For today’s essential Heretics 101 feature, Kelli and Nolan talk to Culture Amp CEO Didier Elzinga, revealing data-driven insights on building culture-first companies, balancing psychological safety with accountability, and prioritizing growth as engagement’s foundation.

Support our Sponsors:

Ethena is the compliance training platform built for modern workplaces. Visit goethena.com/heretics and get 10% off your first year.

Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Check it out: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics

* Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.

* Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can’t live without Metaview.

* It only takes minutes to get up and running.

KEEP UP WITH DIDIER, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDIN

Didier: https://www.linkedin.com/in/didierelzinga/

Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/

Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/

—

LINKS:

Culture Amp: https://www.cultureamp.com/

For coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/

—

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(00:01) The Origin Story: Why People and Culture Matter Most

(00:02) What Makes a Culture-First Company?

(00:03) The Coherency Matrix: Trust vs. Mission Orientation

(00:04) Why Top Performance is Unstable (And That’s OK)

(00:05) The Data That Never Changes: Growth Drives Everything

(00:06) Shocking Data: Leaders Matter More Than Managers

(00:07) The Heretical Answer: Stop Trying to Convince People

(00:08) Gender Gap Data: How Structured Reviews Change Everything

(00:09) Sponsors: Ethena | Metaview

(00:13) Esther Perel’s Challenge: Leaders Don’t Know How to Say No

(00:14) The Engagement Survey Mistake Most CPOs Make

(00:15) “Feedback Is Not a Gift, It’s a Workout”

(00:16) Running Culture Amp: Vulnerability and Accountability

(00:18) Growth Philosophy: Betting on Internal Potential

(00:19) You Can’t Be Everything for Everyone

(00:20) The Most Important Leadership Skill

(00:22) The Origin Story Framework That Closes Deals

(00:23) Wrap

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

Building Culture-First Companies: Insights from Culture Amp's CEO, Didier Elzinga

“HR Heretics” | How CPOs, CHROs, Founders, and Boards Build High Performing Companies

Building Culture-First Companies: Insights from Culture Amp's CEO, Didier Elzinga