Best tentwentytwo / Culture Partners Podcasts (2025)

1
CEO Pessimism and Uncertainty 4:48

24h ago4:48

4:48

In today's episode: Fortune's latest report shows increasing CEO pessimism. The threat of tariffs will always be present under President Trump; uncertainty is now the name of the game. Leaders and companies need to develop the muscle of being adaptive. Surrender is key; focus on what you can control. CEO Daily Brief is a daily, five-minute podcast …

1
HBO, Brand, and Culture 5:47

3d ago5:47

5:47

In today's episode: In the social media age, companies no longer have a firewall between their public image and their internal workings. A company's brand is an external manifestation of its culture. Messy branding--like we're seeing with HBO--is a sign of trouble within a company's culture. CEO Daily Brief is a daily, five-minute podcast for CEOs …

1
Happy Birthday, John Frehse 8:37

3d ago8:37

8:37

In today's episode featuring John Frehse's mother, Dale... We learn that friend of the show (and birthday boy!) John Frehse has no deep, dark secrets from his childhood. He was--and is--a creative, conscientious leader who cares for people who are often forgotten. CEO Daily Brief is a daily, five-minute podcast for CEOs where we dissect the week's …

1
The Cognitive Cost of Proactivity 6:13

6d ago6:13

6:13

In today's episode: Proactivity at work has many benefits; it increases meaning, engagement, and change. But that proactivity has a real cognitive cost. Change produces fatigue. Leaders need to build that cost into their thinking. Build in more breaks, schedule proactive time, and make it safe to experiment. CEO Daily Brief is a daily, five-minute …

1
Consciously Unbossing - Jessica on CNN 3:53

7d ago3:53

3:53

In today's episode: Increasingly, employees are opting out of the management leadership track. And it's not because they're lazy. Some people have been the victims of bad leadership; they've seen leaders be inauthentic or too controlling, and they're choosing to put their energy elsewhere. The rise of AI has caused companies to cut middle managemen…

1
Case Studies in AI Messaging: Duolingo, Shopify, and Fiverr 6:05

8d ago6:05

6:05

In today's episode, we explore three levels of corporate messages regarding AI-based changes within the company: The inauthentic message from Duolingo's leadership is a great example of what not to do--a muddled message about replacing people with AI while also claiming to be people-first. Shopify's CEO took a hardcore approach, committing to AI an…

1
Fairness in an Organization 4:47

9d ago4:47

4:47

In today's episode: ABM's Raul Valentin focuses on the value of fairness and equal opportunity. Consistency in policy across all levels of an organization allows everyone an opportunity to excel. At the same time, fairness can be subjective. There's no one-size-fits-all answer for any policy problem. Culture Leaders Daily is a daily, five-minute po…

1
What the Pope Can Teach Us About Succession Planning 6:36

10d ago6:36

6:36

In today's episode, we get some lessons on succession planning from the Catholic Church: In these permanently uncertain times, stability is a leadership asset. The Vatican's well-defined system provides a smooth transition. Culture outlasts charisma. An organization's belief systems need to be codified if they're going to survive. There's safety in…

1
What Do Employers and Employees Owe To Each Other? 7:33

13d ago7:33

7:33

In today's episode: Workers and businesses alike tend to think they're entitled to more than they actually are from each other. In an era of deteriorating trust, the reality is that nobody should expect more than what's stipulated by laws and contracts. To get what they want, all parties need to create experiences that shape the beliefs of their ne…

1
Investment Banking Work-Weeks 6:28

14d ago6:28

6:28

In today's episode: Investment banking has a culture of long hours and pushing people to the brink; a recent article noted that Baird has a norm of 110-hour work weeks. Ultimately, people know the demands of what they're signing up for in these fields; it's a huge amount of money with high stakes. Not everyone has the privilege to make decisions ab…

1
The Power of Second Thoughts - The Legacy of David Horowitz & Peter Collier 6:49

15d ago6:49

6:49

In today's episode from the This Week in Culture Newsletter: Jessica reflects on "Destructive Generation: Second Thoughts on the Sixties" by David Horowitz and Peter Collier. The book discusses how both men's ideologies shifted radically throughout their lives--and the experiences that led to those changes. Beliefs aren't changed by rousing speeche…

1
Performance Evaluations and Authenticity 7:18

16d ago7:18

7:18

In today's episode: Google is changing compensation to reward high performers; but metrics for judging "high performance" are always subjective. Calibration sessions can help, but they can also reveal some ugly biases. John and Jessica discuss how group evaluations can feel like a tribunal and quickly become unhelpful. CEO Daily Brief is a daily, f…

