Culture Leaders

Latest Episodes:

Special: Navigating the unknown with resilience May 13, 2020

Show notes

As most people are trapped at home, forced to grapple with the stress and anxiety from a confined space, there has never been a more relevant time to prioritize mental health. People are experiencing widespread and prolonged burnout and looking for ways to build meaningful connections in this new environment.

In this episode, Damon Klotz speaks with Dr. Omar Dawood, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Sales at Calm. Together they explore how to make space for vulnerability at work and tactics for navigating the unknown with resilience.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and leave us an honest review.

To learn more about Calm, go to https://www.calm.com/.

Join our Culture First community to discuss how you and others are #WorkingThroughIt.

Head to www.culturefirst.com/workingthroughit to experience our brand new multimedia series called Working Through It. It's a seven-part journey to navigate through a crisis.

Host: Culture Amp’s Work Culture Evangelist, Damon Klotz.

Production: Ayla Filipiak.

Editing: Nick Jaworski at Podcast Monster.

Design: Nicole Dominic, Lauren Mahoney, For the People Agency.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Special: What happens to our brain during a pandemic May 06, 2020

Show notes

COVID-19 has rapidly impacted individuals and organizations around the world. However you’ve been affected, the stress and anxiety from this global pandemic can take a meaningful toll on our health and wellness.

In this episode, Damon Klotz speaks with Wendy Suzuki, Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at New York University, about how extreme stress affects our brains. Throughout their conversation they explore simple techniques for calming anxiety, the difference between good and bad anxiety, and physical actions we can take to improve our physical and mental wellbeing.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and leave us an honest review.

To learn more about Wendy Suzuki, go to https://www.wendysuzuki.com/.

Join our Culture First community to discuss how you and others are #WorkingThroughIt.

Head to www.culturefirst.com/workingthroughit to experience our brand new multimedia series called Working Through It. It's a seven-part journey to navigate through a crisis.

Host: Culture Amp’s Work Culture Evangelist, Damon Klotz.

Production: Ayla Filipiak.

Editing: Nick Jaworski at Podcast Monster.

Design: Nicole Dominic, Lauren Mahoney, For the People Agency.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Special: Working Through It - A collective, seven-part journey through crisis. Apr 28, 2020

Show notes

We are excited to announce a new seven-part series of the Culture First Podcast as we navigate the impacts of the global pandemic and explore the new world of work.

Join our Culture First community to discuss how you and others are #WorkingThroughIt.

Head to https://www.culturefirst.com/workingthroughit as we begin a collective journey through this crisis, together.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A seat at the table, with Minda Harts Apr 22, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, Damon sits down with Minda Harts, founder of The Memo, and author of the book by the same name. Minda has dedicated her life’s work to supporting the career development of women of color. Listen below to learn Minda’s approach to improving workplace inclusivity.

In the modern business landscape, everyone seems to be vying for a seat at the proverbial leadership table. However, Minda suggests it might be time to throw out the old table and build a new one designed to include a wider range of voices. Together, Damon and Minda explore ways to amplify the voices of diverse employees.

We then hear from Lindsay Kaplan, Co-Founder of Chief, a private community created to connect and support women leaders. Lindsay shares the importance of creating a space for authenticity and vulnerability within a community of leaders.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and leave us an honest review.

To learn more about Minda Harts, go to http://mindaharts.com/

To learn more about Chief, go to https://www.chief.com/

To watch this podcast's video teaser, get an update when new episodes launch or find more information, head over to www.culturefirstpodcast.com, and to learn more about Culture Amp, visit www.cultureamp.com.

Host: Culture Amp’s Work Culture Evangelist, Damon Klotz.

Executive production: Sarah Lessire.

Production: Ayla Filipiak

Editing: Nick Jaworski at Podcast Monster.

Design: Nicole Dominic, Amelia Chieng and Christine Tapawan.

Culture Amp Data: Vivian Woo.

Video: Kyle Doan.

Original music: Sarah Lessire.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Activism at work, with DeRay McKesson Apr 08, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, Damon sits down with DeRay McKesson, civil rights activist and host of “Pod Save the People”. DeRay works to connect individuals with knowledge and tools, and provide citizens and policymakers with policies that ensure equity.

Empowering employees to bring their whole selves to work is a staple of a Culture First organization. But does that mean leaders should make space for activism in the workplace? Damon and DeRay McKesson explore how organizational activism can be a key lever for systematic change. Together, they uncover key ways that businesses can drive meaningful change at the structural level, beyond merely programming.

We then hear from our very own CEO Didier Elzinga, who shares how business leaders can create space for activism in the workplace and empower systematic change.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and leave us an honest review.

