Fostering Environments Where People Can Thrive 

Posted on by Byron Darden

This blog was written in collaboration with Leilani Raashida Henry

Leaders have the power to shape the environments where people work, and a thriving culture is at the heart of that success. Below are foundational components of organizational culture and practical tools leaders can use to build environments where people can truly thrive.

What Makes Up Organizational Culture?

To cultivate a strong culture, it’s helpful to identify the key ingredients that shape how people work together:

  • Norms from Storming: These include the policies and procedures that emerge from team dynamics, often shaped through conflict and resolution.
  • Collective Activities: Regular rituals such as personal check-ins, staff celebrations, onboarding/offboarding ceremonies, or even simple shared tasks help bond the team.
  • Shared Identities: Defined by understanding “Who we are, what we do, who we serve, and why.” This creates alignment and purpose.
  • Celebrated Differences and Shared Values: Through open dialogue, teams define what they stand for, where they’re flexible, and how they navigate grey areas.
  • Traditions: Cultural practices—like Happy Hour Fridays, Milestone Mondays, or What’s Working Wednesdays—can reinforce belonging and consistency.

Cultural Development in Practice: Team-Level Strategies

  1. Cultural Mapping
    As a team, identify and visualize the touchpoints that define your shared experience—important meeting rituals, shared values, or inside language. This map can serve as a guidepost for onboarding new teammates and for staying aligned as the team grows and changes.
  2. Photo Documentation
    Capture meaningful team moments—whether it’s collaborative work, team wins, or shared rituals. Sharing these images reinforces team identity, builds pride, and helps strengthen relationships, especially in hybrid or remote environments.
  3. Digital Archives
    Create a shared folder or team board to collect stories, feedback, resources, and creative highlights. This informal “living history” helps team members stay connected to the team’s progress and purpose over time, even as members rotate in and out.
  4. Mentorship Programs
    Pair team members together for peer mentorship or buddy systems, especially when someone is new or stepping into a new role. This supports knowledge sharing, builds connections, and strengthens the culture of support within the team.
  5. Educational Initiatives
    Dedicate time in team meetings or retreats to explore topics related to your team’s values, communication styles, or working agreements. Encouraging continuous learning as a team reinforces alignment and cultural clarity.
  6. Community Outreach Programs
     Action Step: Find opportunities for your team to engage with other teams, departments, or community members. This could be through cross-functional collaborations, volunteer days, or knowledge-sharing sessions—anything that broadens perspectives and builds cultural awareness together.

Real-World Leadership Examples

Facilitating Open Dialogue in a Small Business

While consulting for kaleidoscope maker Henry Bergeson and his five-person team, Leilani Henry noticed tension often built during production crunches. Employees resisted check-ins, seeing them as distractions. Once we introduced “Balance” meetings—embodied sessions designed to clear the air, team members had a space to express frustrations and fine-tune processes. As a result, the group became more collaborative, and resolving tension became part of the normal workflow.

Establishing Positive Work Culture in Antarctic Field Teams

As part of the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration, Leiani works with 150 US/UK polar scientists who operate under extreme conditions. We created a “pre-field agreement” process and held workshops to discuss vision, values, and expectations. These proactive conversations prepared researchers to adapt quickly and handle interpersonal conflict constructively—even when situations changed suddenly. Ongoing check-ins ensured the team stayed aligned throughout the mission.

Thriving Culture at a Cross-Cultural University

Leilani works with faculty and staff to co-create a culture of innovation and support at a university focused on first-generation college students. Reflecting on one of their key strategies, she explains, “We introduced large group discussions to identify success stories, address conflict, and surface opportunities. By aligning everyone to a shared theme of student success and learning innovation, the team grew more equipped to handle challenges as they arose.”  

By taking intentional, human-centered steps to build a positive work culture, leaders can ensure that values, practices, and people are all working together to support a thriving environment.

TAKE THE NEXT STEP

Learn Why Thriving Organizational Culture is Essential for Success

Why Thriving Organizational Culture is Essential for Success

Posted on by Byron Darden

According to Gallup research, only 33% of employees in the U.S. and 23% of employees globally are engaged in their work. This means that a significant portion of the workforce is not fully invested in their roles, leading to decreased productivity, lower morale, and a lack of innovation. Furthermore, more than half of employees worldwide are actively seeking new job opportunities, signaling dissatisfaction with their current workplace environments. This growing trend of disengagement and job-seeking is a major concern for organizations looking to maintain a competitive edge.

