Lead Culture with Jenni Catron

Culture doesn’t break down because leaders lack effort or good intentions—it breaks down when there’s a gap between how leaders show up and how teams experience that leadership.
In this episode, Jenni Catron builds on last week’s conversation about the Clarity Cascade—mission, vision, strategy, and structure—and takes it one level deeper. The focus shifts from who is on the team to how well leaders are equipping people to fully engage once clarity is in place.
Jenni unpacks why self-awareness is one of the strongest predictors of leadership success and how emotional intelligence directly shapes organizational culture. Drawing on research, real-world leadership experience, and the LeadCulture Framework, she explains why competence alone isn’t enough—and why leaders must develop both self-awareness and others’ awareness to build healthy, high-trust teams.
You’ll also hear why tools like personality assessments and Patrick Lencioni’s Working Genius can be powerful culture-shaping resources when used well—not as labels, but as shared language that improves collaboration, alignment, and momentum.
If you’ve clarified roles, strategy, and structure but still feel like your team is getting stuck, this episode will help you identify what might be missing—and how growing emotional intelligence can unlock the next level of effectiveness.
This conversation sets the stage for Jenni’s upcoming webinar with Patrick Lencioni, where they’ll dive deeper into how Working Genius strengthens teams and accelerates culture health.
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You’ve done the work.
You cast the vision.
You built the strategy.
So why does execution still feel slow, stalled, or stuck?
In this episode of the Lead Culture Podcast, Jenni Catron unpacks a challenge leaders face every year—especially as they move from strategic planning into real-world execution. Teams aren’t failing because they don’t care. They’re struggling because clarity is breaking down in the system.
Jenni introduces a powerful framework she calls The Clarity Cascade, showing how results depend on more than just a strong strategy. You’ll learn how mission, vision, strategy, structure, and role clarity must intentionally cascade together to create momentum—and why most leaders stop one step too soon.
This episode will help you:
Identify why your team feels busy but isn’t making progress
Understand how organizational structure either fuels or blocks execution
See why misaligned org charts create confusion, frustration, and disengagement
Clarify roles and responsibilities so every team member can confidently contribute
Audit your structure to ensure it actually supports your strategy
If your 2026 goals feel solid but results aren’t showing up yet, this conversation will help you uncover the invisible barriers holding your team back—and give you practical next steps to realign for impact.
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:
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What if building a great culture isn’t about perks, personalities, or one big initiative—but about the small, intentional choices leaders make every single day?
In this episode of the LeadCulture Podcast, Jenni Catron sits down with Anthony Lambatos, President of Footers Catering & Events and founder of MIBE (Make It Better Every Day), to unpack what it really takes to create a workplace where people thrive—and why culture must be treated as a daily discipline, not a one-time project.
Anthony shares the behind-the-scenes story of transforming Footers from a high-stress, old-school hospitality environment into one of the most recognized “Best Places to Work” in Colorado. Along the way, he reveals the pivotal mindset shift that changed everything: realizing his job wasn’t just to run events—it was to create an environment where people could do their best work and grow as humans.
Together, Jenni and Anthony explore:
Why serving your people first leads to better results for customers, clients, and the bottom line
How leaders unintentionally stall culture by hoping it will “stick” without ongoing focus
The four convictions that shaped Footers’ culture—and how they show up in real, practical ways
Why language, onboarding, and everyday behaviors matter more than perks or benefits
How leaders at every level can (and must) take ownership of protecting the culture
If you’re a leader who feels the gap between the culture you want and the one you’re currently experiencing, this conversation offers both clarity and hope. You don’t need a complete overhaul—you need one intentional step forward.
Because great cultures aren’t built overnight. They’re built when leaders commit to making it better every day.
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:
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Trust is at the center of everything leaders want—but in today’s skeptical, information-saturated world, trust is harder to earn than ever.
In this episode of the LeadCulture Podcast, Jenni Catron sits down with financial coach, business owner, and speaker MJ Pittman for a timely conversation on what he calls the trust recession—and why it places an even greater responsibility on leaders. Together, they unpack why likability isn’t the same as trust, how predictability creates psychological safety, and what leaders often overlook when they assume trust should already exist.
MJ brings a fresh lens by blending financial principles with leadership realities, offering practical frameworks leaders can actually apply. From understanding why trust is rooted in safety—not charisma—to exploring the five questions every person is subconsciously asking before they trust a leader, this conversation challenges leaders to rethink how trust is built, sustained, and repaired.
If you’re leading in uncertain times, navigating team skepticism, or wondering why clarity and consistency matter more than ever, this episode will give you language, insight, and actionable next steps to lead with greater credibility and confidence.
Key takeaways include:
Why we’re experiencing a “trust recession” in organizations
The difference between likability and trust—and why it matters
How predictability builds safety in both calm and stressful seasons
The five questions people ask before they trust a leader
Why trust is a learnable leadership skill—not a personality trait
This is a must-listen for leaders who want to strengthen culture, deepen influence, and lead in a way that earns trust over time—not just goodwill in the moment.
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In this episode, Jenni Catron explores five leadership and culture trends shaping 2026 and what they mean for leaders in organizations of every size. She begins with a conviction that development is now a non-negotiable—for employers investing in their people as a core retention strategy and for employees staying competitive in a rapidly evolving workplace. Jenni also addresses the growing need for human-AI synergy, helping leaders discern where AI can accelerate results and where cultures must double down on the uniquely human elements of work.
From shifting dynamics in the job market to the competitive advantage of healthy, fully integrated culture plans, Jenni offers practical insight drawn from current research, reading, and real conversations with the leaders she serves nationwide. You’ll walk away with perspective to start the year fresh, evaluate your own development plan, and take concrete steps using the LeadCulture Framework as a true “culture operating system” that aligns expectations, processes, and daily employee experience. Jenni closes with encouragement for 2026 and her word for the year—Believe—inviting leaders to dream bigger and build environments where teams can grow, thrive, and be unstoppable.
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:
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