What happens when a 26-year Enterprise veteran turns his attention to the hidden engine of organizational success? You get Eric Stone—culture strategist, founder of Clear Path Ventures, and author of Jumpstart Your Workplace Culture. In this episode, Eric joins Rodger Dean Duncan to unpack the myths, mechanics, and measurable impact of workplace culture.
From empathy-driven accountability to the power of subtraction, Eric offers a refreshingly practical roadmap for leaders who want to ignite performance, boost retention, and build cultures that actually work—especially when no one’s watching.
Culture is behavior in action. True culture shows up when leadership isn’t in the room. It’s the lived values, not the laminated ones.
Empathy + accountability = high standards. Culture isn’t soft. It’s the shock absorber that carries teams through tough times with both compassion and rigor.
Subtraction is smart. Complexity bias leads to bloated systems. Simplifying priorities and expectations boosts clarity and execution.
Define behaviors for each value. Choose one core value and list three observable behaviors that reflect it. Share with your team.
Practice strategic subtraction. Review one policy process. What can you remove to make it clearer and more actionable?
Cross-train for perspective. Pair two departments for a shadowing exercise. Let them walk in each other’s shoes for a day (or more).
