Growth Hacking Culture

Why do 75% to 95% of business improvement projects fail to last beyond two years?
In this episode, we are tearing down the broken systems that hold businesses back. We are joined by George Pesansky, Operational Excellence Expert and author of Superperformance, to discuss the "massive leaky bucket problem" costing organizations billions.
George argues that most leaders are trapped in a "glass half-empty" mindset—constantly firefighting and obsessing over lagging indicators like profit, rather than mastering the leading behaviors that actually create value. We explore how to shift from the role of a manager to an "Operations Coach" and how to design a culture built for consistency.
Key topics discussed in this episode:
The Utility Factor: Why clarity on "what, how, and why" is the true driver of value.
Overcoming Negativity Bias: How to stop fixating on what's wrong and start scaling what's going right.
The Golden Hour: A mental model for replicating your team’s peak flow states rather than just demanding better scores.
The "Ugly Baby" Method: How to foster true collaboration through high assertiveness and honest feedback.
The Success Formula: Why a perfect technical solution fails if "Acceptance" is low (Success = Quality x Acceptance).
Escaping the Prison of Expectations: How to avoid the burnout that comes from the fear of over-delivery.
Join us to learn how to stop judging your team solely on the scoreboard and start coaching them toward their full potential.
Guest: George Pesansky, Author of Superperformance: 8 Strategies to Reach Full Potential for Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization
 

Is the EU's 40% women on boards quota a genuine push for diversity or a looming compliance trap?
In this essential discussion, board strategy expert Dr. Keith Dorsey breaks down the unwritten rules of the boardroom and the real danger that the 2026 deadline poses for high-potential women. We move beyond outdated concepts of "Old Boys Networks" to explore the proven science of Optimal Diversity—the powerful combination of demographic and cognitive diversity that drives shareholder value, mitigates risk, and unlocks Blue Ocean strategies.
Dr. Dorsey, author of The Boardroom Journey, provides actionable advice for executives, women, and minorities on how to:
Overcome the narratives of Imposter Syndrome.
Present as a T-Shaped director, ready for governance, not just execution.
Ask the right thought-provoking questions that make you an indispensable candidate.
Key Takeaways:
Compliance Trap: Learn why simply hitting a quota risks tokenism and how to ensure your value is recognized, not just your gender.
Optimal Diversity: Understand the metrics that prove diversity (not just gender) leads to better return on investment (ROI) and risk management.
T-Shaped Leadership: Discover the technique to show deep functional expertise while proving a broad, strategic view of governance.
Interview Mastery: Hear Dr. Dorsey's tips on moving from an executive interviewing style (looking in the rearview mirror) to a forward-looking governance mindset (looking through the windshield).
Imposter Syndrome Antidote: Practical steps to audit your journey, identify your "secret sauce," and bring your whole, authentic self to the boardroom table.
Find Dr. Keith Dorsey's book, The Boardroom Journey, and connect with him on LinkedIn.
 
This episode is sponsored by Experts Suisses: We come in, we stabilize, we innovate, we transfer knowledge—and the company gets back on solid ground.
 

The Confidence Crisis: Why many leaders mistake employee "wounds" for weakness.
Join clinical psychologist Dr. Brian Alman for a powerful discussion on the roots of low morale, burnout, and confidence issues in the modern workplace. Dr. Alman, a world-renowned expert in self-hypnosis and mindset, reveals the direct link between an employee's emotional state and their professional performance.
Learn actionable strategies for leadership and HR to help your team heal limiting beliefs, boost resilience, and drive lasting organizational change. This episode is essential listening for managers, business owners, and anyone committed to fostering a high-performing, healthy workforce.
In this episode, you will learn:
The difference between employee weakness and emotional wounding.
How to use mindset techniques to overcome workplace anxiety.
Practical steps for leaders to rebuild team confidence.
Dr. Alman's key message for improving professional well-being.
CONNECT WITH Dr. Brian Alman:
Some of his books: https://drbrianalman.com/book/
Talk to Brian on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/drbrianalman/
 
Keywords: Workplace Culture, Leadership, Dr. Brian Alman, Employee Confidence, Burnout, Organizational Change, Hypnosis, Mindset.
This episode is sponsored by Experts Suisses : We come in, we stabilize, we innovate we transfer knowledge—and the company gets back on solid ground.
 