This situation highlights the critical importance of fostering a positive and thriving organizational culture. Employee engagement and retention are deeply intertwined with how well companies invest in their employees’ experience, well-being, and development. When employees feel supported, valued, and connected to their organization’s mission, they are more likely to stay, perform at their best, and contribute to a culture of continuous improvement. Neglecting these aspects can lead to high turnover (which is expensive),  loss of institutional knowledge, and a negative workplace atmosphere, all of which can hinder an organization’s long-term success. Recognition has been shown to drive annual cost savings upwards of $7 million through improved retention and engagement, making it a highly impactful investment for organizations looking to improve their financial performance.

A strong organizational culture is not just a nice-to-have—it is essential for business success and sustainability. A healthy culture fosters open communication, trust, and collaboration, which are the foundation of high-performing teams. When employees feel a sense of belonging and alignment with the organization’s values, they are more likely to be motivated, innovative, and committed to achieving shared goals. In contrast, a weak or toxic culture can erode morale, reduce engagement, and ultimately affect an organization’s bottom line.

Furthermore, in today’s rapidly changing work environment, companies that invest in building a strong culture are better equipped to navigate challenges, adapt to new technologies, and attract top talent. In the age of remote work, AI integration, and global competition, organizational culture is more important than ever. It’s not just about the work employees do, it’s also how they feel about the work they do and the environment in which they do it. Therefore, building and nurturing a thriving culture is beneficial for employee well-being; it is also beneficial for the long-term sustainability and success of the organization.

Unity and Strength

“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” – Phil Jackson

Phil Jackson, a legendary coach of the Chicago Bulls, led teams filled with basketball greats like Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen to multiple championships. Their success was about individual talent, along with unity, trust, and a shared commitment to a common goal. This unity was the foundation of their incredible team dynamics.

Building a strong organizational culture is far more than a strategic choice. It is critical to the long-term success and sustainability of any business. A thriving culture promotes engagement, drives innovation, and fosters collaboration, all of which directly influence employee satisfaction and retention. When employees feel connected to their work, valued for their unique contributions, and supported in their growth, they are more likely to excel, thereby driving the success of the entire organization.

By fostering a culture where every team member feels supported, respected, and empowered, leaders can unlock the full potential of their workforce and achieve outstanding business results.

Ready to elevate your leadership and cultivate a thriving culture? 

Contact Triple Axel for personalized coaching. Connect with us! Together, we’ll create an environment where individuals and organizations reach their highest potential.

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Founder’s Corner – Building Workplace Culture

Posted on by Byron Darden

What do Culture, Communication, Community, and Connection all have in common? They are the foundational Four Cs of our Leadership Essentials (ARTs Development lead) work we do to support individuals and their organizations in their efforts to develop their leadership pipeline.

Hi, I’m Byron Darden with another edition of Leading with Purpose on Purpose. Ever wonder who gets promoted, why they get promoted, and how they get promoted? The ones who get promoted are the ones who demonstrate the most promise to lead. They are often referred to as High-Potential leaders. Nearly all major organizations actively seek out these individuals and prepare them to be tomorrow’s executives when today’s executives retire. We even support executives in their retirement.

Why they get promoted usually boils down to their capability, willingness, and character to do what others only dream of doing. For some, dreaming is enough. For others, dreaming is just the beginning. For still more, high-potential dreams become a series of conscious actions that prime the pump to turn that dream into reality.

How they get promoted is through our Signature System here at TAEC which we’ve been developing and honing for over 20 years. That is, whether or not you consider the four decades spent prior to researching leadership from the most unlikely of places. That is part of what makes our Signature System effective in getting the job done!

In this installment, we begin our latest series on how to get promoted so that you can influence the way the world of business is run. So, join us by becoming a part of our leadership community. Sign up for our weekly Executive Perspective newsletter. You’ll also have access to our Executive Insights, special offers on coaching programs, and be the first to learn about what is brewing in our leadership development pipeline. In the meantime, enjoy the blog.