1
The April Jobs Numbers - Jessica on LiveNow FOX 7:20

17d ago7:20

7:20

In today's episode: The April jobs report was solid; but it may not capture much of the fallout from President Trump's tariffs. In times of big change, companies don't necessarily start with layoffs; they'll begin by holding hiring and adjusting strategy. Culture Partners research shows that an important factor in success is the ability to adapt qu…

1
Soul Beyond Sustenance 6:40

20d ago6:40

6:40

In today's episode: Brand and culture are fundamentally intertwined. Connecting people to a brand's big-picture purpose can both serve a mission and drive results. For Denny's, the purpose is to feed people--body, mind, and soul. The company can use those three criteria to make business decisions with a clear direction. Culture Leaders Daily is a d…

1
The World is Surrendering to Climate Change 7:20

21d ago7:20

7:20

In today's episode: A NYT opinion piece by essayist David Wallace-Wells talks about how world leaders are "surrendering" to climate change by accepting defeat before the battle is over. By contrast, a good leader surrenders the illusion of control while taking accountability for everything within their control. In the case of the climate, there's s…

1
Change Management Is Dead. Long Live Change Leadership 5:37

22d ago5:37

5:37

In today's episode: The world is changing too fast for discrete change management "efforts" to succeed. Change is a constant. Change is about the "skill, will, and hill" -- knowledge, employee desire, and the external roadblocks that stand in the way. Executives grossly overestimate change willingness in employees, as compared to middle managers. C…

1
The Power of Being Seen 6:00

23d ago6:00

6:00

In today's episode: Kelli Valade, CEO of Denny's, explains her philosophy that a leader's most important job is to make people feel seen. Her early experiences in the restaurant industry exposed her to a second family who invested in her welfare; she also found restaurants are a place where people come to be seen. Later in her career, a small gestu…

1
A New Executive Order on Workplace Discrimination 6:15

24d ago6:15

6:15

In today's episode: A new executive order basically revokes the disparate impact theory: discrimination is only judged on intentions, not outcomes. The legal liability for discrimination is going down, but that may not change the cultural and societal consequences that come from removing DEI and other programs. Ultimately, this will be a test of st…

1
Wealth, Feminism, and Blue Origin 6:17

27d ago6:17

6:17

In today's episode: Jessica argues the hype around last week's Blue Origin space flight is privilege masquerading as feminism. John doesn't disagree, but says we have bigger fish to fry regardless, between the economy and geopolitics. CEO Daily Brief is a daily, five-minute podcast for CEOs where we dissect the week's biggest news, unpack hot-butto…

1
Tariff Impacts Large and Small 5:19

28d ago5:19

5:19

In today's episode: If the China tariffs continue, loads of everyday products--like makeup--will become twice as expensive. These small-scale impacts will happen everywhere. Meanwhile, on the large scale, China has cancelled its planned purchases of Boeing airplanes. That macro-level decisions also have huge consequences across the economy. CEO Dai…

1
Houston, We Have a Culture Problem 6:05

29d ago6:05

6:05

In today's episode: The hype over last week's Blue Origin space mission got a slew of criticism for being spectacle over substance. We see a similar focus on spectacle in attempts at culture change, too. But people recognize inauthenticity in their bones. Culture change is about slow, consistent progress. It requires leaders to focus on what they c…

1
Authenticity and Generative AI 6:23

30d ago6:23

6:23

In today's episode: People are still in the habit of "please" and "thank you" to ChatGPT; they're obeying the rules of politeness without actually meaning it. ChatGPT and other large-language models are echo chambers with a population of just ourselves. There's an erosion of authenticity in society generally, which AI is accelerating. CEO Daily Bri…

1
Convicted Versus Compliant Leadership 6:29

1M ago6:29

6:29

In today's episode: In the face of hardship, convicted leadership means taking a risk; compliant leadership absorbs difficult circumstances without rocking the boat. Both are valid paths. Neither choice should come from impulse or anger; it should be a calculated decision based on the stakes and values of a particular company. It's worth asking, as…

1
A Culture of Feedback and Improvement 7:33

1M ago7:33

7:33

In today's episode: Monique Robertson Gunter explains how she helped Wellby Financial build a culture where employees felt their feedback would be heard and implemented. She took regular feedback meetings, wrote lots of notes, and framed the conversation to create the belief that her follow-up questions came from curiosity, not defensiveness. By su…

1
The Results Equation in Action 7:27

1M ago7:27

7:27

In today's episode: In working with Culture Partners, Wellby Financial set key results and aligned a culture around achieving them. They escaped the action trap and built a culture of feedback and continuous improvement--as a result, they've been hitting ambitious goals that weren't possible just a few years ago. In a culture of feedback, leaders h…

