On Culture: Fragile Systems, Not Fragile People
- Myste Wylde
- Mar 28
- 4 min read
Dear Culturati Insider,
If your culture can’t survive the truth, it won’t survive the market.
We’re almost a week out from Culturati: Summit, and I’m in final prep mode—dotting i’s, crossing t’s—so this week is straight to the point.
Whether it’s unspoken burnout, unclear roles, or underused benefits, silence is costly. Employees don’t leave because they’re fragile—they leave because we make it hard to stay. The data is loud: financial strain, political stress, caregiving pressures, and bad managers are eroding performance. But where communication flows and structure supports accountability, resilience follows.
The fix isn’t more perks—it’s clarity, consistency, and cultural courage. Set tighter teams. Scrap performative work. Say what needs to be said. Healthy organizations aren’t built on wishful thinking—they’re built on hard choices, clear priorities, and leaders willing to confront what’s uncomfortable.
Five articles, one message: great leaders fix the system, not just the symptoms.
Stay sharp,
Myste Wylde, COO
How Entrepreneurs Can Better Support Their Employees' Mental, Physical and Financial Health
Entrepreneur By Sharon Miller
Summary: Prioritizing employee well-being drives retention, resilience, and results. Yet only 33% of small business employees rate their financial wellness positively, and 68% report financial stress (Bank of America, 2024). Nearly half of employees want Lifestyle Spending Accounts—flexible stipends for wellness expenses—but fewer than 30% of employers offer them. With 50% of employees also serving as caregivers and 39% unaware of available support, communication is as critical as the benefits themselves. High-impact solutions like financial education, 401(k)s, HSAs, mental health access, and caregiver support help organizations build healthier teams—and healthier bottom lines. |
Employees Say They’re Stressed by Global Political Turmoil
HR Dive By Carolyn Crist
Summary: Political turmoil is taking a measurable toll on employee well-being. According to Modern Health, 75% of U.S. workers report low mood tied to current events, now the leading cause of mental health strain—surpassing finances and crime. Nearly two-thirds feel pressured to work through burnout, and 74% say political uncertainty is eroding workplace culture. Yet over a quarter don’t know if they have mental health benefits (NAMI), underscoring a critical gap in awareness and support. Leaders have an opportunity to restore stability by equipping managers, clarifying resources, and fostering environments rooted in psychological safety. |
Managers Can Have a Huge Positive Influence on Employees—Here’s How to Make the Most of It
Inc. By Emily McCray-Ruiz-Esparza
Summary: Managers have outsized influence on employee well-being—more than political or religious leaders, according to Gallup’s 2024 Global Leadership Report. Nearly a third of workers worldwide, and 30% in the U.S., say a manager has the most positive impact on their daily life, second only to family. Yet nearly 7 in 10 employees would quit over a bad one (LinkedIn, 2024). With U.S. employees clocking longer hours than most OECD peers, the quality of workplace relationships matters deeply. Gallup identifies four key needs employees seek from leaders: hope, trust, compassion, and stability. Meeting these doesn't require grand gestures—just honest communication, empathetic support, and a realistic, compelling sense of the future. In a volatile environment, consistency and integrity from managers can be the anchor employees need most. |
When Team Accountability Is Low: Four Hard Questions for Leaders
MIT Sloan Management Review By Melissa Swift
Summary: Many leaders blame low accountability on team mindset, but the real issue is structural. When too many people are involved, too many priorities compete, and roles are unclear, ownership disappears. Add to that a culture where people can’t challenge flawed directives, and what looks like disengagement is often self-preservation. The path forward: cap teams at 4–8, eliminate performative work, define roles explicitly, and create space for dissent. The hardest part? Leaders must reset their own habits first. Accountability isn’t a trait—it’s an outcome of how we work. |
How to Lead a Successful Turnaround
Harvard Business Review By Peter Cuneo & Alison Beard
Summary: Veteran CEO Peter Cuneo—known for transforming Marvel from bankruptcy to blockbuster—offers a masterclass in turnaround leadership. His success across seven radical corporate rescues reveals a blueprint: start with brutal cultural honesty, vet team members fast through accountability, and execute relentlessly. Cuneo stresses that most companies aren't financially bankrupt—they’re culturally bankrupt. Only one in five troubled companies is even worth saving, and success hinges on building a lean, resilient team able to face volatility head-on. He ran Marvel as both CEO and CFO for two years post-bankruptcy, proving that leaders must get close to the numbers and closer to the people. Radical change demands high-stakes decisions. Turnarounds aren’t for the faint of heart—they require clarity, courage, and a short fuse for inaction. |
In this dynamic and interactive session, leaders will uncover a powerful tool used at Kendra Scott, Whole Foods, Indeed, and other mission-driven organizations to identify and align with their core values. Understanding what truly drives us as leaders is essential—but just as important is recognizing the shadow side of our values. When overused or misapplied, our strengths can become our blindspots, revealing where we might fall short in leadership.
Through engaging discussions and small-group activities, participants will explore their core values, learn how these values shape decision-making and team dynamics, and gain insights into how their leadership can evolve. This session will be co-facilitated by Ashley Terry, Director of Talent Management at Kendra Scott, and Vaishali Jadhav, Founder of Mandalight Learning, and will equip leaders with actionable strategies to lead with clarity, self-awareness, and impact.
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