Are you trying to solve a hardware problem with software solutions? In a world dominated by chronic stress, information overload, and the pressure to outperform AI, we often rely on willpower, productivity apps, or endless caffeine to stay focused. But what if the key to sustainable productivity isn't about managing your time, but literally training your brain to function better?
In this episode, we step inside the "brain gym" with Santiago Brand, a leading expert in high-performance psychology, QEEG, and applied neuroscience based in Singapore. We move beyond the buzzwords to explore Neurofeedback—a powerful, data-driven technology used by elite athletes and C-suite executives to regulate brain activity and achieve peak mental states.
This conversation is a deep dive into the mechanics of the mind. We explore how electrical signals in your brain dictate your reality—from your ability to sleep to your capacity to handle high-stakes negotiations—and how you can exert control over them.
In this in-depth discussion, we cover:
The Reality of Brain Mapping: How science can identify your struggles with sleep, focus, or emotional regulation just by looking at wave patterns—without you saying a word.
Beyond the Placebo: Understanding the science of Neuroplasticity and Operant Conditioning. Santiago explains how the brain learns to self-correct through reward systems, using the fascinating example of training your focus by controlling a movie with your mind.
A New Hope for ADHD: Why Neurofeedback is often considered one of the most efficient interventions for ADHD, helping the brain learn what to pay attention to rather than just trying to force focus.
The Burnout Cure? Why burnout is more than just exhaustion—it’s a neurological state. We discuss how regulating brain function can reduce sick days, migraines, and workplace accidents, providing a tangible ROI for corporations.
Navigating the "Wild West": The neurofeedback industry has a dark side. Santiago provides a critical checklist of red flags to help you distinguish between clinical experts and people selling "magic cures" or expensive toys.
Whether you are a corporate leader looking for a competitive edge, someone struggling with sleep and anxiety, or just a bio-hacking enthusiast, this episode provides the scientific roadmap to a better brain.
Connect with our Guest:
To learn more about brain mapping and performance training, you can reach Santiago Brand here:
Website: https://www.santiagobrand.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/santiago-brand-a985905/
Instagram: @neuro.santiago
Keywords:
Neurofeedback, Neuroscience, Biofeedback, Mental Health, Executive Performance, ADHD, Neuroplasticity, Burnout Recovery, Sleep Optimization, Corporate Wellness, High Performance Psychology, Brain Mapping.

Most strategic plans are obsolete the moment they're printed. In a world of constant uncertainty, 20th-century models are failing, leaving teams paralyzed by "strategy fatigue."
How do we fix this broken system?
In this episode, we sit down with a leading strategy expert to discuss a powerful new framework. It's designed to move beyond static, 100-page plans and embrace strategy as a daily, adaptive behavior.
He explains why most strategies fail at the execution stage and how an "Inside Out" approach finally addresses the most critical (and often ignored) variable: the human element of your organization.
In this conversation, you’ll learn:
The two biggest blind spots that kill most strategic plans
How to use scenario planning to prepare for "Black Swan" events and market volatility
The "Outside In" vs. "Inside Out" balance (Market Forces vs. Human Culture)
Why "Agentic AI" is about to fundamentally change the consulting industry
The danger of overusing frameworks and "the death of strategic thinking"
Critical lessons from major corporate failures
How to build a truly resilient and agile organizational culture that thrives on change
Connect with Lance on https://www.lancemortlock.com/
His book Outside In, Inside Out is available on Amazon https://a.co/d/hxBRuQR
 