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Let’s start with an introduction to Building Workplace Culture.

Building Workplace Culture

Posted on by Byron Darden

This blog was written in collaboration with Leilani Raashida Henry

In her book The Four Sacred Gifts, Dr. Anita Sanchez offers an Indigenous worldview based on the concept that we are all one relation, and the principles embraced are as follows, expanded with our application in action:

The GiftsThe Applications
The Gift of Forgiving the UnforgivableEmpathetic Bridge: The ability to understand and share the feelings of others.
The Gift of UnityCommon Ground: The ability to come together and cooperate.
The Gift of HealingMind Over Matter: The ability to apply thought processing (in the form of self-talk, questioning beliefs as well as perceptions, and action taking) to how we look at the world and ourselves in it. 
The Gift of HopeOptimistically Desired Outcomes: The ability to incite positive thoughts, express positive words, and take actions in service to manifesting an equally positive end result.

Sanchez further introduced the idea that we all have Native roots somewhere in our heritage. Our ancestors gathered in circles around the fire and tended to their communities, steeped in the four gifts. The first people on the planet lived on the land in partnership with Nature. Now, most societies, organizations, and the humans who inhabit them have stopped paying attention to natural cycles and the balance of Nature.

We are still influenced by the principles of the military-industrial complex, which treats humans as assets to manage rather than the four gifts that draw on natural laws as their foundation. Companies measure productivity by time and efficiency. Profit and shareholders reign supreme. The bottom line often outweighs what society has come to recognize and define as confidence and work/life balance.

This blog launches our series on Leadership Essentials, which focuses on the four Cs: Culture, Communication, Community, and Connection.

Yet there’s another C that does not make the list: Collaboration.

For this series, my colleague Leilani Raashida Henry and I have come together to discuss the first, and perhaps most important, C-Culture. Culture is the glue that binds the other leadership essentials together.

Culture creates a shared identity, values, and traditions within a group, fostering a sense of belonging. It encourages collaboration, participation in collective activities, and mutual support. Ultimately, a strong culture is the foundation for building a thriving community, where individuals come together to strengthen social bonds and create something greater than themselves. 

Ultimately, an organization is a community, as is also the case for a team within that community. For these communities to be effective, attention must be paid to how the culture of work is established in each instance, so that the teams within the larger organization can thrive.

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Culture can begin with Creating a Thriving Ecosystem.

Creating a Thriving Ecosystem

Posted on by Byron Darden

This blog was written in collaboration with Leilani Raashida Henry

Given how Sanchez frames our interconnectedness with nature, culture is the ecosystem in which people live and work. Think of it as the type of water in which fish live. Is the pH balanced? Is the salinity appropriate? Is the temperature optimal? Is there enough nourishment? Is there enough space to exist and do your work?

Just as these factors determine the health and survival of aquatic life, the culture of an organization shapes the well-being, performance, and growth of its people.

Culture is not just a set of norms or policies; it is the environment where collective activities, shared identities, and values come together. It’s the space where norms are developed and practiced, fostering a sense of connection. Culture can encourage individuals to engage with one another and collaborate. In this space, people are more than just workers or members; they are part of something larger, working together toward a common purpose.

Just as the health of the water impacts the fish, the health of the work culture influences the people within it. A thriving culture creates an atmosphere where individuals feel supported, valued, and empowered to contribute. This, in turn, leads to the building of a strong social fabric within a group or geographic area, where mutual respect is the foundation. In essence, culture is the key element that unites people, helping them come together and form a cohesive, productive, and thriving community.

LET’S CONNECT

Learn how to Build a Foundation for Success.

Building a Foundation for Success

Posted on by Byron Darden

“Culture is not an initiative. Culture is the enabler of all initiatives.” – Larry Senn

According to The Fearless Culture blog, “culture matters because it boosts productivity, agility, employee engagement, and innovation. A strong, positive workplace culture precedes business results.” There is no cookie-cutter approach to creating a positive work culture. Each organization must prioritize what’s most important. For example, cultures that require creativity, like an ad agency, have different needs than cultures that provide stability for customers, like a financial investment company.

