Establishing Core Cultural Values

When extremists come up with phrases like "your body my choice," they are hoping to normalize these kinds of threats, hate, and harrassment within public discourse. To stop this behavior, all of us need to become confident in our ability to reinforce healthy norms in our workplaces and communities. Here's what you need to know. 1. Norms are more powerful than rules. Norms are unspoken expectations for communication and behavior that are shared by members of a community; rules are codified expectations imposed on a community. If a community has normalized rowdy and unmoderated debates, a rule of "one person speaks at a time" will have no effect. 2. Norms that go unenforced are easy to change. If a person arrives ten minutes late to a meeting and nothing happens, what was once a norm of punctuality might quickly become a new norm of "all meetings start ten minutes late." But if that person immediately faces social and professional consequences for not being punctual, the norm of punctuality is strengthened instead. 3. Enforcing a norm requires individual status or collective power. If a coworker spreads harmful gossip, the disapproval of their colleague one desk over means little. The disapproval of the most highly respected employee in the office, or a large enough subset of their colleagues, sends a dramatically different message. 4. Enforcing a norm involves using status and power to make norm violations socially and professionally painful. Disinviting a violent and verbally abusive friend from future gatherings enforces a norm of safety among a friend group. Terminating a worker because of a workplace hate incident enforces a norm of inclusion among a workplace. Laughing (yes, laughing!) at an attempt to cut corners enforces a norm of quality among a team. 5. Strengthening a norm also involves valuing and incentivizing behavior aligned with it. Celebrating and promoting an employee who goes out of their way to help others strengthens the norm of collaboration. Telling positive stories about members of a community that stayed true to their ethical commitments, even in the face of hardship strengthens a norm of ethical behavior. Our workplace and community norms of mutual respect, safety, and inclusion are being challenged now and will likely continue to be challenged throughout the next several years. If we do not want our workplaces to become places where disrespect, fear, abuse, and exclusion are normal, than this is THE MOST important moment for us all to act. Not with stern finger-wagging or dismayed social media posts. Not with blue bracelets or attempts to assuage our own guilt. 💡 Our charge is to put everything we have into enforcing healthy norms. To quash norm violations by making them socially and professionally painful. To use our status and power to reward the behavior we want to see. To organize as a collective, rather than individuals, for the benefit of all of us. 💡 Let's get to work.

✈️ 🇪🇺 « Trustworthy AI in Defence »: The European Way 🗞️The European Defence Agency’s White Paper is out! At a time when global powers are racing to develop & deploy AI-enabled defence capabilities,the European way =tech innovation + ethical responsibility, operational effectiveness + legal compliance, strategic autonomy + respect for human dignity & democratic values. 🔹AI in defence as legally compliant, ethically sound, technically robust, societally acceptable. 1 🤝🏻Principles of Trustworthiness 🔹foundational principles for trustworthy AI in defence: accountability, reliability, transparency, explainability, fairness, privacy, human oversight. Not optional but integral to the legitimacy of AI systems used by European armed forces. 2. Ethical and Legal Compliance 🔹 Europe’s commitment is to effective military capabilities but also to a rules-based international order. The EU explicitly rejects the idea that technological advancement justifies the erosion of ethical norms. 🔹 importance of ethical review mechanisms, institutional safeguards, alignment with #EU legal frameworks=a legal-ethical backbone ensuring trustworthiness is a practical requirement embedded into every phase of AI development/deployment. 3. Risk Assessment & Mitigation 🔹 EU’s precautionary principle=>rigorous & ongoing risk assessments of AI systems, incl. risks related to technical failures, misuse, bias, and unintended escalation in operational contexts. To anticipate harm before it materializes and equip systems with built-in safeguards 🔹Risk mitigation not only a technical task but an ethical &strategic imperative in high-stakes domains (targeting, threat detection, autonomous mobility). 4. 👁️Human Oversight & Control 🔹The EU rejects fully autonomous weapon systems operating without human intervention in critical functions like the use of force. The Paper calls for clear human-in-the-loop models, where operators retain oversight, intervention capability, and accountability. = safeguards democratic accountability & operational reliability, ensuring no algorithm makes life-and-death decisions. 5. Transparency and Explainability 🔹transparent #AI systems, not black-box models : decision-making processes understandable by users & traceable by designers. Key for after-action reviews, audits, & compliance. Strong stance on explainability 6. European Cooperation &Standardization 🔹Enhanced cooperation and harmonization in defence AI : shared definitions, frameworks to ensure interoperability, avoid duplication, promote a common culture of responsibility. 🔹 joint work on certification processes, training, testing environments 7. Continuous Monitoring and Evaluation 🔹ongoing monitoring, validation, recalibration of AI tools throughout their deployment. «trustworthiness must be maintained, not assumed » =The European way: lead not by imitating others’ race toward automation at any cost, but by demonstrating security, innovation, and values can go hand in hand

