317 | Why You Need to Stop Promoting Top Performers Before You Do This
On this episode of the Lead Culture Podcast, Jenni Catron uncovers a critical mistake many organizations make: promoting top performers into management roles without preparing them for leadership. What seems like a reward can actually set both the employee and their team up for unnecessary struggle—and costly consequences.Jenni walks through:The mindset shift from doer to leader: Why effective managers lead through others rather than just completing tasks themselves.Why not everyone should be promoted into people management: Sometimes the greatest impact comes from leveraging an employee’s strengths in their current role.The real cost of poor managers: Turnover, disengagement, and lost productivity can quickly add up to tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.Practical strategies for executives: How to assess, equip, and support your managers to thrive and protect your culture.Key Takeaways:Prepare managers before promotion with structured training and coaching.Evaluate strengths to ensure employees are suited for people management roles.Monitor manager effectiveness through surveys, skip-level meetings, and ongoing support.Quantify the financial impact of disengagement and turnover to make leadership development a priority.Align promotions with organizational impact to maximize both employee contribution and business results.For executives, people managers are the linchpin of culture and performance. This episode gives a clear, actionable framework to strengthen leadership, retain top talent, and protect your mission—all while avoiding preventable mistakes that cost time, money, and morale.Build Your 2026 Leadership Development Plan with Jenni CatronWe need your help to get the LeadCulture podcasts in front of more leaders! There are three simple things you can do that truly help us: Review us on Apple podcasts Subscribe - we’re available wherever you listen to podcasts. Share - let your friends know about the podcast by sharing your favorite episode on social media!
--------
23:32
--------
23:32
316 | From Survey to Strategy: How Victory Church Turned Culture Assessment into Real Change
In this episode of the Lead Culture Podcast, Jenni Catron sits down with Randy Cochran, Senior Executive Pastor of Central Pastoral Development and Worship at Victory Church in Atlanta. Randy shares how his team has intentionally assessed and strengthened their organizational culture, especially during leadership transitions and in a multi-cultural, multi-site church environment with over 200 staff members and 140 nations represented.They dive into the power of taking a hard look at your culture, the importance of building cross-functional culture teams, and the lessons learned from assessing staff experiences. Randy candidly discusses the surprises and insights from their culture surveys, the value of creating shared language and values, and how intentional efforts can accelerate integration and engagement across an organization.Whether you lead a team of 5 or 500, you’ll walk away with practical strategies to assess your culture, close gaps between aspirations and reality, and empower your people to thrive.Learn More About the LeadCulture Survey Here: https://www.get4sight.com/surveyWe need your help to get the LeadCulture podcasts in front of more leaders! There are three simple things you can do that truly help us: Review us on Apple podcasts Subscribe - we’re available wherever you listen to podcasts. Share - let your friends know about the podcast by sharing your favorite episode on social media!
--------
45:41
--------
45:41
315 | The Remote Work Paradox: Why Autonomy Boosts Engagement but Drains Wellbeing
In this episode of the LeadCulture Podcast, Jenni Catron unpacks a surprising new Gallup study revealing what she calls “the remote work paradox.” While fully remote employees report the highest levels of engagement, they’re also less likely to be thriving in life overall—experiencing more stress, loneliness, and emotional fatigue than their hybrid or in-office peers.Drawing from her own work-from-home reflections and years of coaching leaders, Jenni explores the delicate balance between autonomy and connection in today’s hybrid workplaces. She highlights three key leadership takeaways from Gallup’s findings:Physical distance creates mental distance—why remote employees need intentional connection rhythms.Autonomy can be stressful—how too much flexibility without structure increases cognitive load.Technology can frustrate—and what leaders can do to minimize coordination fatigue.Whether your team is remote, hybrid, or fully onsite, Jenni helps you rethink how to build engagement that doesn’t cost wellbeing—and how to cultivate a culture where your people can be both engaged and thriving.We need your help to get the LeadCulture podcasts in front of more leaders! There are three simple things you can do that truly help us: Review us on Apple podcasts Subscribe - we’re available wherever you listen to podcasts. Share - let your friends know about the podcast by sharing your favorite episode on social media!
--------
23:34
--------
23:34
314 | The Cost of Disengagement—and What You Can Do About It
In this episode of the LeadCulture Podcast, Jenni Catron dives into practical strategies for investing in your team—even when budgets are tight. Many organizations cut leadership development and culture initiatives first, but Jenni shows why those investments pay off in engagement, retention, and performance.You’ll learn:How to evaluate and strengthen your people managers to drive culture and performanceSimple, cost-effective ways to invest in your entire staff’s growthHow to build a culture plan that prevents drift and fosters alignment, trust, and clarityJenni also shares the surprising costs of disengagement and introduces the LeadCulture Network, the place where culture champions access every tool, resource, and training they need to build thriving team cultures—regardless of title or budget.Whether you’re a culture champion or a leader looking for practical ways to invest in your people, this episode is full of actionable insights you can implement immediately.We need your help to get the LeadCulture podcasts in front of more leaders! There are three simple things you can do that truly help us: Review us on Apple podcasts Subscribe - we’re available wherever you listen to podcasts. Share - let your friends know about the podcast by sharing your favorite episode on social media!
--------
23:47
--------
23:47
313 | Building the Team You Want to Be On: Culture Lessons from the Middle with Trina Lee
What does it look like to lead culture from the middle?In this episode, Jenni sits down with Trina Lee, a mid-level leader at Africa New Life, who shares how she transformed her team’s culture—starting with small but intentional steps. From clarifying ownership (“Who takes the mail?”) to creating rhythms that celebrate people and reinforce values, Trina shows that you don’t have to sit in the corner office to shape the culture of your organization.Together, they explore how clarity, consistency, and intentional rhythms create lasting cultural impact—even when you’re not the one setting strategy. You’ll hear how Trina’s approach began influencing the wider organization over time, proving that culture work done well always ripples out.If you’ve ever felt like you’re the only one who cares about culture, this conversation will remind you that your leadership matters—and that building the team you want to be on can change everything.Listen in to learn:Why clarity is a chief indicator of a healthy cultureHow to create consistent rhythms that reinforce your valuesPractical ways to influence culture—even when you don’t have top-down authorityHow culture systems sustain momentum and outlast transitionsWe need your help to get the LeadCulture podcasts in front of more leaders! There are three simple things you can do that truly help us: Review us on Apple podcasts Subscribe - we’re available wherever you listen to podcasts. Share - let your friends know about the podcast by sharing your favorite episode on social media!
Navigating the complexities of leadership can be daunting and overwhelming. With Jenni Catron and her guests as your trusted and experienced guides, your leadership journey can become less overwhelming and more fulfilling. Jenni and the 4Sight team want to help you become a healthy leader who leads a thriving organization. Listen to discover the tools and wisdom you need to gain the 4Sight for success!
Listen to Lead Culture with Jenni Catron, The Happy Saver Podcast - Personal Finance in New Zealand and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app