What happens when every leader in your company defines "leadership" their own way? Spoiler alert: chaos.

Live from the CultureCon® 2025 studio in Madison, Wisconsin, Nikki Lewallen Gregory teams up with Coleman Williams, co-founder of Wrestling With Talent, to get real about the chaos that comes from undefined leadership.

From inconsistent one-on-ones to unclear goal-setting, they explore how structure creates fairness without crossing into micromanagement.

They also unpack how companies can onboard leaders with clarity, integrate AI for more effective training, and give employees a consistent, people-first experience, especially during change.

This is your blueprint for leadership done right.

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Key Takeaways:

• Clear leadership expectations reduce workplace inconsistency.
• Guardrails are not micromanagement, they offer direction.
• Start small to avoid overwhelming leaders with change.
• AI can enhance, not replace, leadership onboarding.
• Consistency supports fairness in the employee experience.

What if the key to thriving teams isn't just better benefits or ping pong tables, but bold conversations, deep listening, and shared ownership of culture?

Live from CultureCon® 2024, Nikki Llewellyn Gregory sits down with Gianna Driver to unpack the real meaning of employee engagement. From Silicon Valley boardrooms to culture-shifting conference stages, Gianna shares her personal journey through pivotal career moments, the evolution of engagement post-pandemic, and how both leaders and employees must co-own the energy of their workplace.

You'll hear why listening is the most underrated leadership skill, how to respond when the vibe of your company shifts, and why chasing alignment, not just paychecks, leads to true career fulfillment.

Whether you're leading a team or navigating your own fork-in-the-road moment, this episode delivers fresh perspective, heartfelt stories, and one powerful challenge that could change your workplace forever.

Additional Resources:

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Key Takeaways:

• Engagement evolved dramatically during the pandemic.
• Listening is foundational to effective leadership.
• Employees share responsibility for workplace culture.
• Curiosity bridges conflicting perspectives at work.
• Joy and alignment outweigh financial incentives.

The best moments at CultureCon® West 2025 didn't happen on stage. They happened in the spaces in between. This episode unpacks why that matters.

Nick and Zach reflect on what made CultureCon West® 2025 truly stand out, and it wasn't just the speaker lineup. From an unforgettable dinner where no one talked about work to a surprise "Hamilton" performance that brought the room to its feet, they explore the human-centered experiences that made this year's conference feel different.

They share behind-the-scenes wins in sustainability, unexpected on-stage moments, and why the real value came from the connections formed between sessions.

Whether it was tapping badges, sharing stories, or singing Disney ballads, this conversation is a reminder: culture isn't built in keynotes.

It's built in community.

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Key Takeaways:

• Sustainability isn't overwhelming with the right partner.
• Connection deepens when work talk disappears.
• Surprise performances create unforgettable shared moments.
• Culture thrives outside formal programming structure.
• Impactful conferences start with intentional community experiences.

Your leaders are your culture carriers. And if your organization wants to achieve and sustain cultural competitive advantage, your leaders must be crystal clear on a few critical behaviors.

In this episode, CEO Heather Haas and leadership consultant BJ McKay of the consultancy ADVISA have a lively and insightful conversation with Todd Wuestenberg, Chief Culture Officer of Haverkamp Properties, about the importance of the third of five drivers of cultural competitive advantage: Leader Effectiveness.

What does Leader Effectiveness look like, and how do you go about fostering it?

Heather and BJ tee up what they've learned as part of a leadership and culture consultancy that's been helping organizations thrive for decades. And Todd shares his invaluable perspective of what this driver looks like in action.

Additional Resources:

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• Culture means to care for. Intentionality matters deeply.
• Leadership buy-in is essential for cultural transformation.
• Effective leaders grow future leaders intentionally.
• Feedback and iteration strengthen leadership development programs.
• Culture must be measured and continuously cultivated.

What if your company values weren't just words on a wall, but a lived, breathing part of your culture that drives every hire, fire, and daily decision?

Live from CultureCon® 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin, Nikki Lewallen Gregory sits down with Eliza Jackson of ButcherBox for a conversation that flips traditional HR playbooks on their head.

With a colorful background that spans finance, kindergarten classrooms, and hypergrowth startups, Eliza brings a refreshingly real perspective on what it takes to build values-driven organizations that actually walk the talk.

From rejecting high-performing candidates who don't align with company values to ensuring every employee has access to a personal coach, Eliza breaks down ButcherBox's radical approach to "baking in" culture at every level. You'll hear how they future-proof their workforce through mindset over skillset, maintain startup agility at scale, and foster a culture of relentless improvement, all while staying human at the core.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Eliza on LinkedIn

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• Values must be embedded across all touchpoints.
• Coaching unlocks personal and organizational growth.
• Hire for mindset, not just experience.
• Startup culture can scale if you're intentional.
• Inner work fuels external culture strength.

What if the way we treat healthcare employees is the reason patient care is falling short?

In this episode of WorkPossible, Elaine and Hattie sit down with Sven Gierlinger, Chief Patient Experience Officer at Northwell Health, to explore what truly transforms healthcare, and it's not what's on the surface.

Sven brings his deep experience from hospitality and healthcare to show why the patient experience cannot be exceptional without first investing in the employee experience. From redefining luxury in hospitals to empowering housekeepers to launch innovation that saves millions, Sven dismantles the outdated rules of healthcare leadership.

This conversation is about listening harder, leading with empathy, and creating environments where people are free to care, and be cared for. Sven's own personal journey as a patient who was temporarily paralyzed reveals how the smallest human moments can define recovery, and how authentic leadership is the cure for broken systems.

No scripts. No safe answers. Just honest conversations about what's possible when we stop doing things by default and start doing them by design.

Tune in for fresh perspectives, future-focused thinking, and ideas bold enough to actually change things.

Additional Resources:

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• You can't script empathy into burned-out teams.
• Great patient care starts with supported staff.
• Frontline ideas can spark system-wide innovation.
• Authenticity beats perfection in leadership.
• Culture change begins with proximity, not hierarchy.

If you're investing in culture but not seeing impact, the problem might not be the budget… it might be the signals you're sending. 🚨

Pete Savage and Greg Livings are back to decode one of the most overlooked drivers of company culture: culture signals. From a restaurant that turned things around by upgrading its patio decor to a company that fumbled a milestone moment for 7,000 employees, this episode is full of sharp insights and real-world lessons.

They break down how to spot what's truly resonating, drop the weak stuff, and create moments that stick. With practical tips and tools, you'll learn how to plan and communicate your culture strategy with clarity and purpose.

Additional Resources:

Get "The Culture Wheel Playbook"

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• Strong culture signals amplify employee connection and engagement.
• Evaluate programs by cultural impact, not popularity.
• Personalization makes a lasting impression on employees.
• Weak signals waste money and dilute cultural strategy.

ADVISA CEO Heather Haas and leadership consultant BJ McKay spill the T in ATLAS, delving into the second of five essential drivers for creating cultural competitive advantage: Trust and Shared Purpose.

Heather and BJ define what this driver really means and provide practical tactics any organization can use to promote it.

This episode decodes the importance of mission, vision, and values, and what makes the difference between wall art and valuable tools for alignment.

Additional Resources:

Get Your Culture Check!

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Learn more about ADVISA

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• Trust builds speed and lowers cost in business operations.
• Leaders must align behavior with stated mission and values.
• Culture needs clarity: mission, vision, and values defined.
• Communication trust forms when leadership consistently shares strategic direction.
• Rituals and accountability bring values to life organization-wide.