Most companies build their strategy backwards. (And wonder why nothing sticks.) They start with culture initiatives. Pizza Fridays. Ping pong tables. Team building retreats. Then they craft mission statements in committee meetings. Generic words that could describe any business. Next come the values posters. "Innovation. Excellence. Integrity." (The same ones hanging in your competitor's lobby.) Maybe they paint a vision on the wall. Usually something vague about "being the best." And purpose? That gets added last. If at all. Usually buried in some investor deck. No wonder 87% of employees don't know why their company exists. Here's what actually works: 1/ Start with PURPOSE. Not profit. Impact. Ask: If we closed tomorrow, what would the world miss? Patagonia nailed it: "We're in business to save our home planet." 2/ Build your VISION on that foundation. Where will your purpose take you in 5 years? Make it specific. Make it measurable. IKEA: "To create a better everyday life for the many people." 3/ Then define your MISSION. The daily work that moves you toward that vision. One sentence. Crystal clear. TED: "Spread ideas." 4/ Layer in real VALUES. Not aspirational nonsense. The actual behaviors you reward and don't tolerate. Netflix: "Freedom & Responsibility" (and they fire for mediocrity). 5/ Only then does CULTURE emerge. Naturally. Authentically. Because everyone knows why they're here. Whole Foods didn't start with culture perks. They started with purpose: conscious capitalism. The "Chief Culture Officers" came later. Build from purpose up, not culture down. Everything else is just expensive theater. P.S. Want a PDF of my 5 Pillars cheat sheet? Get it free: https://lnkd.in/dgAGGFzx ♻️ Repost to help a CEO in your network. Follow Eric Partaker for more strategy insights. — 📢 Want to lead like a world-class CEO? Join my FREE TRAINING: "The 8 Qualities That Separate World-Class CEOs From Everyone Else" Thu Jul 3rd, 12 noon Eastern / 5pm UK time https://lnkd.in/du2Cyr-v 📌 The CEO Accelerator starts July 23rd. 20+ Founders & CEOs have already enrolled. Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/dE--BU-4

I don’t actually work in finance. I work in trust. Without it, capital markets collapse. Clients walk away. Careers end in minutes. I've watched brilliant finance professionals destroy their careers in minutes.   Not because they lacked technical skills, but because they crossed ethical lines they didn't fully understand.   The CFA Institute Code of Ethics stopped me cold when I first read Standard III.A:   "Members must act for the benefit of their clients and place their clients' interests before their employer's or their own interests."   Before your employer. Before yourself. Always.   In an industry built on conflicts of interest, this isn't just radical. It's revolutionary.   The standards create crystal-clear boundaries: → Market manipulation? Prohibited. → Client suitability? Mandatory assessment. → Conflicts of interest? Full disclosure required. → Material nonpublic information? Can't touch it.   But what really struck me was Standard V.B.5: "Distinguish between fact and opinion."   In a world drowning in financial noise, this simple requirement changes everything.   200,000+ CFA charterholders worldwide have sworn to uphold these standards. Not suggestions. Requirements.   When everyone else chases commissions, you're bound to put clients first.   When others blur the lines, you maintain clear boundaries.   When the industry rewards complexity, you're required to communicate clearly.   Finance without ethics is just sophisticated gambling with other people's money.   But finance with a moral compass? That's how you build trust that compounds over decades.   The Code doesn't make you rich overnight. It makes you trustworthy for life.   And in finance, trust is the only currency that never depreciates.   Every time you're tempted to cut corners, remember: Your reputation takes decades to build and seconds to destroy.   The real edge in finance isn't finding the next alpha. It's earning trust and keeping it. Now, since we are on LinkedIn, I have a question for you: Are today’s finfluencers held to the same ethical standards as CFA charterholders? Should they be?   PS. If you made it this far, ♻️ share this with your network and 🔔 follow my profile!

