Leadovation Andrea Wanerstrand: Why Being Nice at Work Breaks Trust
About Andrea Wanerstrand:
Andrea Wanerstrand is a seasoned leadership strategist, executive coach, and founder of A3 Culture Lab, with over 25 years of experience inside global giants like Microsoft, Meta, T-Mobile, and Hitachi. She helps leaders shift from burnout to bold influence through her Mindset Maven Method and A3 philosophy: Authentic, Autonomous, and Accountable. Andrea has designed programs that have impacted leaders from more than 100 countries. She blends neuroscience, behavioral strategy, and sharp business insight to drive powerful cultural change. Her work enables organizations to build high-performing, human-centric workplaces where people truly thrive.
In this episode, Dean Newlund and Andrea Wanerstrand discuss:
- The critical difference between being nice and being kind in leadership
- How “nice” cultures create false harmony, passive-aggressive behavior, and broken trust
- The importance of authenticity, autonomy, and accountability in building high-performing teams
- Belonging vs. fitting in and how it impacts trust, engagement, and connection
- The shift toward human-centric leadership and its impact on engagement and workplace expectations
Key Takeaways:
- Prioritize kindness over niceness by having honest, constructive conversations that support growth and build trust.
- Foster authenticity, autonomy, and accountability to create consistent leadership and stronger team performance.
- Focus on belonging rather than fitting in to build genuine connections and reduce isolation within teams.
- Design team structures are intentionally created with clear roles, responsibilities, and collaboration models to avoid dysfunction and repeated reorg cycles.
"Nice is like icing on the top, whereas you can get the depth with true kindness.” — Andrea Wanerstrand
Connect with Andrea Wanerstrand:
Website: https://a3culturelab.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreawanerstrand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreawanerstrand/
See Dean’s TedTalk “Why Business Needs Intuition” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEq9IYvgV7I
Connect with Dean:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgqRK8GC8jBIFYPmECUCMkw
Website: https://www.mfileadership.com/
The Mission Statement E-Newsletter: https://www.mfileadership.com/blog/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannewlund/
X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/deannewlund
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissionFacilitators/
Email: dean.newlund@mfileadership.com
Phone: 1-800-926-7370
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