Culture Matters

Subbu Kalpathi
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Learning, Leadership and Organizational Development expert Subbu Kalpathi talks with leading academics, researchers, authors, corporate leaders, consultants and subject matter experts on the topic of organizational culture. From harnessing the science of happiness at work to innovations such as the 4-day workweek, Culture Matters will challenge the way you think about your people strategy for the new world of work.

  1. Jun 9

    When meetings become acts of sabotage with Rebecca Hinds

    Rebecca Hinds is Head of the Work AI Institute at Glean, a researcher of organizational behavior and collaboration, and the author of the bestselling book Your Best Meeting Ever. Over the course of her career, Rebecca has studied how people work together, how teams make decisions, and how technology shapes collaboration. In this episode, Rebecca joins Subbu to discuss why meetings have become one of the biggest sources of frustration in modern organizations and what leaders can do about it. We explore: Why a World War II-era sabotage manual bears an uncomfortable resemblance to many modern meetingsThe concept of "meeting debt" and how calendars become overloaded over timeWhy equal airtime is one of the strongest predictors of team performanceHow power, status, and hierarchy influence who speaks and who stays silentWhy fewer meeting participants often lead to better outcomesThe hidden costs of pre-meetings and meeting overloadThe debate around cameras on versus cameras off in virtual meetingsWhat research tells us about Zoom fatigue and the unequal burden it places on different groupsHow AI can improve meetings, and the ways in which it can inadvertently make them worseWhy successful AI adoption is ultimately a human and organizational challenge, not just a technological one

    50 min

  2. May 26

    Why Employee Engagement is Falling with Jim Harter

    Jim Harter is Chief Scientist for Workplace Management and Wellbeing at Gallup and one of the world’s leading researchers on employee engagement, wellbeing, and organizational performance. For decades, Jim has studied how people experience work—what helps them thrive, what drives performance, and why some organizations consistently create stronger cultures than others. His work has shaped global conversations around engagement, strengths, leadership, and the future of management, and the annual State of the Global Workplace report has become one of the most widely referenced studies on the modern workplace. In this episode, Jim returns to Culture Matters to unpack the findings from the 2026 report and what they reveal about the current state of work globally. We explore: Why employee engagement has now declined for the second consecutive yearThe growing pressure and emotional burden managers and leaders are carryingWhat organizations with highly engaged managers are doing differentlyWhy AI adoption is ultimately a management and leadership challengeThe tension between productivity gains and rising fear around AI-driven job lossHow leadership and management roles may need to fundamentally evolveThe relationship between engagement, wellbeing, burnout, and performanceAnd why this moment may represent a genuine inflection point in the future of work

    44 min

  3. May 5

    The legacy of Chanakya and Sun Tzu with R Gopalakrishnan and Nirmala Isaac

    R. Gopalakrishnan (Gopal) is one of India’s most respected business leaders, having held senior roles at Unilever and the Tata Group. Over the years, he has also become a thoughtful voice on leadership, learning, and life through his writing and speaking. Nirmala Isaac is a doctoral scholar whose work spans organizational behavior, leadership, and sustainability, with a deep interest in trust and institutional dynamics. In this episode, Gopal, Nirmala, and Subbu explore the deep and fascinating relationship between India and China through the lens of history, culture, and exchange. Drawing from their book, the guests bring together the ideas of Chanakya and Sun Tzu to uncover how civilizations evolve, interact, and learn from one another over time. We cover: The origin story behind the book and the collaborationThe idea of “travel, trade, and thought” as the foundations of civilizational exchangeHow business offers a unique, practical lens to build relationships across bordersThe similarities and differences between Chanakya and Sun TzuWhat ancient dynasties like the Mauryas and the Han can teach us about leadership and stabilityStories of cultural exchange that still echo today, from language to ritualsWhy relationships, whether between people or nations, evolve by focusing on shared interestsAnd what modern leaders can learn from history about navigating complexity and difference

    29 min

  4. Apr 22

    The Leader As Facilitator with Vinay Kumar

    Vinay Kumar is a leadership facilitator and organizational development expert who has spent close to two decades helping leaders and organizations navigate complex conversations, build alignment, and strengthen culture. He’s the Founder Director of C2C OD and has been the global chair of the International Association of Facilitators (IAF). In this episode, Vinay and Subbu explore facilitation not just as a skill, but as a fundamental shift in how leadership shows up today. In a world where knowledge is abundant and easily accessible, the role of the leader is evolving, from being the one with answers to the one who creates the conditions for better answers to emerge. We cover: What facilitation really means and why it’s often misunderstoodWhy facilitation is becoming an essential leadership capabilityHow leaders can move from giving answers to asking better questionsThe role of facilitation in building alignment and driving cultural changeWhy culture is the “spine” of an organization and what happens when it’s unstableCommon mistakes facilitators and leaders make when working with groupsThe importance of creating spaces where all voices are heardAnd why leadership, ultimately, is a practice, not a theory, and never a finished product

    27 min

  5. Apr 8

    Uncovering the Rookie Playbook with Pawan Kumar Marella

    Pawan Kumar Marella is a global business leader whose career spans sales, marketing, strategy, and general management across India, Africa, and the UK. From starting out in sales at Unilever—despite training in engineering and finance—to setting up business operations in Ethiopia and later working in corporate strategy in London, Pawan’s journey reflects both range and reinvention. He is also the author of Dear Rookie, Don’t Panic—a candid, practical guide to navigating the realities of corporate life. Drawing from two decades of experience, the book distills what most professionals learn the hard way: how to deal with uncertainty, manage relationships, build credibility, and grow through setbacks. In this episode, Pawan and Subbu explore the often-unspoken side of early careers—the panic, the pressure, and the steep shift from campus to corporate life. They unpack what it really takes to succeed at work: skill, but adaptability, self-awareness, and the ability to work effectively with others. We cover: Why the transition from competition to collaboration is harder than most expectThe four non-negotiables for long-term success: health, integrity, trust, and showing upWhat personal branding really means—and why it’s more than self-promotionHow to navigate teams, conflict, and corporate culture with practical toolsThe idea of “trust but verify” and how to build reliability without micromanagingWhy performance is the true currency of corporate lifeThe importance of visibility and documenting your work in today’s environmentAnd how the energy you bring—being a radiator or a vacuum cleaner—shapes the culture around you