Europe’s digital sovereignty is under urgent pressure—not from direct confrontation, but from dependence on foreign technologies that shapes everything from raw materials to AI. As U.S.-China tensions mount and the race for AI accelerates, Europe can no longer afford a patchwork approach. The EuroStack offers a holistic blueprint—a layer-by-layer rebuild of Europe’s technological backbone, aligned to Europe’s ethical and democratic values like privacy, self-determination, and sustainability. EuroStack isn’t protectionism—it’s sovereignty. The alternative? A digital colony, with hollowed-out industries, citizens under foreign surveillance, and climate goals beholden to monopolies. We have the tools. We have the talent. Now we need the will to innovate—our way. Read the EuroStack Report: https://lnkd.in/d6pRqct7 Bertelsmann Stiftung, UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP), Stiftung Mercator GmbH, CEPS (Centre for European Policy Studies). 

Culture is everything 🙏🏾 When leaders accept or overlook poor behaviour, they implicitly endorse those actions, potentially eroding the organisation’s values and morale. To build a thriving culture, leaders must actively shape it by refusing to tolerate behaviour that contradicts their values and expectations.
 The best leaders: 
 1. Define and Communicate Core Values: * Articulate Expectations: Clearly define and communicate the organisation’s core values and behavioural expectations. Make these values central to every aspect of the organisation’s operations and culture. * Embed Values in Policies: Integrate these values into your policies, procedures, and performance metrics to ensure they are reflected in daily operations. 
 2. Model the Behaviour You Expect: * Lead by Example: Demonstrate the behaviour you want to see in others. Your actions should reflect the organisation’s values, from how you interact with employees to how you handle challenges. 3. Address Poor Behaviour Promptly: * Act Quickly: Confront and address inappropriate behaviour as soon as it occurs. Delays in addressing issues can lead to a culture of tolerance for misconduct. * Apply Consistent Consequences: Ensure that consequences for poor behaviour are fair, consistent, and aligned with organisational values. This reinforces that there are clear boundaries and expectations.
 4. Foster a Culture of Accountability: * Encourage Self-Regulation: Promote an environment where everyone is encouraged to hold themselves and others accountable for their actions. * Provide Support: Offer resources and support for employees to understand and align with organisational values, helping them navigate challenges and uphold standards.
 5. Seek and Act on Feedback: * Encourage Open Communication: Create channels for employees to provide feedback on behaviour and organisational culture without fear of reprisal. * Respond Constructively: Act on feedback to address and rectify issues. This shows that you value employee input and are committed to maintaining a positive culture.
 6. Celebrate Positive Behaviour: * Recognise and Reward: Acknowledge and reward employees who exemplify the organisation’s values. Celebrating positive behaviour reinforces the desired culture and motivates others to follow suit. * Share Success Stories: Highlight examples of how upholding values has led to positive outcomes, reinforcing the connection between behaviour and organisational success.
 7. Invest in Leadership Development: * Provide Training: Offer training and development opportunities for leaders at all levels to enhance their skills in managing behaviour and fostering a positive culture. 8. Promote Inclusivity and Respect: * Build a Diverse Environment: Create a culture that respects and values diversity. Inclusivity strengthens the organisational fabric and fosters a more collaborative and supportive work environment.

I've been reflecting on one major trend from last year that I feel will be hard to ignore in 2025: Gen Z’s relationship with brands and social media. This generation doesn’t just consume content, they drive it. And they do so with a level of authenticity and transparency that demands our attention. For Gen Z, brand loyalty isn’t built on flashy ads or influencer endorsements alone. It’s about values. It’s about knowing what the brand stands for and aligning with causes they care about: be it sustainability, inclusivity, or social justice. Here’s how I’ve been thinking about this shift as an entrepreneur: For Gen Z, being true to themselves is really important. They want brands that embrace uniqueness and support personal expression. To connect with them, we need to be authentic and offer products and messages that let them express who they really are. Social Media is the New Word of Mouth: If you’re not engaging in the conversations Gen Z is having on social media, you’re missing out. They trust their peers and online communities more than traditional advertising, and their feedback is immediate and powerful. Experience Over Projection: For this generation, it’s not just about seeing an ad but engaging with a brand in a meaningful way. Whether through personalized experiences, interactive campaigns, or exclusive content, creating a connection is more valuable than ever. Gen Z is not just shaping the future of business but is redefining what it means to build loyalty and trust. Is your brand ready for this shift?

