In this HCI Webinar, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Anjali Sharma about their book, "STRATEGIC STORYTELLING: Why Some Stories Drive Your Success At Work But Others Don't." Anjali Sharma is the founder of Narrative: The Business of Stories and is one of the most sought-after keynote speakers trusted by international brands seeking guidance on finding, developing, and using their stories to make a dynamic change happen. Sharma works with private and government organizations to determine what their individual and unique business challenges are, and by incorporating story skills, she crafts individualized solutions to help solve those challenges. She is trusted by brands such as LinkedIn, Airbnb, Bytedance, TikTok, and Meta.   🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5000388458315776

After 15 years of experience working with C-suite leaders, the speaker highlights that exceptional leadership transcends merely achieving targets. True leadership is rooted in purpose, emotional intelligence, and authentic connection with people. Leaders who lead with heart create resilient and innovative organizations where employees feel part of a meaningful mission. This approach is not a soft skill but a fundamental foundation for sustainable success in today’s complex environment. Standout executives cultivate trust, shared commitment, and clear purpose to inspire teams rather than command them. They practice deep listening, empathy, and transparent communication, which fosters psychological safety and organizational alignment. Highlights ❤️ Leadership is about leading with purpose and connecting authentically with people, not just hitting targets. 🌟 Exceptional leaders inspire through a clear, authentic purpose that guides every decision. 🗣 Transparent communication breaks down silos and fosters psychological safety and alignment. 🤝 The myth of the lone genius leader is outdated; leadership is distributed and collaborative. 💡 Values-driven leadership creates a strong culture that guides behavior and builds trust. 📚 Continuous learning and a growth mindset future-proof organizations and attract top talent. 🌱 Human-centered leadership builds organizations that are both successful and significant. Key Insights ❤️ Purpose-Driven Leadership: The Heart of Sustainable Success Exceptional leaders don’t just focus on outcomes but lead from a place of authentic purpose. This clarity of “why” fuels motivation and aligns teams around a shared mission, transforming work into meaningful contribution. Purpose acts as a compass, ensuring decisions resonate with deeper organizational goals and human values rather than short-term gains. 🌟 Emotional Intelligence as a Leadership Superpower The fusion of conviction with genuine care—emotional intelligence—creates workplaces where people feel valued and understood. Leaders who listen deeply and demonstrate empathy build trust, which unlocks extraordinary effort and engagement. This relational leadership shifts organizations from transactional structures to thriving communities. 🗣 Transparent Communication Builds Trust and Alignment Transparency is not optional but essential. Exceptional leaders openly share the rationale behind decisions, challenges, and vision, inviting input from all levels of the organization. This two-way communication fosters psychological safety, enabling employees to feel heard, informed, and empowered to take ownership of the strategy, which drives organic alignment and collective progress. 🤝 Distributed Leadership Empowers and Unlocks Potential The outdated notion of the lone genius leader is replaced by a system where leadership is everyone’s responsibility. By pushing decision-making downward and encouraging smart risk-taking, leaders cultivate ownership, creativity, and innovation. Mistakes are reframed as learning opportunities, creating a culture where continuous improvement thrives and engagement deepens. 💡 Values as the Guiding Principles of Leadership Values serve as the “how” in leadership, shaping every decision and behavior. Leaders who consistently align actions with shared values foster predictability and safety within the organization. Over time, these values become embedded cultural norms that attract individuals aligned with the organization’s ethos and repel those who don’t fit, creating a self-sustaining, competitive culture. 📚 The Growth Mindset: Leadership as a Continuous Learning Journey Exceptional leaders model curiosity and actively seek feedback, rejecting complacency and outdated practices. They invest in creating ecosystems for mentorship, experimentation, and skill development. By reframing challenges as learning opportunities, they build organizational resilience and adaptability, ensuring the company remains future-ready and attractive to top talent. 🌱 Human-Centered Leadership Creates Thriving, Meaningful Organizations The most effective leaders combine vision, values, and care to create conditions where people can thrive. This approach is not only kinder but also more effective, as it cultivates engagement, innovation, and resilience. Leaders are encouraged to ask reflective questions about purpose, transparency, empowerment, values, and learning to continuously evolve and meet the demands of a complex world. #Leadership #EmotionalIntelligence #ExecutiveSuccess #VisionaryLeadership #WorkplaceCulture #growthmindset OUTLINE: 00:00:00 - The Heart of Modern Leadership 00:00:32 - Leading with Purpose and Emotional Intelligence 00:01:13 - Creating Alignment through Transparent Communication 00:02:01 - Empowering Teams through Distributed Leadership 00:02:39 - Strengthening Culture through Values-Aligned Decision Making 00:03:14 - Fostering Continuous Growth and Learning 00:03:49 - The Fusion of Head and Heart

