

The Leader Factor
LeaderFactor
[Previously Culture by Design] The leader is the #1 factor in determining organizational success. If you want to become an effective leader, you have three objectives: First, learn to lead yourself. Then, learn how to unlock the full potential of your team. Finally, build a business where culture is your competitive advantage and innovation is the status quo.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 1, 2024 • 1h 6min
Where Great Culture Starts
Original Air Date: November 21, 2022The culture dilemma (00:45). Many organizations tell us that they want to improve their culture, but often don’t know where to start. What does an unhealthy culture look like? What symptoms need to be identified and treated?The definition of culture (02:30). Culture is the way we interact. It exists anywhere where there are humans. Parts of it are visible, while other parts of culture, not so much. How does culture work? (16:00) You don’t fix a culture at the top of an organization, but you can influence it at the team level. Teams need to improve their interactions by modeling and rewarding the vulnerabilities of their colleagues. What’s the solution? (31:00) If you want good culture, you need high levels of psychological safety. Psychological safety solves for culture at the level of interaction. Building great culture is a process (50:00). Just like fostering trust takes a certain level of consistency over time, psychological safety is delicate and dynamic. It requires consistent effort and deliberate action in order to build and maintain.The Complete Guide to Psychological SafetyThe Ladder of VulnerabilityThe 4 Stages Behavior Guide

5 snips
Dec 25, 2023 • 54min
What Makes a High Performing Team
Tim and Junior discuss how high-performing teams are formed and maintained. They focus on the core four patterns of high-performing teams: connecting, improving skills, transparency and autonomy, and continuous innovation. They emphasize the benefits of improving team performance, the importance of team connection, and continuous learning. They also discuss the correlation between team longevity and improved performance, the importance of dependability and continuous improvement, and assessing team performance.

Dec 18, 2023 • 1h 3min
2023 Psychological Safety Year In Review
In this year in review episode, the hosts of Culture by Design interview members of the LeaderFactor team. They discuss the growing interest in psychological safety, practical strategies for implementation, and the experiences of individual contributors. They also explore the importance of measuring psychological safety, tracking progress over time, and making consistent efforts for cultural transformation.

7 snips
Dec 11, 2023 • 52min
The 5 Alignment Questions
Explore the significance of alignment in teams and organizations, the high cost of misalignment, and the 5 Alignment Questions framework to drive shared understanding and commitment. Learn how dialogue fosters alignment, the importance of continuous intervention, and the risks of assuming alignment without verification.

Dec 4, 2023 • 44min
Transferring Ownership and Critical Thinking as a Leader
The podcast discusses the importance of accountability and critical thinking in leadership. It explains that accountability involves taking ownership and being proactive, while critical thinking involves evaluating information objectively. The podcast emphasizes the interrelationship between accountability and critical thinking. It also explains how leaders must model these skills before expecting them from others. The importance of transferring accountability and ownership in leadership roles is highlighted, along with the significance of problem-solving and participation for leaders and their teams.

Nov 27, 2023 • 51min
How to Improve Emotional Intelligence
Learn how to develop emotional intelligence through practice and experience. EQ is a learnable skill that can be improved over time. Willingness, self-awareness, motivation, and behavior change are key factors. Improving EQ requires continuous self-monitoring, gathering feedback, and making incremental improvements. The podcast explores the importance of influential interactions and self-discovery in enhancing emotional intelligence.

Nov 20, 2023 • 45min
The Causal Chain Between Emotional Intelligence and Psychological Safety
The podcast explores the causal relationship between emotional intelligence and psychological safety, emphasizing the importance of assessing emotional intelligence. They define EQ as the ability to interact effectively with others, and discuss how psychological safety rewards vulnerability. The podcast also highlights the impact of EQ on team dynamics and behavior, and explains how individual habits of emotional intelligence shape team culture. The hosts conclude by discussing the upcoming launch of a self-assessment tool.

Nov 13, 2023 • 50min
Emotional Intelligence and The Experience Economy
Tim and Junior discuss the importance of emotional intelligence for maintaining competitive advantage. They explore the essence of business strategy and the role of emotional intelligence in the experience economy. They emphasize the significance of memorable experiences and the need for emotional intelligence in organizations. Emotional intelligence is essential for creating and sustaining competitive advantage.

Nov 6, 2023 • 39min
What is Emotional Intelligence
This podcast explores the practical and actionable aspects of emotional intelligence. It covers core concepts of self-awareness and self-management, as well as social awareness and relationship management. The six competency model of EQindex™ is discussed, along with the efficient EQindex™ assessment tool. Exciting news about the upcoming release of the EQindex™ is shared.

9 snips
Oct 30, 2023 • 47min
Psychological Safety: From Theory to Practice
Learn how to implement psychological safety within organizations by creating the right conditions for feedback and support, identifying cultural liabilities, and changing norms. Understand the concept of what you tolerate, you normalize and the importance of holding people accountable. Explore the process of unlearning and the challenges it brings. Discover how to create psychological safety through rewarding vulnerability and building trust.