We are all impacted by culture because it is what surrounds us. The ecosystem that surrounds us enables us to grow, produce, and thrive. The alternative is to damage your reputation, lose employees and customers, or have your organization die on the vine.

A toxic culture sucks the life out of the people you depend on who get you results.  A positive work culture attracts the most talented people, keeps them motivated, and ensures the vision and mission are accomplished.

Without an established culture, getting work done can prove challenging because we are communal by nature. The phrase, “no man is an island,” is a powerful message in reminding us just how much we need one another to survive and thrive on the planet; no less in an organization where initiatives are determined and realized, for it to accomplish its ultimate goal for existing.

LET’S EXPLORE TOGETHER

Founder’s Corner – Helping Others

Posted on by Byron Darden

Despite all my accomplishments in life- professional entertainer, championship figure skater, Olympic coach, and leadership consultant- I’ve also had many struggles. Confidence, doubt, depression, fear, and anxiety. Through it all, the one constant that has proven to be my greatest ally has been my body. I did not learn this until my cancer diagnosis in 2017, just weeks after my father passed away. Following surgery, I was unable to return to the level of activity to which I’d become accustomed. When I did begin to ease back into greater activity, I learned just how important being in my physical body was to my overall effectiveness in every aspect of my life. 

It’s taken years to become reacquainted with just how crucial it is to be embodied. Now that I’m older, no longer attempting triple axels and only occasionally dancing like there’s no tomorrow, I’m now tapping into the wisdom of a lifetime stored in my body through embodied practice. 

Hi, I’m Byron Darden with another edition of Leading with Purpose on Purpose. In this installment, we are building on the value of an embodied practice to identify the many ways it serves us as leaders and how you can unlock your embodied wisdom to lead more effectively, from real-world insights to practical embodied practices and from the impact of global perspectives to building resilience and clarity. You may ask why I am sharing this with you. I’ll answer with a Chinese proverb that sums up my motivation.

“If you want happiness for an hour — take a nap. If you want happiness for a day — go fishing. If you want happiness for a year — inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime — help someone else.”

Helping someone else is what leaders do. Enjoy!

Begin the journey with Real World Insights into the Power of an Embodied Practice.

Real World Insights into the Power of an Embodied Practice

Posted on by Byron Darden

When I reflect on the impact global travel has had on my life and work, I’m reminded of the narrow perspective I once had on many topics and issues. My experiences traveling the world have greatly expanded my view, inspiring me to share these insights so that others can avoid some of the stumbling blocks I’ve encountered. I  help people navigate their relationships at work and home more smoothly, with fewer stumbles, and coach them on how to gain valuable insights early in life that lead to more opportunities for growth and positive experiences going forward.

I grew up in a deeply religious family; my mother held leadership roles in the United Methodist Church, while my father served as a Deacon in a Southern Baptist Church. My sister attended an all-girls Catholic high school, and I went to an Episcopalian grammar school from 3rd to 5th grade. Most of my friends were either Catholic or Jewish, so I was exposed to a variety of beliefs, practices, and ways of thinking. The four pillars of my upbringing were Good, Bad, Right, and Wrong. 

Everything changed when I began to travel the world.

As I explored different cultures, I encountered people who considered what I believed to be “bad” to be “good.” What I thought of as “right,” others considered “wrong.” Despite our differing perspectives, I saw that people were living their lives with relative ease, even though we had radically different views of truth. That was when I realized that these concepts—Good, Bad, Right, and Wrong—are judgments. And what happens when we feel judged by others, especially in the workplace?

Asking the thousands of leaders I’ve spoken with over the past twenty years would likely lead to responses such as tension, anger, shutdown, annoyance, apprehensiveness, and a range of other emotions that trigger physical and mental constriction. Essentially we are addressing trauma in the body. These feelings stifle communication, block conversations, and erect walls between people where relationships once stood strong. Trust is lost, and we stop opening up to each other.

Lesson Learned:  When we can stay open to others’ thoughts and feelings, instead of judging them based on our own beliefs and presumed standards, we open ourselves up to learning something new—about ourselves as well as about others. In some cases, we even discover entirely new ways of thinking that are more effective for everyone involved. We may learn to think for ourselves, moving beyond the indoctrination we’ve been exposed to since birth. This is a growth opportunity that can expand your leadership capacity.

