Leading Transformational Change with Tobias Sturesson

Today we hear a unique perspective on Ukraine's dedication to corporate governance and the fight against corruption. Our guest is Gleb Bakalov, the Executive Committee Chairman of the Ukrainian Network of Integrity and Compliance (UNIC). He has been serving as the Chief Compliance Officer of NPC UKRENERGO since 2018, and has experience in the compliance field since 2008, including financial, legal and investment companies in Ukraine and abroad. Tune in as we explore the significant strides taken to strengthen transparency, attract foreign investment, and counteract the deeply ingrained culture of bribery. Amidst the harrowing backdrop of war, we discuss how Ukrainian organizations and individuals remain committed to ethics and integrity, facing the ethical dilemmas war presents while striving to uphold a culture of speaking up against injustices. Links Mentioned: Cultureandleadership.org Gleb Bakalov on LinkedIn

Klaus Moosmayer joined Novartis in 2018 as Chief Ethics, Risk and Compliance Officer and a member of the Executive Committee. He was previously chief compliance officer at Siemens AG, where he spent 18 years in roles of increasing seniority. He began his career as a lawyer in Germany, specializing in white-collar crime, business law and litigation. In this episode we explore the reality of ethical dilemmas in the corporate world, the importance of building trust, especially in the pharmaceutical industry, and the value of creating an inviting atmosphere for discussions on ethics and compliance. Klaus also discusses the development of a new code of ethics at Novartis – likening it to the company's constitution. Links Mentioned: Cultureandleadership.org ‘Blind Spots’ by Ann Tenbrunsel and Max Bazerman Klaus Moosmayer on LinkedIn

The renowned culture strategist, Stan Slap, is on the show today for a conversation about redefining the way we think about the fabric of company culture. Stan is the president of the international consulting company SLAP and has also worked as a CEO with over 5,000 employees under his direction. He has mentored numerous companies, including Oracle and HSBC, and is the author of ‘Under The Hood’. We delve into the significance of aligning professed company values with actual behaviours, the power of emotional commitment over financial incentives, and the deep impact of cultural health on organizational success. We also touch on cultural resistance to change and how to foster genuine alignment within the company. Links Mentioned: Cultureandleadership.org Stan Slap on LinkedIn ‘Under The Hood’ by Stan Slap SLAP

Rebecca Newton is an Organizational Psychologist with a PhD in psychology, a frequent Harvard Business Review contributor, a Senior Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics, and the CEO of CoachAdviser, a London-based culture agency. She is also the author of ‘Authentic Gravitas, Who Stands Out and Why’, based on her extensive experience coaching executives at companies like Google, Coca-Cola, and Accenture. We discuss why culture shouldn't be the sole responsibility of HR, highlighting leaders' need to step up and embrace change collectively. We also touch on Rebecca’s three-pronged approach: engaging leaders with participation, using data to inform decisions, and skill development to ensure leaders are equipped for the journey ahead. Links Mentioned: Cultureandleadership.org HBR: HR Can’t Change Company Culture by Itself Rebecca Newton on LinkedIn ‘Authentic Gravitas’ by Rebecca Newton CoachAdviser

Today, our special guest is Cecilia Bergman-Eriksson, whose expertise comes straight from the dynamic growth experience of Oatly. Cecilia works as an Interim Manager and leads companies and organizations to overcome critical and complex challenges. In this episode, we discuss how maintaining a strong culture and values is key during rapid company expansion. Cecilia reveals how spending time with employees, establishing purpose, and embedding values into every process are vital steps toward sustaining transformational change. Links Mentioned: Cultureandleadership.org Episode 68 with Frank Blake Episode 64 with Sandra Sucher

Tobias Sturesson and Andreas Almlöf delve into values-driven leadership and its transformative power. They’re looking at why it's essential to align behaviors with organizational values and the risks of disregarding this alignment. They also unpack the Culture Leadership Program, which is crucial for developing the habits and practices that underpin sustainable change. In this conversation, they challenge outdated notions related to habit formation and emphasize the philosophy of consistency over time to foster these new, crucial habits. Prepare for a thought-provoking session that encourages leaders to lead by example in their commitment to culture change. Links Mentioned: Cultureandleadership.org

Steven Rogelberg is a leadership expert who was motivated to write his book ‘Glad We Met: The Art & Science of 1:1 Meetings’ due to the lack of strong treatment around the importance of these activities. Steven is the Chancellor's Professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is also a professor of Organizational Science, Management, and Psychology and the founding Director of Organizational Science at UNC, Charlotte. Tune in as we discuss: The key elements of effective one-on-one meetings Creating a psychologically safe environment Why you should not cancel one-on-one meetings What are some of the best intentional questions and response choices? The ‘listing’ or ‘core question’ approach How to give feedback constructively and empathetically Links Mentioned: Free guide: https://heartmanagement.org/en/guide/ ‘Glad We Met’ by Steven Rogelberg HBR: Make the Most of Your One-on-One Meetings Steven’s Website Steven on LinkedIn