The Indian beauty and personal care market hit $21 billion, yet most new brands are missing what actually builds loyalty. I've watched brands launch with fancy packaging and influencer budgets, only to disappear within months. If I were starting a beauty or a skincare brand today, here's exactly how I'd build it: Step 1: Start with one hero product Not ten SKUs at launch. One product that solves a real problem. That single focus can help you build trust before expanding. Step 2: Build community before scaling Every product company today is also a media company. Host events, create content that connects, and listen to your community constantly. That emotional bond cannot be copied by competitors. Step 3: Give people a real reason to care Your brand needs a purpose beyond profit. Try to bridge traditional methods with modern science because Indian consumers wanted both. That clear mission kept us focused when things got hard. Step 4: Use minis to convert premium buyers India is the mini capital of the world. Small sizes help value-conscious customers try premium products without the risk. It's the bridge that converts them to full-size later. Step 5: Plan for omni-channel from day one Online alone won't get you past ₹100 crores. You need D2C, marketplaces, and physical retail. For hair care brands, salons matter because they train, service, and sample after sales. Minimalist followed this playbook perfectly. They built strong products, created a loyal community, and recently sold to Unilever for ₹3,000 crores in just 4 years. The beauty market is booming, but success takes patience. Most value gets created in the second or third decade. The brands that survive the frustration zone are the ones that last. Which step do you think is hardest when building a beauty brand?

Change efforts often fail because they are driven by selling rather than compelling. Selling induces decisions. Compelling alters beliefs, and beliefs drive behavior long after decisions fade. I've been thinking a lot about this lately, and dived into the rich literature on belief formation and perseverance. Once beliefs are formed, they are psychologically resilient (even in the face of clear disconfirming evidence) because people build internal explanations that continue to support them. Beliefs change not when people are beaten by facts, but when they feel safe enough to rethink the explanations that make those beliefs meaningful. So, how do you compel people to change their minds about something? Three ideas: 1. Create safety before challenge People don’t rethink beliefs while defending their identity. Affirm intent, competence, and shared goals first. Lower psychological threat before introducing cognitive friction. Curiosity opens minds faster than correctness. 2. Work on explanations, not positions Beliefs persist because the explanations behind them persist. Don’t argue conclusions. Explore how the belief works, when it breaks, and what it struggles to explain. Insight happens when people discover cracks themselves. 3. Let people author the new belief Belief change sticks when people build the alternative. Co-create a better explanation. Run small experiments. Replace the old story with one that explains reality more clearly and feels safe to adopt. In practice, compelling change means moving conversations up and to the right: Lower the costs of being wrong, and shift focus of the discussion from conclusions to explanations. That’s where beliefs transform. If you want people to change their minds, rather than selling better answers consider helping them outgrow the explanations that once made the old ones feel true. #change #learning #beliefs #leadership #growth #reflection #insights #compelling #selling #influence

Every organization says its values matter. But the real question is whether anyone can see them. This visual captures a truth leaders often overlook. Values do not live in posters or documents. They live in the everyday cultural practices that surround people long before they read a single sentence about what the organization stands for. ↳ Symbols show up in the way you brand your work, the stories you celebrate, even the small signals people receive when they walk into a room. ↳ Heroes reveal themselves in who gets acknowledged, who is admired, and whose behavior becomes the informal standard. ↳ Rituals are the repeated moments that shape how people feel when they gather, decide, reflect, or close a year together. ↳ Practices are the actions that quietly reinforce what is truly acceptable and what is not. When these layers align, values become tangible. People experience them without needing explanations. When they do not, values start dissolving into aspiration rather than reality. This time, so close to the end of the year is a natural moment to notice the rituals that hold your culture together. The way teams close projects, express gratitude, celebrate progress, or take a pause before stepping into a new season. These small moments often reveal more about your actual values than any formal statement ever could. So if you want stronger values next year, do not start with rewriting them. Start with understanding the cultural practices that already shape how your people think, feel, and behave. That is where values either live or fade.