The truth is, there is nothing aimless about the indoctrination of a nation.

When we practice curiosity and refrain from judgment, especially with the people around us and those we lead, we build stronger relationships. We inspire others to trust us, uncover motivations in others that we can tap into to help us achieve what we cannot accomplish alone, and develop a collaborative mindset that fosters success with teams and clients.

There’s a funny line from the Broadway musical Cabaret where the master of ceremonies says, “You don’t believe me? Ask Helga!” While the line has a bawdy context, the sentiment here is simple: test my theory for yourself, and see what you gain from the outcome.

LET’S CONNECT

Time for Practical Approaches to Grounding through Embodied Practices.

Practical Approaches to Grounding through Embodied Practices

Posted on by Byron Darden

When navigating stress and anxiety in our professional lives, it’s important to understand how your body and brain respond to trauma. By becoming more attuned to physical sensations, you can better manage your reactions and create more grounded responses.

Start by getting grounded in your seat: keep your legs uncrossed with your feet planted firmly on the floor, or stand with your feet hip-width apart and weight evenly distributed on both legs. Maintain an upright posture.

Engage your senses—notice what you hear, see, smell, taste, feel, and think. Becoming more self-aware of your surroundings helps center you in the present moment.

Next, check in with your body. Is there any tightness in your jaw, stomach, shoulders, or other areas of constriction? Acknowledge where you might be experiencing stress or holding tension.

Pay attention to how your body reacts to extreme stress, and work on unlocking the muscles that tend to tighten in those moments through an embodied practice. Over time, practicing awareness can help release physical tension.

Consider making physical contact with a pet or person who brings you a sense of safety. Sometimes, reaching out to a close friend or family member who offers comfort in times of need can help regulate your nervous system.

Finally, consider learning more about trauma and how to regularly process and manage stress. Doing so will help you in building resilience and metabolize anxiety in a healthy way.

REACH OUT

Learn the Impact of Global Perspective and the keys to Building Resilience and Clarity.

Impact of Global Perspective

Posted on by Byron Darden

Trauma affects a significant portion of the population in the United States, with studies showing that nearly 70% of adults have experienced at least one traumatic event in their lifetime. The impact of trauma is far-reaching, influencing mental health, relationships, and overall well-being. In corporate culture, the effects of trauma can be particularly profound, as it often manifests as stress, burnout, and anxiety, leading to decreased productivity and engagement. 

According to the American Psychological Association, workplace stress is a major concern, with over 60% of workers reporting that their job is a significant source of stress. While trauma is obvious in professions such as first responders where often, the worst of humanity is displayed, those in any profession are also exposed to events that are no less traumatic for them. 

Furthermore, trauma in the workplace can result in higher turnover rates, lower job satisfaction, and reduced organizational effectiveness. Addressing trauma and its effects in corporate environments is crucial for fostering healthier, more resilient teams and improving both individual and collective performance.

This is where embodiment can play a crucial role. By taking the time to orient oneself—through grounding, self-awareness, and mindfulness techniques—workers can better manage stress responses and cultivate a sense of clarity and direction. Having an embodied practice helps individuals regain a sense of control, reduce tension, and create a more balanced emotional state, which in turn fosters improved communication, collaboration, and overall well-being. Addressing trauma and incorporating practices like orienting in the workplace is essential for building healthier, more resilient teams, ultimately improving both individual and organizational performance.

“Trauma is a fact of life. It doesn’t have to be a life sentence.” – Resmaa Menakem

Navigating the impact of trauma and stress in the workplace requires more than just awareness; it requires intentionality in how we respond. Reliance on an embodied practice in moments of overwhelm can help recalibrate your emotional state, enhance focus, and improve resilience. 

When you’re ready to explore how an embodied practice can support you in managing stress and trauma in your professional life, I’m here to guide you. Together, we can develop personalized strategies to help you remain grounded, regain clarity, and foster stronger connections with your colleagues and teams. Let’s embark on this journey to build a more resilient and balanced workplace. 

Reach out to learn how you can start grounding yourself today.

LET’S CONNECT