Host: Culture Amp’s Work Culture Evangelist, Damon Klotz.

Executive production: Sarah Lessire.

Production: Ayla Filipiak.

Editing: Nick Jaworski at Podcast Monster.

Design: Nicole Dominic, Amelia Chieng and Christine Tapawan.

Culture Amp Data: Vivian Woo.

Video: Kyle Doan.

Original music: Sarah Lessire.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The resilience playbook for leaders, with Tania Luna Mar 25, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, Damon meets with Tania Luna, Co-CEO of LifeLabs Learning, whose work revolves around learning, psychology, and surprise. Together, they shine a light on the opportunity leaders have to make the most out of the COVID-19 crisis being nimble and adaptive.

In times of crisis, the environment we operate in changes the norms we are used to. When volatility and uncertainty are at their peak, we need different tools than the ones used when things are predictable, consistent and clear. LifeLabs has a playbook to help leaders manage anxiety and increase resilience across organizations. Damon and Tania touch on the resources outlined in the playbook and discuss how we can recover and thrive in the midst of uncertainty.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and leave us an honest review.

To learn more about Tania Luna and LifeLabsLearning, go to https://lifelabslearning.com/faculty/tania-luna/.

Host: Culture Amp’s Work Culture Evangelist, Damon Klotz.

Executive production: Sarah Lessire.

Assistant production: Ayla Cleworth

Editing: Nick Jaworski at Podcast Monster.

Design: Nicole Dominic, Amelia Chieng and Christine Tapawan.

Culture Amp Data: Vivian Woo.

Video: Kyle Doan.

Original music: Sarah Lessire.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Empathy, compassion, work: Part 2, with Taryn Hughes Mar 11, 2020

Show notes

We believe that compassion is mandatory in the building of a Culture First organization. If like us, you’re passionate about people, there’s a good chance you also have high levels of compassion. However, compassion does come with a risk of secondary trauma exposure, or “compassion fatigue”.

In this episode, Damon meets with Taryn Hughes, CEO of Forest Hughes & Associates, somatic trauma recovery specialist, and creator of the first-ever workplace friendly secondary trauma recovery program - Compassion Fatigue RESET™️.

They talk about what compassion fatigue is, how it differs from regular burnout, and how to remedy, mitigate and prevent it.

We then get on the ground with Leah Hirsch, Director of Professional Development at Math for America, and hear about how she’s implemented Taryn's program "Compassion Fatigue for Career Satisfaction" to address teachers’ compassion fatigue at Math for America.

Finally, Damon chats withMai Ton, Founder of EMP HR Consulting, to understand how we can reconcile the fact that an organization has an infinite need to provide care and support for their people, but only a finite capacity to do so.

We have partnered with Taryn Hughes to offer our podcast listeners a highly valuable brochure: “Secondary-trauma exposure at work: its impact and a mitigation technique.” Get your copy at www.culturefirstpodcast.com/compassion

And if you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and leave us an honest review.

To learn more about Taryn Hughes and compassion fatigue, go to http://foresthughes.com/.

To find out more about Math For America, visit https://www.mathforamerica.org/.

To connect with Mai Ton head to https://www.emphrconsulting.com/.

Host: Culture Amp’s Work Culture Evangelist, Damon Klotz.

Production: Sarah Lessire.

Assistant Production: Ayla Cleworth

Editing: Nick Jaworski at Podcast Monster.

Design: Nicole Dominic, Amelia Chieng and Christine Tapawan.

Culture Amp Data: Vivian Woo.

Video: Kyle Doan.

Original music: Sarah Lessire.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Empathy, compassion, work: Part 1, with Michael Ventura Feb 26, 2020

Show notes

Intuitively, you might get the sense that empathy and compassion play a key part in the making of a Culture First organization. Yet their definitions, inherent differences, and potential downfalls remain somewhat of a blur, especially in the context of the workplace.

The next two episodes of the Culture First podcast are dedicated to bringing clarity and applicable knowledge around these skills. Part 1 focuses on applied empathy, while Part 2 will bring compassion fatigue into the light.

In this episode, Damon meets with Michael Ventura, CEO and founder of Sub Rosa, and author of Applied Empathy. Together they explore topics such as how a manager can assess empathy levels, the kind of questions an empathetic leader should ask, what empathetic decision-making looks like, and whether a manager can build a team that fosters empathy when the larger the organization doesn’t.

Next, we hear from Stacey Nordwall, Culture Amp’s People Program Lead about hardwiring empathy within the fabric of People Operations and employee experience.