Subscribe to the weekly growth hacking culture newsletter

Are you grappling with change fatigue, anxiety, or a chronic sense of being unready amidst the rapid rise of AI and automation?
In this illuminating and vital episode, we host Allister Frost, a visionary who has spent three decades navigating digital transformation. Allister, a former Microsoft leader and the author of the essential new book, ReadyAlready: The Future-Ready Mindset to Keep Up, Stand Out, and Shape What's Next, shares a powerful truth: staying ahead of AI isn't about mastering the latest technology; it's about mastering your mindset.
Allister champions the three essential AI-defeating human superpowers: Curiosity, Creativity, and Courageous Communication. You'll discover why these innate human abilities are non-replicable and how you can actively use them to thrive in the future of work.
Inside this thought-provoking conversation, you will learn:
The "Magic Trick" of AI: Allister explains why he views Artificial Intelligence as a "magic trick" played by tech companies, and why it's more accurately defined as Augmented Intelligence. You'll understand the fundamental difference between human biological processing and AI's pattern-matching at scale.
The Power of Innate Curiosity: Explore why human curiosity is biologically motivated and an inherent survival instinct, allowing us to ask "why" just for the joy of exploring—a capability that far exceeds AI's reactive, outcome-oriented algorithms.
The Limit of AI Creativity: Learn why AI's ability to generate "millions of ideas" in seconds often results in statistically novel but filtered-less concepts. We discuss why human creativity—which is tiresome and slow—is crucial for generating better ideas that are feasible and valuable.
Overcoming the Inner Critic: Get practical advice, including the "yes and" technique, to delay the "killing off" of ideas and sanctify your personal creative process, moving away from stressful, unproductive corporate brainstorming.
A Message to Leaders: Allister delivers a critical message to CEOs and "HIPPOs" (Highest Paid Persons' Opinion), stressing the importance of humility and accepting that senior leaders no longer hold all the answers. This is the foundation for creating a future-ready culture.
The Final Step to Innovation: Understand how to build the courage to champion your ideas, transition from "what if" to "let's try," and inspire belief in your solution by aligning with shared organizational goals.
Don't let the pace of change make you feel chronically unready. Listen now to learn how to harness your unique human capabilities to stand out and shape what's next.
Connect with Allister Frost: Find more details about the future-ready mindset model and his book, ReadyAlready, at: https://allisterspeaks.com/readyalready/
 

In this essential episode, we dive deep into one of the most critical and challenging topics in the modern workplace: the powerful resistance to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Our guest is global corporate leader, former Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Merck, and author of the vital new book, The Truth About Equity: What it really is, what it isn't, and why everyone wins when we get it right. Celeste Warren is uniquely qualified to help us talk through the noise and confront the root causes of fear and resistance.
Key Takeaways You'll Learn:
The Problem: Learn why a significant number of employees view their employer's DEI efforts as divisive and why many fear losing their job in a more diverse organization.
Equity vs. Equality: Celeste breaks down the core misconception that equity means preferential treatment. She uses the powerful "rocks and fences" analogy to distinguish between equality and true equity.
Reframing the Narrative: Discover how to reframe the conversation to show that equity is not about unfair advantage, but about ensuring everyone has a fair shot at the starting line.
Addressing the Fear of Loss: Learn the strategy for engaging leaders and employees who fear that equity means giving up their privileges. The approach is to acknowledge the fear but reframe equity as an expansion, not a subtraction.
The Cost of Exclusion: Understand the immense liability for corporations and society when people feel a lack of belonging, leading to reduced contribution and social unrest.
Beyond Box Ticking: Celeste provides a clear roadmap for embedding equitable practices—not just counting people, but making people count by leveraging their full cultural awareness.
This conversation offers a clear, practical roadmap for turning every employee into an ambassador for true win-win equity.
About my Guest:
Celeste Warren is an internationally recognized leader and the author of The Truth About Equity. She shares how we can collectively move past the resistance and build organizations where everyone is able to succeed.
 
Timestamp Breakdown:
Time
Topic
0:37
The resistance: Employee backlash and divisive perceptions of DEI programs.
3:12
The confusion between equality and equity.
3:48
The "rocks and fences" analogy to explain true equity.
10:50
Reframing equity: How to position it as expansion, not subtraction.
11:12
Appealing to business leaders: Why DEI is a good business and not just a moral imperative.
15:35
The cost of a lack of belonging and how it harms society and the workplace.
21:30
Removing bias from hiring processes and selection practices.
24:05
Addressing the misconception that equity lowers performance standards.
25:13
The best way to tackle arguments from DEI skeptics: dialogue vs. compliance.
33:32
An inside-out approach to measuring DEI success and embedding it into company values.
35:58
Beyond "butts in seats": Measuring success by making people count and getting feedback.
46:19
How to address inappropriate behavior with conversation and dialogue instead of punishment.
 
Connect with Celeste Warren:
Website: www.crwdiversity.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celestewarrenllc/
Her book: https://amzn.eu/d/iCDW5Er

This is an essential conversation for any leader, manager, or entrepreneur who wants to build a high-performing, sustainable culture.
We're joined by Kyle McDowell, a former Fortune 10 senior executive and the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Begin with We: 10 Principles for Building and Sustaining a Culture of Excellence. Kyle is candid about the dysfunctional "me-oriented" mindset that plagues most workplaces and shares his practical, principle-based framework for transforming it into a "WE powerhouse."
 