1
Compensating Top Talent 7:24

1M ago7:24

7:24

In today's episode: Your top talent knows they're top talent; they have leverage, even if leadership doesn't acknowledge it directly. In volatile, inflationary times, everyone is feeling the pressure; now is a good time to revisit compensation strategies. Try opening a direct conversation with top talent about compensation, rather than waiting for …

1
Disruption Fatigue 5:44

1M ago5:44

5:44

In today's episode: Jessica talks about Greg Satell's new article - We Need to Break the Disruption Mindset Workers are tired of the Silicon Valley-esque obsession with disruption. They have change fatigue. Lasting change can't be mandated or enforced. It comes from common ground and steady buy-in. CEO Daily Brief is a daily, five-minute podcast fo…

1
A Workforce in Survival Mode 5:52

1M ago5:52

5:52

In today's episode: Worker confidence is lower than leadership confidence, and it's declining faster. There are three root causes: ambiguity around AI and the economy, erosion of workplace culture, and stagnation leading to a lack of innovation. To avoid companies becoming rigid and inflexible--which hampers creativity and results--leaders should a…

1
Being in the People Business 5:33

1M ago5:33

5:33

In today's episode: Companies are more than just profits and losses on a spreadsheet; they're made of people with drive, knowledge, and morale. To ConstantContact's Frank Vella, first-line managers are the key to keeping the company running smoothly. By communicating with managers and responding to feedback, Frank creates sincere, consistent story …

1
Tariffs and the Auto Workers 6:58

1M ago6:58

6:58

In today's episode: President Trump's long-term strategy with tariffs is to bring back American manufacturingg. In the short term, manufacturing will shut down across America as companies put a hold on shipping goods. As a leader of the UAW told Jessica: even if the tariffs are good on paper for auto workers, a nationwide recession is still bad for…

1
Agility is the New Stability 6:46

1M ago6:46

6:46

In today's episode: We're living in a time of constant changes; the best way to survive is to be flexible. This pairs with the research Culture Partners did with Stanford: an adaptable culture proved to outperform any specific culture type. When conditions shift, strategies shift. When strategies shift, culture needs to shift to meet the new needs.…

1
President Trump's Liberation Day 7:20

1M ago7:20

7:20

In today's episode: Jessica and John react to the sweeping tariffs President Trump announced last week, and the market nosedive that we've seen since. The tariffs have set the world into an "us versus them" situation; the rest of the world is going to start making deals and alliances without the input of the US. It's not clear what the plan is; and…

1
The March Jobs Report - Jessica on Schwab Network 6:28

2M ago6:28

6:28

In today's episode from Schwab Network: The March jobs report was pretty promising--but it's being overshadowed by the uncertainty around the tariff story. The jobs report is looking backward, while everyone is looking forward to the uncertain future. Agility is the new stability. Leaders need to focus on how to pivot as the situation changes in th…

1
Highlight: Culture Q&A 4:28

2M ago4:28

4:28

In today's clip from one of Jessica's keynotes: If it seems like somebody isn't bought into the company's mission, there's an easy fix: ask. If they're not bought in, then learn what experiences they would need to acquire the beliefs you want. Subcultures are natural within a company. Internal diversity of thought can often be a strength. Company c…

1
Layoffs at Health and Human Services - Jessica on Merit TV 6:14

2M ago6:14

6:14

In today's episode from Merit TV: Last week, RFK Jr. announced large cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services--amid big cuts across Washington. Lives are impacted by big job cuts, but a leader's job is to figure out their purpose, strategy, and how to create clarity, alignment, and accountability around those things. The key question: wh…

1
The Power of Saying "You're Right" 4:26

2M ago4:26

4:26

In today's episode with special guest, Andrew Collier: Deals aren't about dominance. There's a power in acknowledging the beliefs and positions of other people. A conciliatory attitude puts both parties of a negotiation on equal footing; from that place of parity, real business relationships can flourish. CEO Daily Brief is a daily, five-minute pod…

1
Doing Business with Humanity 4:46

2M ago4:46

4:46

In today's episode with special guest, Andrew Collier: One of the biggest mistakes that leaders can make is to forget their humanity in pursuit of results. At a basic level, deals are still made between people who need to like and trust each other. When people interact authentically--no matter how different they are--that shared humanity is the fou…

