where people can challenge respectfully, perform boldly, and speak up without fear.

🎓 In this episode, Khalil discusses:

1. How culture is shaped through awareness, behavior, community, and systems
2. Why recognition only works when it is grounded in honesty, specificity, and trust
3. ow leaders can create the conditions for employees to speak up and challenge ideas
4. Why healthy disagreement is essential for trust, performance, and better decision-making
5. Why organizations must align internal reality with the values they communicate externally

🙏 Thank you to our partner, Workhuman

Discover how Workhuman helps organizations turn recognition into real business impact, building stronger cultures, more connected teams, and better visibility into the people driving performance.

✅ Learn more about Workhuman → https://www.workhuman.com/

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