Abstract: This article explores how authentic leadership can positively impact organizational culture by building an ethical foundation, fostering psychological safety, and maximizing employee engagement. Authentic leadership is defined as leadership that is transparently self-aware, guided by strong internal values, and considers the needs of all stakeholders. The article argues that a disconnect between leadership rhetoric and reality can undermine trust and damage culture, but authentic leadership can align rhetoric and reality. It is discussed how authentic leaders establish an ethical culture by defining and modeling core values. Examples are provided of how authentic leadership fosters psychological safety so employees feel safe contributing freely. It is also explained that authentic leadership considering individual needs within a shared purpose leads to high employee engagement. Research and the author's consulting experience supports these arguments. In conclusion, authentic leadership is positioned as key to shaping sustainable culture when it aligns values with behaviors.

In this HCI Webinar, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Daniel Space about how we can reconcile asking people to be "authentic" but then punishing them for doing so. Dan has served as a Director HRBP for 20 years, working for prominent companies including Epic, Electronic Arts, and Spotify. He became a well-known content creator and public HR speaker following his success on TikTok, where he amassed approximately 400,000 followers across all his channels. His content focused on explaining the mechanics of job searching, compensation, promotion, career development, and even terminations. Dan has published several books and guides on his DanFromHR website and currently works as an HR consultant and guest speaker while preparing to launch his new HRBP community initiative. 🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5000388458315776

In this podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Anjali Sharma about their book, "STRATEGIC STORYTELLING: Why Some Stories Drive Your Success At Work But Others Don't." Anjali Sharma is the founder of Narrative: The Business of Stories and is one of the most sought-after keynote speakers trusted by international brands seeking guidance on finding, developing, and using their stories to make a dynamic change happen. Sharma works with private and government organizations to determine what their individual and unique business challenges are, and by incorporating story skills, she crafts individualized solutions to help solve those challenges. She is trusted by brands such as LinkedIn, Airbnb, Bytedance, TikTok, and Meta.   Check out all of the podcasts in the HCI Podcast Network (https://www.podbean.com/podcast-network/HCI) !