Ann Skeet is the Senior Director of Leadership Ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. Ann teaches ethics literacy for boards in the Silicon Valley Executive Education Center in the Leavey School of Business. She is also a co-author of ‘Ethics in the Age of Disruptive Technologies: An Operational Roadmap’. Tune in as we discuss: The Six Ethical Lenses Framework How to incorporate ethical principles into your decision-making Why trust is a crucial currency for successful operations Some ethical challenges that arise with the implementation of AI How do you counter bias in decision-making? Links Mentioned: Free guide: https://heartmanagement.org/en/guide/ ‘Ethics in the Age of Disruptive Technologies’ by José Flahaux, Brian Green and Ann Gregg Skeet Leading Transformational Change episode with Sandra J. Sucher Dr. Dan Siegel Ann Skeet on LinkedIn Ann Skeet on X Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University

Jay Barney is an American professor in strategic management at the University of Utah. He shares his insights on the crucial link between culture and strategy and how it impacts the success of any transformational change initiative. He emphasizes the importance of understanding group dynamics, the role of HR in shaping culture, and the power of storytelling in creating a healthy organizational culture. Tune in as we discuss: How does understanding group dynamics contribute to the success of transformation? What are some limitations and challenges that HR faces? The difference between strategy and culture in leadership roles Why do leaders need to think about how to spread and make their story stick? Tips to overcome inertia and take action Links Mentioned: Free guide: https://heartmanagement.org/en/guide/ ‘The Secret of Culture Change’ by Jay Barney Jay Barney on LinkedIn CultureChangeSecret.com If You Want Culture Change, Create New Stories – HBR

Melissa Daimler is a culture expert with over 20 years of experience driving and shaping company cultures. She has worked for iconic companies like Adobe, Twitter, and WeWork, where she learned from healthy and unhealthy cultures. Melissa is part of Udemy, an EdTech company dedicated to building a positive and thriving culture. Tune in as we discuss: Links Mentioned: Free guide: https://heartmanagement.org/en/guide/ ‘ReCulturing’ by Melissa Daimler Melissa Daimler on Instagram Melissa Daimler on LinkedIn Melissa Daimler's Website

Wendy K. Smith is the Dana J. Johnson professor of management and faculty director of the Women’s Leadership Initiative at the Lerner College of Business and Economics, University of Delaware. As we navigate the complexities of sustainability and sustainable development goals, Wendy sheds light on the challenges that arise when making overarching commitments. Tune in as we discuss: Links Mentioned: Free guide: https://heartmanagement.org/en/guide/ Both/and Thinking

In this episode I switch to the role of guest and I am interviewed by my colleague, Andreas Almlöf. Today we mark the exciting release of our free guide ‘6 Vital Steps to Leading Lasting Culture Change and Making Values Matter’, which we explore in this conversation, including a proven culture change process and how to integrate your values. Tune in as we discuss: What data can be gathered to assess a company’s culture? How can leaders effectively develop and integrate better habits? The role of senior management in driving culture change How to integrate values into everyday conversations and decisions The rituals, incentives, and processes that help reinforce values Links mentioned: Free guide: https://heartmanagement.org/en/guide/ i4cp: Culture Renovation: A Blueprint for Action

To measure the ROI of culture is like measuring the ROI of air. Culture is not optional but a fundamental part of how we operate as a group. It influences every aspect of our organization - how we make decisions, think, communicate, collaborate, and perform. At the heart of culture are people and relationships. While many organizations will claim that they put people first, it’s easy to fall into cultural assumptions, drives, and beliefs that are harmful to our people and, ultimately, to the organization's mission. Some time ago, I read a fascinating article in Harvard Business Review about the dangers of a culture that glorifies busyness. The author, Adam Waytz, is an award-winning social psychologist and associate professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He’s the author of The Power of Human: How Our Shared Humanity Can Help Us Create a Better World. On episode 076 of the Leading Transformational Change podcast, I interviewed Adam about: What leads to dehumanization in our organizations, and what we can do to counteract it. How AI implementation impacts how we measure the ethicality of an organization Why a culture of busyness is a problem, and what we should do about it. I believe the conversation is relevant for anyone who wants more human workplaces and desires to build healthier cultures.