Finally, Damon chats with Ellen Sweeney, Head of People Operations at MeUndies, to learn about how the company approaches this, and how you can screen new hires for high levels of empathy.

As a gift to our podcast listeners, we’re offering “Connecting to Your Whole Self”, an excerpt from Michael Ventura’s book Applied Empathy.

And if you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and leave us an honest review.

To learn more about Michael Ventura, go to https://appliedempathy.com/.

To find out more about MeUndies, visit https://www.meundies.com/.

To connect with Stacey Nordwall, head to https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceynordwall/.

Host: Culture Amp’s Work Culture Evangelist, Damon Klotz.

Production: Sarah Lessire.

Assistant Production: Ayla Cleworth

Editing: Nick Jaworski at Podcast Monster.

Design: Nicole Dominic, Amelia Chieng and Christine Tapawan.

Culture Amp Data: Vivian Woo.

Video: Kyle Doan.

Original music: Sarah Lessire.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The death and rebirth of soft skills, with Claude Silver Feb 05, 2020

Show notes

The death and rebirth of soft skills, with Claude Silver

They’ve been called fluffy, vital, old school, new age… While few people in the world of work disagree about their benefits, many still argue over what to call them, and how to define them.

In this episode, Damon meets with Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia and executive coach, to discuss whether soft skills need rebranding, and what HR and Marketing functions might have in common. Hint: it’s a soft skill.

Next, we hear from Dara Blumenthal, Ph.D., developmental coach and critical theorist, to explore what holds people back from adopting and learning soft skills.

Finally, Damon chats with Richard Taylor, VP of Employee Experience at Nasdaq to learn about how he approaches this, and what listening means at Nasdaq.

As a gift to our podcast listeners, we are offering a free one-on-one coaching session with Claude Silver or Dara Blumenthal. Two winners will be picked and assigned one of the two coaches randomly. To participate in this raffle, head to www.culturefirstpodcast.com/softskills.

And if you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and leave us an honest review.

To learn more about Claude Silver, go to https://www.claudesilver.com/.

To find out more about Kate Snowise, visit https://www.darablumenthal.com/.

To connect with Richard Taylor, head to https://www.linkedin.com/in/richptaylor/.

Host: Culture Amp’s Work Culture Evangelist, Damon Klotz.

Production: Sarah Lessire.

Assistant Production: Ayla Cleworth

Editing: Nick Jaworski at Podcast Monster.

Design: Nicole Dominic, Amelia Chieng and Christine Tapawan.

Culture Amp Data: Vivian Woo.

Video: Kyle Doan.

Original music: Sarah Lessire.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The infinite mindset organization, with Simon Sinek Jan 22, 2020

Show notes

Simon Sinek identifies two different kinds of games: finite and infinite.

Finite games, such as football or chess, have known players, fixed rules, and an agreed-upon objective that often ends the game with a winner and a loser.

Infinite games, on the other hand, can be played by known and unknown players, have no exact rules and an infinite length of play.

An unshakable optimist, Simon believes in a bright future and works toward improving our ability to build it together. For him, a big part of this relies on the adoption of what he refers to as the “infinite mindset”.

In this episode, Damon and Simon explore what an “infinite mindset organization” looks like, what makes a great leader, and we can how to go from being know-it-alls to being a learn-it-alls.

Having identified resilience as a core part of the infinite mindset, we then hear from Kate Snowise, founder of Thrive.How and Corporate Psychologist turned Executive Coach. She places resilience at the core of her coaching practice, and talks to us about the unshakeable power of knowing our “Why”.

Finally, we get to hear from Garry Ridge, CEO of the exemplary Infinite Mindset company WD-40. Gary and Damon discuss what putting culture - and humans - first looks like at WD-40, and how that has paid off over the years.

As a gift to our podcast listeners, we are offering the first chapter of Simon Sinek’s bestseller, “The Infinite Game”. This highly-praised book highlights remarkable patterns about how the greatest leaders and organizations think, act and communicate.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and leave us an honest review.

To get your free download of the first chapter of “The Infinite Game” or read this episode's transcript, head to www.culturefirstpodcast.com/infinite

To learn more about Simon Sinek, go to https://simonsinek.com/.

To find out more about Kate Snowise, visit https://www.thrive.how/.

To discover more on Garry Ridge's leadership vision, head to https://thelearningmoment.net/.

Host: Culture Amp’s Work Culture Evangelist, Damon Klotz.

Production: Sarah Lessire.

Assistant Production: Ayla Cleworth

Editing: Nick Jaworski at Podcast Monster.

Design: Nicole Dominic, Amelia Chieng and Christine Tapawan.

Culture Amp Data: Vivian Woo.

Video: Kyle Doan.