Shaping Culture, Leading Through Change, and Navigating Tricky Times with Jitske Kramer

Creating Organizational Cultures That Actually Work

In this episode, Michael and cultural anthropologist Jitske Kramer dive deep into the heart of organizational culture. Michael shares a story from a startup he supported, where a crystal clear sense of purpose created unity, loyalty, and a genuine feeling of belonging. Employees stayed because they felt connected to something bigger than a job description.

Jitske expands on this by highlighting how leaders shape culture through the behaviors, values, and norms they model. She stresses that culture is never an accident. It is a series of daily choices and conversations. When leaders fail to engage with their teams or invite them into meaningful decision making, organizations lose clarity and people lose their sense of belonging.

Both Michael and Jitske agree that leaders miss countless opportunities to build trust simply because they are not intentionally engaging with their people.

Transformative Leadership and the Power of Human Connection

Michael brings up a powerful metaphor involving an orchestra conductor to show how communication and knowledge flow can transform the relationship between leaders and their teams. When the conductor shifts from directing to connecting, the entire ensemble transforms. The energy changes. People take ownership. Collaboration becomes natural rather than forced.

Jitske builds on this idea by contrasting transactional interactions with transformative ones. Transactional moments keep the lights on, but transformative moments build the future. She emphasizes the need for what she calls campfire conversations. These are the unhurried, human centered discussions where ideas form, trust deepens, and innovation actually has space to emerge.

They conclude that the most successful organizations are the ones that prioritize human to human connection over rigid systems and corporate scripts.

Finding Clarity in the Messy Middle of Change

Jitske introduces her latest book, Tricky Times, which explores liminality. Liminality refers to the messy middle stage of change when the old story no longer works and the new story is not yet formed. She describes this phase as uncomfortable but deeply necessary.

She explains that societies worldwide are wrestling with a kind of midlife crisis. People are questioning the expectation of nonstop economic growth and the conflict it creates with environmental and social realities. In these liminal spaces, power dynamics shift. Cultural identities get rewritten. Leaders are challenged to redefine what truly matters.

Michael shares how timely these insights feel, especially given the current political climate in the United States and abroad. He highlights how difficult but essential conversations shape whether we move forward with intention or stay stuck in old patterns.

Leading with Courage in Tricky Times

Jitske describes the leadership challenges she writes about in Tricky Times. She warns against leaders who act like tricksters, constantly pushing boundaries without offering guidance or stability. True leadership requires bold honesty, grounded decision making, and the willingness to enter uncomfortable conversations.

She emphasizes that balanced leadership is essential. Leaders must be willing to question assumptions, tell the truth about what is working and what is not, and invite their organizations into deeper reflection.

Tricky Times has become a bestseller in the Netherlands, and Jitske is sharing its message with influential political leaders who are navigating uncertainty on a national scale. The book is available as an e-book on Amazon and offers a grounded, human centered framework for leading through cultural transformation.

Jitske Kramer is a renowned Dutch corporate anthropologist who translates real-world lessons from communities around the globe into practical tools for modern workplaces. 

 

She travels the world to learn from traditional healers, innovators, random passers-by, and everyday communities, studying how humans bond, lead, and resolve conflict — and brings those insights into the boardroom.

 

Her latest book, Tricky Times (a #1 Dutch bestseller), explores what it takes to lead in “the messy middle” — those uncertain in-between phases where old systems break down before new ones emerge. 

 

With 25+ years of experience, she has shaped transformation for Nike, Unilever, Calvin Klein, and Philips, authored 9 bestselling books (150,000+ copies sold), and spoken alongside Simon Sinek, Amy Edmondson, Yuval Noah Harari on stages like TEDx and Workhuman Live.

 

Jitske’s sharp, funny, and “aha”-filled style makes anthropology highly accessible for leaders facing change, culture challenges, and transformation.

 

Topics: 

• The messy middle: Leading effectively through uncertainty and liminal times
• The real drivers of company culture: Rituals, symbols, and hidden power structures
• How to “think like an anthropologist” to sense change and spot unseen dynamics
  The difference between formal power and cultural power — and why rank-awareness is critical for leaders
• What tribes can teach today’s organizations about handling dilemmas and conflict

 

More about Jitske: 

• • Founder of HumanDimensions, a pioneering training company that helps organizations strengthen teamwork and company culture. 
  • Featured in the Patterns of Life documentary series, in which she traveled to India as an anthropologist. 
  • Former Fellow at the Oxford Leadership Academy; holds a master's degree in cultural anthropology from Utrecht University. 
  • Other books by Jitske: Building Tribes, Wow! What a Difference, Work Has Left the Building, Jam Cultures, andThe Corporate Tribe (which won the prestigious 2016 Management book of the Year Award).

• Take a look at Jitske’s keynotes, other public speeches, TV appearances, and writings. 

 

To get a sense of Jitske, here's an appearance she made on The Culture Lab podcast, talking about the making of a corporate tribe and how to effectively deal with diversity in a team.