The Trust-First Approach to Leadership and Culture That Led to a Major Company Breakthrough with Michelle Poole

On paper, everything looks right: your team is talented, your strategy is solid, and your goals are clear. So why does it still feel like progress is harder than it should be?

Often, the real barrier isn’t a lack of strategy. It's because your people don't feel safe to bring their best selves to work. The issue is in your culture, which may have been shaped by years of fear and pressure. And in trying to fix things, it’s common to reach for more structure: more meetings, tighter KPIs, added pressure. 

But that rarely works. That only feeds the cycle of stagnant growth, silent disengagement, and widespread burnout. The missing ingredient isn’t strategy. It’s trust.

In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari and Michelle Poole unpack the trust-first, people-first leadership approach that transforms cultures and leads to company breakthroughs.

Michelle Poole is a seasoned consumer and footwear leader with over three decades of experience, most notably as Brand President at Crocs where she spearheaded a cultural and financial turnaround. She champions authentic, people-first leadership, fostering psychological safety, inclusivity, and trust to drive high-performing, engaged teams.

Things you will learn in this episode:

• How life experiences shift priorities from achievement to well-being

• Gender balance at work and feminine leadership energy

• Turning around a struggling brand into a market leader

• How inclusivity and belonging drive performance

• Three key practices for building trust in times of change

If you feel your results are stagnant, it’s time to stop pushing harder and start leading differently.

Tune in now and change the trajectory of your team and your business.

Resources:

• Crocs: https://www.crocs.com/stories/come-as-you-are.html 

• StrengthsFinder (now CliftonStrengths): https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/252137/home.aspx

• How employers can create a thriving workplace: https://www.mckinsey.com/mhi/our-insights/thriving-workplaces-how-employers-can-improve-productivity-and-change-lives

Books:

• Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing by Bronnie Ware: https://a.co/d/eAO9RYv 

• My Life in Full: Work, Family, and Our Future by Indra Nooyi: https://a.co/d/cBY3kES 

• Hardwired for Happiness by Ashish Kothari: https://a.co/d/bPWHmUG