1
AI and the Abundance Mindset - Jessica on Merit TV 5:10

2M ago5:10

5:10

In today's episode from Merit TV: AI is coming in all fields: manufacturing, knowledge work, organization, and leadership. With an abundance mindset, we can use that change to benefit all people. But that takes a shift in leadership. It's a mistake to offload leadership tasks to AI; leaders should be creating belief systems that allow us to leverag…

1
Highlight: The Experiences That Shape Culture 4:18

2M ago4:18

4:18

In today's clip from one of Jessica's keynotes: Experiences shape your company's culture. The most powerful real experiences: Storytelling, Recognition, and Feedback. Every week, if you share one story, give two people recognition, and give or receive three pieces of feedback, you can take concrete steps to reinforcing the culture that you want. Ev…

1
Culture and Alignment During Crisis (Part 3) 4:43

2M ago4:43

4:43

In today's episode: Employee ownership is a great way to get company-wide alignment, but it's not the only tool. Alignment can come from storytelling, reinforcing mission-aligned behaviors, and other experiences throughout an employee's tenure. Leaders control the experiences of their employees; those experiences create a culture where employees ar…

1
Avoiding the Action Trap During Distress (Part 2) 8:06

2M ago8:06

8:06

In today's episode: The action trap destroys innovation and creativity. The key to avoiding the action trap is realizing that employees are people driven by their underlying beliefs--not just directives from leadership. Those beliefs are powerful drivers of action. Some experiences are unavoidably bad, and will end up associated with leadership no …

1
Navigating Recessions and Crisis (Part 1) 8:06

2M ago8:06

8:06

In today's episode: In recessions, some companies panic and some try to take advantage of the situation. It turns out, the best approach was to do nothing at all. The panic of a crisis can lead to compliance, as employees try to retain their jobs by not rocking the boat. But compliance isn't the same thing as alignment. They key is to avoid the act…

1
Employee Ownership and CEO Empathy 8:40

2M ago8:40

8:40

In today's episode: KKR's Pete Stavros explains some of the CEO pushback to employee shared ownership models--including the fact that it can seem like an overwhelming change. Shared ownership aligns the incentives for employees and leaders, breaking down silos and fostering collaboration. Empathy is a variable trait that can be trained, and more em…

1
The Potential of Employee Ownership 6:15

2M ago6:15

6:15

In today's episode: KKR's Pete Stavros explains why he believes employee shared ownership can help solve the inequality and unhappiness in our workforce. The ESOP movement has been around for decades, but the concept is still not well-known. While hourly wages disincentivize productivity, employee shared ownership aligns the incentives of employees…

1
Highlight: Crafting a Culture with Experiences 6:41

2M ago6:41

6:41

In today's clip from one of Jessica's keynotes: Getting better results means changing culture. Changing culture starts with experiences that shape employee beliefs. Companies can craft the experience at every stage of the employee journey, from recruitment through onboarding, through working. Singular experiences don't change culture; it's a long-t…

1
Burnout, Apathy, and the Action Trap - Jessica on NewsNation 4:29

2M ago4:29

4:29

In today's episode from NewsNation: When companies get caught in the Action Trap, workers burn out without any meaningful change to the culture. Getting out of the Action Trap requires surrendering; accepting the world as it is, then working with it. We're constantly being told to live in fear. Escaping that fear requires accepting reality and taki…

1
60% of Americans Feel Trapped in Their Jobs 6:12

2M ago6:12

6:12

In today's episode: Most jobs aren't fun and easy. All employees can take accountability by making a personal choice to focus on what they can control. Still, leaders can help; they can create experiences that don't make employees feel trapped, like making sure they can express needs without fear of reprisal. "Loyalty" can be a trap if it causes em…

1
The Surrendered Leader 6:40

2M ago6:40

6:40

In today's episode: We've been told that great leaders take control to force change. That often means trying to force culture changes. Culture can't be controlled; it responds to conditions. When leaders create the right conditions, people create the results. The "Surrendered" Leader recognizes that they can only control the experiences they create…

1
Highlight: Avoiding the Action Trap 5:06

2M ago5:06

5:06

In today's clip from one of Jessica's keynotes: Don't get caught in the Action Trap, where a company constantly tries new actions and to achieve results without looking any deeper. The result is burnout without lasting change. Experiences create beliefs, which inform actions, which drive results. To produce lasting chance within a company, curate e…

1
Burnout is a Culture Problem 6:43

2M ago6:43

6:43

In today's episode: Burnout is still a nationwide problem. And according to a recent study, the cost of burnout is $4,000-$21,000 per year, per employee. Programs won't solve it. If a company's culture rewards behavior that leads to burnout, those are the behaviors that it will see from employees. Leadership sets the example. If a leader calls in f…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Tentwentytwo / Culture Partners Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide