Eat Sleep Work Repeat - better workplace culture

Katrien Fransen, professor of leadership and coaching at KU Leuven who studies identity and shared leadership in teams, talks about how shared “we-ness” shapes psychological safety. She explains informal peer leaders, the four leadership roles, and how identity leadership builds belonging and team resilience. Practical steps for mapping and training peer leaders are discussed.

Benjamin Laker, Professor of Leadership at Henley Business School and author on work and culture. He talks about why many culture change programs fail, how visible leader behaviour matters more than slogans, and the rise of employee cynicism toward superficial initiatives. He also explores cultural differences between regions and practical steps like transparency to rebuild trust.

Daniel Coyle, writer on talent and community whose book Flourish explores attention and connection. He discusses attention vs relational presence, how communities create collective leadership and group flow, why small social moments matter, and practical moves to structure connection and invite ambiguous opportunities.

Daniel Zhao, Chief Economist at Glassdoor who analyzes employee reviews and workplace trends. He unpacks surprising 2026 rankings and why non-tech firms sometimes top lists. Culture, connection, career progression and autonomy come up as major drivers. He explains how Glassdoor gathers reviews and offers practical steps for getting honest feedback and improving workplace transparency.

Kevin Green, Chief People Officer at First Group who led a ground-up culture reinvention for frontline staff. He talks about engaging 18,000 frontline workers, quick bottom-up design wins, symbolic actions like free tea, co-designing uniforms, shifting managers from punitive to coaching approaches, and quantifying daily "moments of truth" that scale across millions of customer interactions.

Dr. Karen Bridbord, a licensed psychologist and chief talent officer, discusses her book on relationship-driven leadership. She emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and reflection in improving workplace interactions. Karen highlights how generational changes and technology impact connections, advocating for in-person gatherings. She introduces concepts like Gottman's bid model and colleague maps to enhance communication and build psychological safety. Ultimately, she argues for the irreplaceable value of human connection, especially in the AI era.

Jackie Cooper, leader of Edelman's Gen Z Lab, dives into the unique attitudes of Gen Z shaped by economic and social upheavals. She reveals their 'visceral need for safety' across various dimensions like financial stability and cultural belonging. Jackie discusses the political fragmentation within Gen Z, contrasting younger males' conservatism with older Gen Z's idealism. She emphasizes their demands for transparency from employers and critiques their complex relationship with technology, advocating for genuine conversations between generations.

Join Andre Spicer, a Professor of organizational behavior, and Mats Alvesson, an academic researcher from Sweden, as they tackle the concept of corporate training as 'sludge.' They explore how most training is ineffective, burdening employees with pointless rituals. The duo delves into the 'death of the corporate job' and critiques bureaucratic practices that stifle productivity. They advocate for leaders to act as 'administrative plumbers,' simplifying processes and reducing unnecessary meetings. Tune in for practical strategies to declutter corporate culture!

Jeremy Holt, a seasoned occupational psychologist and author, delves into the pivotal role of identity in team dynamics. He explores how strong identities can propel performance, citing his research showing a 53% increase in team success. Holt discusses the TRIBE model, which emphasizes co-created identities, and how youth sports can foster lifelong connections. He also shares insights from coaching the Hove Spartans, transforming them from underdogs to champions through shared identity and culture. Practical tools for leaders and change-makers round out this enlightening conversation.

In a thought-provoking discussion, Professor Alex Haslam, a leading expert in social identity and leadership, explores how identity shapes effective leadership. He introduces the CARE model—Create, Advance, Represent, and Embed—which emphasizes the importance of group identity. Alex highlights how effective leaders should balance current and future group identities, and he argues that resonant leadership fosters team performance and cohesion. He also discusses the impact of isolation on group dynamics post-pandemic and advocates for community-driven social connections.