Why You Need to Hear This:
The evidence is clear: an unhealthy work environment is a slow-motion disaster.
A toxic culture is costing American companies an estimated $223 billion annually.
Kyle reveals that a fifth of American employees have quit a job in the last five years because of a toxic culture.
Conversely, we-oriented companies are seeing a 23% spike in profitability and a 21% boost in productivity.
 
Inside the Episode: From Me to WE
Kyle gets raw and transparent about the first 20 years of his 30-year corporate career, where he was completely "stuck in the me zone"—a leader focused only on his own wins. He shares the profound epiphany that changed his entire approach to leadership and life, leading him to develop the "10 We" principles as a guide for building true connection and legacy.
 
Key Takeaways & Actionable Insights:
The Courage to Change: Is it human nature to be "me-oriented"? Kyle challenges this idea and explains why it takes immense courage and a mindset shift to break the cycle of toxic, command-and-control leadership.
Values are Bullshit (Why Behavior is King): Most company values are meaningless words on a poster. Kyle explains why focusing on observable, documentable behaviors is the only way to genuinely shift and sustain culture. "Values are bullshit"—but principles and behaviors are currency.
The Leadership Cycle Breaker: Learn how bad behavior from one boss creates a dysfunctional cycle that perpetuates toxic leaders, and how one person can find the "better way" and create a positive, unstoppable momentum from the ground up.
Handling Accountability with Empathy: How do you address underperformance and mistakes in a "we culture" without resorting to shame or the "get your results up or else" approach? Kyle offers his proven method for setting expectations and giving people the support they need to succeed.
The Power of Self-Reflection: We discuss why few companies promote self-awareness training, and why self-reflection is the non-negotiable first step in the entire cultural transformation.
Connect with Kyle McDowell:
Kyle McDowell's book, Begin with We: 10 Principles for Building and Sustaining a Culture of Excellence, is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller.
Website & Social Media: https://kylemcdowellinc.com/ or @KyleMcDowellInc
The Book: Begin With WE: 10 Principles for Building and Sustaining a Culture of Excellence 
Episode Timeline
1:01 The ROI on a Healthy Culture: Profitability & Productivity Spikes
3:03 Kyle's Personal Confession: 20 Years Trapped in the "Me Zone"
4:13 The Gut Punch: Why a Leader Loathes the Environment They Created
7:44 Why Leading Differently Requires Courage and Why the "We Shift" is Rare
10:10 How Toxic Bosses Create a Cycle of Bad Leadership Behavior
15:39 The Tough Choice: Staying or Finding a Better Environment
18:08 Kyle’s Leadership Hero: Harry Kramer and the Power of Values-Based Leadership
20:35 Tackling Self-Reflection: Why It's Simple, Not Easy
26:18 The Momentum of Principle-Based Leadership and the Naysayers
34:22 Accountability Without Shaming: Handling Underperformance in a We-Culture
44:42 Why Corporate Values Are "Bullshit" and the Truth About Behaviors
 

The conventional leadership advice is a lie: Don't show fear. Suppress the anger. Keep your cool. But what if that intense energy behind frustration or rage is the most potent fuel you're wasting?
 
In this thought-provoking deep dive, author and executive coach Greg Stewart (drgregstewart.com) introduces his radical concept of unleashing the rage of negative emotions —not at your team, but against the internal and external obstacles holding you back. This isn't about becoming an irrational boss; it’s about transforming raw, negative energy into highly disciplined, goal-directed action.
 
Listen to Greg unpack his three-part framework, I³ (Information, Interpretation, Intensity) , a system for leaders who are ready to stop managing their inner life and start maximizing their impact.
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
The I³ Framework Decoded: How this critical thinking system acts as a "Panama Canal" for your emotions, ensuring you are operating from a place of rational truth, not immediate reaction.
The Uncomfortable Truth of Inflation: Greg details the three reasons why negative emotions become inflated (e.g., believing a lie, taking things personally, or unaddressed trauma) and why a true leader must look in the mirror before leading others. The issue isn't the negative emotion itself, but the inflation of it.
 
From "Have More" to "Become More": Why even successful VPs and directors hit a wall in their mid-thirties, and how finding the Iron Man Core—a mission, calling, and purpose—is the only way to be a leader, not just "a machine managing other machines".
 