Despite widespread discussions about workplace culture, rudeness and incivility remain pervasive issues in modern offices. These behaviors are often subtle—ignored emails, sarcastic remarks, dismissive gestures—but they collectively damage trust, drain energy, and stifle creativity within teams. The persistence of workplace rudeness is fueled by high-pressure, fast-paced, and digital work environments, where stress and deadlines foster impatience and thoughtless behavior. Importantly, incivility is not just an individual failing but often an ingrained cultural problem, perpetuated when organizations ignore or excuse rude actions. Highlights 🏢 Workplace rudeness persists in subtle forms like ignored emails and sarcastic comments, undermining trust and collaboration. ⏳ High-pressure, fast-paced environments contribute to thoughtless, rude behaviors fueled by stress and tight deadlines. 🤝 Respect must be a core organizational value upheld by everyone, not just a vague ideal. 🔍 Power dynamics and ambiguity make it difficult for employees to challenge incivility, allowing it to spread. 📜 Three pillars to build civility: clear behavioral standards, safe anonymous reporting, and bystander intervention training. 🌟 Companies like Eli Lilly and Verizon show that consistent leadership and systemic approaches can successfully reduce incivility. 💼 Civility boosts employee engagement, innovation, loyalty, and ultimately enhances business performance and customer satisfaction. Key Insights 🌱 Subtle Incivility is More Damaging Than Overt Rudeness: The video highlights that everyday microaggressions—such as eye rolls, sighs, and curt emails—erode workplace culture more insidiously than overt outbursts. These subtle behaviors are easy to deny or overlook, leaving recipients feeling confused and invalidated, which gradually undermines team cohesion and creativity. ⚡ Workplace Stress and Culture Interact to Perpetuate Rudeness: Stressful workloads and tight deadlines often trigger impatience and thoughtlessness, but the problem is compounded when organizations tolerate or ignore rude behavior. This creates a feedback loop where incivility becomes normalized. 👥 Power Imbalances Silence Victims and Enable Incivility: When managers or leaders are rude, employees often fear retaliation or damage to their careers if they speak up. This silence is frequently misinterpreted as acceptance, allowing disrespect to become entrenched. 🎯 Clear Behavioral Standards Remove Ambiguity Around Respect: One of the three pillars for building civility is defining exactly what constitutes respectful and disrespectful behavior. Without clear guidelines, employees may misjudge or excuse harmful actions. 🛡️ Safe and Anonymous Reporting Empowers Employees: Employees need confidence that reporting incivility won’t lead to negative consequences. Anonymous channels and trusted systems encourage people to voice concerns, which is crucial for identifying and addressing problems early. 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Bystander Intervention Training Mobilizes Collective Responsibility: Most employees want to help but lack the skills or confidence to intervene when witnessing incivility. Training empowers bystanders with practical tools to safely address rude behavior, shifting responsibility from victims alone to the entire workforce. 🚀 Leadership Modeling and Ongoing Reinforcement are Critical: The examples of Eli Lilly and Verizon show that embedding civility into leadership behaviors, performance reviews, and regular communications is essential. 💡 Civility is a Strategic Business Advantage, Not Just a Moral Imperative: The video emphasizes that respectful workplaces yield higher employee engagement, innovation, and loyalty, which translate into better customer service and profitability. 🌍 Creating Civil Workplaces is a Shared Responsibility: While HR often leads initiatives, every employee and leader plays a role in fostering respect. Every interaction either strengthens or weakens culture. 🔄 The Future of Work Depends on Civility: The video closes with a call to collective action, positioning civility as foundational for the evolving workplace. OUTLINE: 00:00:00 - Why Rudeness Remains a Workplace Staple 00:01:14 - Unpacking the Roots of Persistent Incivility 00:02:05 - Three Pillars of a Civil Workplace 00:02:49 - Lessons from Eli Lilly and Verizon 00:03:36 - Forging a Future of Respect and Success

Abstract: This essay explores the critical job interview question "Why do you want to work here?" drawing upon two decades of consulting experience in organizational leadership and talent management. While seemingly straightforward, this question serves as a multifaceted assessment tool for hiring managers seeking to evaluate candidate motivation, company knowledge, cultural fit, and potential value contribution. The article provides a comprehensive framework for crafting impactful responses, emphasizing the necessity of thorough pre-interview research into the organization's mission, values, achievements, and strategic priorities. The discussion outlines specific response elements—highlighting relevant experience, demonstrating company understanding, emphasizing cultural alignment, articulating mutual benefits, and showcasing preparation—with practical examples and industry-specific considerations. Additionally, the essay examines how organizations can better support candidates through internal resources like mock interviews, mentorship programs, and cultural deep-dives, concluding with actionable advice for delivering authentic, well-crafted answers that distinguish candidates in competitive hiring processes.

Abstract: This article explores the critical intersection between leadership values and organizational training programs, demonstrating how strategically aligned learning initiatives serve as powerful catalysts for cultural transformation. Drawing from professional experience and research, the article argues that when training programs deliberately reinforce core leadership values rather than operating in isolation, organizations experience measurable improvements in employee engagement, performance, and retention. Through a case study of a global consulting firm that successfully integrated customer-centricity across its training curriculum, the article illustrates how this alignment produces tangible business outcomes. The piece offers a practical framework for organizations seeking this integration: establishing clear values, auditing current training, developing targeted learning experiences, cultivating internal trainers as cultural ambassadors, and maintaining leadership accountability. Ultimately, the article contends that this deliberate connection between training and leadership philosophy represents an underutilized yet powerful mechanism for cultivating sustainable organizational culture in today's complex business environment.