Join your host Tobias Sturesson and his guests, Michaela Ahlberg and Anna Romberg - co-authors of The Grey Zone, on this practical and insightful episode of the Leading Transformational Change podcast. In this conversation, they discuss how to promote a healthy, ethical and values-driven culture in your organization. Michaela and Anna also talk about their Responsible Leadership Program - what they were trying to accomplish, what they learned along the way, and what results they’ve seen. Michaela Ahlberg was instrumental in developing the Ethics and Compliance functions at several large multinational companies as the Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer at Telia Sonera, Volvo Cars, Nokia Siemens Networks and Getinge. Anna Romberg is the current Executive Vice President of Sustainability, Legal, and Compliance at Getinge. She is also co-founder of the Nordic Business Ethics Initiative. Michaela and Anna are co-authors of The Grey Zone. Duration: 48:03

What constitutes a remarkably healthy culture and a workplace people love being a part of? What about your culture might instead make people frustrated and leave your organization? Two critical questions that every leader needs to ask. While we face an economic downturn, the job market is still competitive, especially for highly skilled talent. And we all want to be known for building great organizational cultures. So what can leaders do? Charlie and Don Sull, researchers at MIT and co-founders of Culture X, have conducted the largest systematic study of corporate culture ever, analyzing 1.4 million Glassdoor reviews from more than 500 of the largest employers in the United States. They found that toxic culture is the primary driver of resignations. And that even relatively healthy cultures can have toxic elements that must be addressed. They learned that culture can't be adequately measured using only quantitative measures - like employee engagement surveys. And that the most important elements of stand-out cultures are listening to employees and building psychological safety. On the first episode of Season 8 of the Leading Transformational Change Podcast, we bring you a conversation with Charlie Sull. Charlie's thought leadership has been featured in the Economist, Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, and more. I hope you will find our conversation as insightful, inspiring, and thought-provoking as I did!

Join your host Tobias Sturesson and his guest, Aga Bajer, on this practical and helpful episode of the Leading Transformational Change podcast. In this conversation, Aga discusses culture myths, how to deal with cultural challenges as your organization grows, how to analyze the health of your culture, and why she believes fun, meaning and belonging are at the heart of a healthy culture. Agnieszka (Aga) Bajer works with leaders and teams around the globe to help them bring their vision to life. She is the host of the CultureLab podcast and the co-author of “Building and Sustaining a Coaching Culture" - a complete guide on how to embed coaching in an organisation’s DNA. Duration: 58:55

Join your host Tobias Sturesson and his guest, Stephen Shedletzky, on this honest and empowering episode of the Leading Transformational Change podcast. In this episode, your host Tobias Sturesson discusses the topic of speak-up culture with Stephen Shedletzky who has helped numerous organizations think better about their leadership, purpose, and culture. Stephen Shedletzky worked with Simon Sinek as the Head of Training & Development, inspired by the vision to improve people's work experience worldwide. He is the author of a forthcoming book: Speak-Up Culture: When Leaders Truly Listen, People Step Up, launching in October. His personal story of overcoming a stutter gives a unique perspective on finding our voice in our organizations. Duration: 50:25

Join your host Tobias Sturesson and his guest, Dr. Margaret Heffernen, on this profound and empowering episode of the Leading Transformational Change podcast. In this conversation, Margaret discusses how to reimagine the future and not fall into the trap of wilful blindness. Dr. Margaret Heffernen is an entrepreneur, CEO, writer, and keynote speaker. The author of six books, Margaret’s third book, Willful Blindness: Why We Ignore the Obvious at our Peril was named one of the most important business books of the decade by the Financial Times. Her TED talks have been seen by over twelve million people and in 2015 TED published Beyond Measure: The Big Impact of Small Changes. Her most recent book, Uncharted: How to map the future was published in 2020. She is a Professor of Practice at the University of Bath, Lead Faculty for the Forward Institute’s Responsible Leadership Programme and, through Merryck & Co., mentors CEOs and senior executives of major global organizations. She holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Bath and continues to write for the Financial Times and the Huffington Post. Duration: 54:47

Welcome to episode 71 of the Leading Transformational Change podcast. Your usual host, Tobias Sturesson, switches into the role of guest and is interviewed by his colleague, Andreas Almlöf. They discuss organizational cultures in crisis, different types of unhealthy cultures, and how to rebuild trust within organizations going through challenging times. Duration: 35:10

Join your host Tobias Sturesson and his guest, Dr. Deb Mashek, on this timely and informative episode of the Leading Transformational Change podcast. In this conversation, Deb discusses why collaboration should matter, in what cases it becomes critical, and what it takes to foster a culture of collaboration. Dr. Deb Mashek, PhD is an experienced business advisor, professor, higher education administrator, and national nonprofit executive. Named one of the Top 35 Women in Higher Education by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, she has been featured in media outlets including MIT Sloan Management Review, The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Hechinger Report, Inside Higher Ed, Fortune, Reason, Business Week, University Business Insider, and The Hill. She writes regularly for Psychology Today. Her book, "Collabor(h)ate: How to build incredible collaborative relationships at work" was released at the beginning of 2023. Duration: 52:34