Mandatory Leadership Growth Rituals: Discover the simple, high-impact practice of Proactive Teachability—a weekly check-in designed to relentlessly eradicate your blind spots, thereby skyrocketing your "referent power" and leadership credibility.
 
The Test of Truth: Greg explains that productive growth is about constantly treating your beliefs as a hypothesis you must validate, using your family as the toughest training ground for your emotional intelligence.
This episode of the Growth Hacking Culture Podcast challenges the psychological taboos in modern leadership and delivers a practical manual for turning your most difficult feelings into your greatest strategic advantage.
Connect with Greg Stewart:
Website: becomingmore.com 
Discover his book I3 for Leaders: Unleash the Rage of Negative Emotions Against the Obstacles of Becoming More
 
This episode is sponsored by Binôme+
Structuring succession. Securing transmission of Swiss SMEs

Are you a business leader or HR professional frustrated by the lack of measurable return on investment (ROI) from your leadership coaching programs?
You are definitely not alone. Industry reports indicate that a staggering 70% of organizations struggle to effectively measure the ROI of their leadership development initiatives.
This massive disconnect leaves companies feeling like they have invested in a solution without a clear problem, or worse, a problem without a tangible outcome. The market is saturated with providers, and the challenge goes beyond finding a coach—it’s about selecting the right approach for your specific business needs and ensuring it delivers a measurable, lasting impact.
In this deep-dive interview, we pull back the curtain on why so much corporate coaching falls short and what truly moves the needle. To guide us, we host a true expert in the field: Andrea Caldwell, Vice President of Consulting and Coaching at FranklinCovey, a global leader in performance improvement.
The Science of Change: Moving Beyond "Soft Skills"
Andrea shares her deep expertise in corporate leadership and human behavior, explaining that effective leadership coaching is far from a "soft skill." It is deeply rooted in neuroscience and behavioral psychology. We discuss the key scientific principles that make coaching work, including the ability to create new neural pathways in the brain. People change when they feel psychologically safe, achieve small wins, and receive regular feedback. Critically, the change must be intrinsically motivated; it cannot be imposed or come from external pressure.
A major pitfall we uncover is the common corporate mistake of positioning coaching as a punishment—telling an underperforming employee to "go see a coach." This instantly kills intrinsic motivation and sets the entire program up for failure. Effective coaching is about growth, development, and broadening a leader's positive impact on their team and the organization's strategic goals.
The ROI Blueprint: Getting Hardcore Data
The conversation tackles the "Disneyland calculations" often seen in measuring coaching ROI. Andrea provides the facts: studies by the International Coaching Federation show anywhere from a 400% to 800% return on investment on coaching dollars spent. This return comes in the form of improved productivity, expanded skills, and increased confidence in navigating disruption and change. Gallup also reports a 59% lower turnover in organizations with highly engaged teams—a direct outcome of effective leadership coaching.
The key to achieving this high ROI is beginning with the end in mind, as taught in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Before starting any program, you must define clear, measurable objectives that align with business goals, whether they involve culture transformation or specific skill adoption.
The Future of Coaching: Integrating AI and Tackling Culture
We explore the challenges in implementation, notably the lack of executive sponsorship and the inability to effectively apply training. When coaching is paired with a learning experience, implementation boosts up to 400%. To solve the scalability problem, we discuss the role of AI in coaching. AI is an essential tool, acting as a low-stakes practice partner for skill development (e.g., navigating difficult conversations) and helping with accountability, but it is not a replacement for the human element.
Finally, we address the influence of company culture. A toxic culture—like the "firefighter syndrome" where people intentionally wait for a crisis to be the hero—can completely destroy a coaching program. Andrea offers advice on how corporate leaders should evaluate coaching providers by focusing on proven methodology, data tracking, scalability, and cultural fit.
If you want to stop guessing and start getting real, measurable results from your leadership coaching, this episode provides the practical framework you need.
About the Guest: Andrea Caldwell Andrea Caldwell is the Vice President of Consulting and Coaching at FranklinCovey, bringing over two decades of experience in leadership development and organizational effectiveness. She leads teams dedicated to helping organizations build high-trust cultures, develop world-class leaders, and achieve exceptional business results.
Connect with Andrea Caldwell:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreacaldwell3/
Franklin Covey Profile: https://franklincovey.ca/engage-with-us/andrea-caldwell/
 
Want to ignite your curiosity? 📍Check INSPO, the social network for thought leadership 👇