Culture Architects™
David J. Friedman
Most leaders know that a strong culture is a foundation for building a great organization, but great cultures don't just happen on their own. Rather, they're designed and built systematically, brick by brick. Each week, join David J. Friedman, the best-selling author of Culture by Design, as he speaks with extraordinary leaders, from all walks of life, and they share their biggest successes, failures, and lessons learned on their culture journeys. If you're searching for the best insights on building a high-performing culture, then Culture Architects, a production of CultureWise, is for you.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Dec 9, 2024 • 28min
30. Brave Together: Co-Creating Culture That Lasts w/ Chris Deaver (Part 1)
David welcomes to the show Chris Deaver — leadership coach, co-founder of BraveCore, and co-author of Brave Together: Lead by Design, Spark Creativity, and Shape the Future with the Power of Co-Creation. Armed with a background in animation and two decades of experience shaping Fortune 500 companies from the inside, in this episode Chris explains how organizational culture-building in this day and age is headed towards co-creation and collaboration.
Nov 25, 2024 • 23min
29. Suddenly In Charge: Building Loyalty & Leaders w/ Roberta Matuson (Part 2)
David resumes his conversation with Roberta Matuson on what goes into building organizations that inspire employee loyalty. In this second part, Roberta also shares her insights on the evolution of the workforce, and reflects on her early start with corporate leadership.
Nov 18, 2024 • 24min
29. Suddenly In Charge: Building Loyalty & Leaders w/ Roberta Matuson (Part 1)
Roberta Matuson, the Talent Maximizer, was introduced to corporate leadership at the age of 24. In 1997, she went on to found Matuson Consulting — and by the 2010s, she had established herself as a top author on leadership and talent optimization. In this first of a two-part conversation, David and Roberta revisit this decades-long journey, as well as the experiences behind her latest book Suddenly In Charge: Managing Up, Managing Down, Succeeding All Around.
Nov 4, 2024 • 25min
28. Dropping the F-Bomb: How ‘Fun’ Shapes Company Culture w/ Peter Kusiak (Part 2)
David resumes his conversation with Peter Kusiak on the Fun First Strategy. In this second episode, Peter shares his experiences working with different variations of the workforce, and reflects on how his signature approach to culture-building has evolved over the years.
Oct 28, 2024 • 25min
28. Dropping the F-Bomb: How ‘Fun’ Shapes Company Culture w/ Peter Kusiak (Part 1)
In this first of a two-episode conversation, David sits down with Peter Kusiak — creator of the Fun First Strategy, and the author of Drop the F-Bomb in Your Business. Peter brings nuance to the idea of fun, and weighs in on the importance of intentionality when building a culture around workplace fun and happiness.
Oct 14, 2024 • 28min
27. Orange-Blooded Leadership: Four Decades of Culture at Home Depot w/ Crystal Hanlon (Part 2)
David resumes his conversation with Crystal Hanlon on the systems with which the ‘orange-blooded culture’ at Home Depot is taught and reinforced. Crystal looks back on the biggest mistakes and milestones of her four-decade relationship with the company.
Oct 7, 2024 • 27min
27. Orange-Blooded Leadership: Four Decades of Culture at Home Depot w/ Crystal Hanlon (Part 1)
In this episode, David and Crystal Hanlon go behind the scenes at The Home Depot, the world’s largest home improvement retailer. Crystal is the company’s Culture Officer, who began her journey in 1985 as a part-time cashier at a Houston branch. Over the decades, she steadily rose through the ranks, earning a spot on Fortune Magazine’s list of “Most Powerful Women” multiple times in the process, and proving herself a key witness to Home Depot’s growth and culture-building.
Sep 23, 2024 • 29min
26. Debrief to Win: Fighter Pilot Lessons in Accountability w/ Robert “Cujo” Teschner (Part 2)
David and Robert “Cujo” Teschner discuss how the debrief process is the cornerstone of a culture of accountability, in the military as much as in the business world. Cujo reveals the two organizations that had the biggest impact on who he is today — and the one problem that keeps businesses from learning how to debrief to win.
Sep 16, 2024 • 24min
26. Debrief to Win: Fighter Pilot Lessons in Accountability w/ Robert “Cujo” Teschner (Part 1)
David is joined by Robert “Cujo” Teschner — the founder and CEO of VMax Group, and author of Debrief to Win: How America’s Top Guns Practice Accountable Leadership... and How You Can, Too! In this episode, Cujo shares how his approach to culture-building has been shaped by his time as an F-22 fighter squadron commander with the US Air Force and instructor at the USAF Weapons School.
Sep 2, 2024 • 31min
25. Faith, Leadership, and Culture Reinvention w/ William Vanderbloemen (Part 2)
David continues his conversation with William Vanderbloemen. In this episode, William goes into what he calls the ‘archaeological dig’ for his company’s culture, and ponders with David on the processes and merits of rewriting one’s organizational culture.