    45 min

  6. 10/30/2025

    Engagement, Well-being and the Future of Work with Jim Harter

    Jim Harter is Chief Scientist of Workplace Management and Well-being at Gallup — one of the world’s most trusted voices in understanding what makes work, and workers, thrive. Over three decades at Gallup, Jim has helped shape how organizations across the globe make sense of engagement, performance, and well-being. His research has defined the modern science of engagement. From pioneering the first meta-analysis linking engagement to performance outcomes, to co-authoring Wellbeing at Work with Jim Clifton, Jim’s work has influenced leaders, managers, and policymakers in every industry. In this episode, Jim and Subbu explore the evolving story of how people feel about their work: what drives engagement, why well-being can’t be separated from it, and how today’s hybrid workplaces are testing the limits of both. They unpack Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace 2025 report — from the sharp decline in manager engagement to the paradox of remote work, where autonomy rises but connection fades. We cover: How Gallup’s decades of research have reshaped our understanding of workThe drop in global engagement and why it matters more than most leaders thinkWhy managers hold 70% of the variance in engagement and what to do about itThe three habits of great managersHow engagement and well-being intertwine, and why one without the other won’t lastThe rise of “the great detachment” and what it says about loyalty and belongingHow AI and hybrid work are redefining the manager’s roleThe next frontier in Gallup’s research: strengths utilization and how it drives both performance and prosperity

    47 min

  7. 09/24/2025

    Burnout is preventable: Rethinking healthy work with Malissa Clark

    Professor Malissa Clark is one of the world’s leading scholars on workaholism, burnout, and the science of healthy work. She is Professor and Head of Psychology Department at the University of Georgia, where she also leads the Healthy Work Lab. Her research has redefined how we think about overwork as a multidimensional phenomenon with deep consequences for individuals, families, and organizations. Prof. Clark is the author of Never Not Working, a book that blends rigorous research with personal insight to challenge the myths of productivity and the culture of “always on.” In this episode, Malissa and Subbu unpack why workaholism is far more complex than simply clocking long hours, how burnout is preventable, and what both individuals and organizations can do to build healthier ways of working. They also explore the hidden costs of overwork on families, the myths that refuse to die, and the cultural signals that silently enforce “ideal worker” norms. We cover: Malissa’s winding career path—from sales and consulting to academiaWhy she founded the Healthy Work Lab and what “healthy work” really meansThe four dimensions of workaholism: motivational, cognitive, emotional, and behavioralWhy long hours don’t predict productivity—and how overwork can harm teamsThe health consequences of chronic overwork—from poor sleep to cardiovascular riskThe ripple effects of workaholism on spouses, children, and workplace cultureBurnout as an organizational problem, not just an individual one—and why it’s preventablePractical strategies to “kick the habit”: Eisenhower matrix, recovery breaks, and mastery experiencesHow organizational norms—like praising late-night availability—shape unhealthy culturesWhat leaders can do to reset expectations, model balance, and experiment with changeThe promise and challenges of the four-day week movementWhy vulnerability and personal storytelling matter in academic work

    53 min

  8. 09/03/2025

    Reframing Regret as an Engine for Growth with Daniel Pink

    Daniel Pink is one of the world’s most influential thinkers on work, behavior, and human motivation. He is the author of seven New York Times bestsellers—including Drive, When, and The Power of Regret—books that have shaped how leaders, educators, and individuals approach purpose, timing, decision-making, and the emotions that drive us. Across a career that spans law, politics, speechwriting, and two decades of groundbreaking writing, Dan has made complex research in psychology and behavioral science accessible to millions of readers worldwide. His TED talks have been viewed tens of millions of times, and his work continues to influence the way organizations and individuals think about performance, choice, and meaning. In this episode, Dan and Subbu unpack why regret is not something to suppress but a vital emotion that helps us learn, grow, and make better choices. They also explore how to navigate today’s flood of information, the habits of good decision-making, and the human commonalities revealed by studying regrets from around the world. We cover: Dan’s winding career path—from law school and politics to bestselling authorWhy he regrets not having mentors early in his careerHow he stays current with fast-moving research without drowning in informationThe puzzle at the heart of The Power of Regret—why an emotion that feels terrible is so universalWhy “no regrets” culture is misguided, and how to confront regrets productivelyThe difference between regrets of action and inaction—and why inaction regrets dominate as we ageThe four universal categories of regret: foundation, boldness, moral, and connectionWhat 26,000 submissions to the World Regret Survey reveal about being humanHow to deal with regrets through self-compassion, writing, and sense-makingThe regret optimization framework, and how to apply it to the decisions that matter mostWhy kindness and pro-social behavior should become our “default setting”How changing the delivery of ideas matters as much as the ideas themselves in an age of AI and distraction

    43 min
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About

Learning, Leadership and Organizational Development expert Subbu Kalpathi talks with leading academics, researchers, authors, corporate leaders, consultants and subject matter experts on the topic of organizational culture. From harnessing the science of happiness at work to innovations such as the 4-day workweek, Culture Matters will challenge the way you think about your people strategy for the new world of work.

Information

  • Creator
    Subbu Kalpathi
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    47
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2023 Subbu Kalpathi
  • Show Website
    Culture Matters