On Culture: Bravery Builds Belonging—and Better Results

Myste Wylde
Jun 26
7 min read

Dear Culturati Insider,

Pride Month is ending quietly. That should disturb us.

What has been a 56-year celebration of LGBTQ+ identity and resistance was noticeably muted this year, despite its roots in the Stonewall Uprising and the enduring call for dignity, safety, and belonging. In a climate of rising polarization and public scrutiny, many companies have chosen a lower support profile. But Pride has never been about playing it safe. It was—and is—a demand to be seen, celebrated, and protected.

Nearly 1 in 11 U.S. adults (an estimated 23 million people) identify as LGBTQ+ (Gallup). Among Gen Z, that number rises to more than 1 in 5. This isn’t a niche identity group. It’s a significant and growing segment of the workforce. Even amongst our leadership team, Eugene represents the "G" and I the "B" (though in writing this I realize that "Q" might be more appropriate as l don't see love as binary).

Companies that lead on inclusion aren’t just doing the right thing; they’re building trust, loyalty, and resilience. Research from McKinsey & Company shows that inclusive organizations are 36% more likely to outperform on profitability, while exclusion comes at a cost. Nearly half of LGBTQ+ employees report experiencing workplace discrimination and over a third have left jobs because they didn’t feel safe or seen (Catalyst).

A personal aside... We want to recognize steering committee member Matthew Duncan and his husband, Jacob Marquez, for hosting last weekend’s Queer Music Showcase in Seattle. It was a moving reminder of the power of visibility, and thank you to Microsoft for matching all donations.

The reality is that this isn’t theoretical. It’s happening now. Federal funding for LGBTQ+ suicide prevention was just cut (going into effect July 17) including its contract with The Trevor Project. This affects hundreds of thousands of young people, many of them queer, trans, or questioning, who reach out because they are considering ending their lives.

In Tennessee, Texas, and other states, new laws have banned gender-affirming care and effectively criminalized public expressions of LGBTQ+ identity. These policies don’t just threaten rights, they endanger lives. The Trevor Project reports that LGBTQ+ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide compared to their peers. So ask yourself: do you have a child, a sibling, a neighbor, or a colleague who might be watching to see whether you show up for them? This is about people, not politics.

What can leaders do? Start with clear, enforced non-discrimination policies that include sexual orientation and gender identity. Ensure inclusive benefits, especially gender-affirming care and mental health support. Fund and elevate LGBTQ+ employee resource groups. Train managers to lead inclusively, and offer safe, confidential reporting channels for discrimination. These acts are proven to boost retention, innovation, and belonging.

This week’s featured articles expand on the same themes of clarity, courage, and accountability. (Though not directly on LGBTQ+ issues as the lone article I found today ((in our usual catalogue of publications)) was aptly titled, "In June 2025, Pride Month Squeaks By." Instead, one article examines the concept of bounded morality, revealing why many people abandon their ideals when costs arise and how leaders can navigate that tension through shared ownership and honest trade-offs. Another explores conflict intelligence (CIQ) as a core leadership skill, especially in today’s polarized workplaces where unresolved tensions erode trust and performance. You’ll also find a sharp look at why innovation stalls: not because companies lack bold thinkers, but because they fail to redesign the systems those thinkers work within.

We round out with two people-centered pieces One offers four questions to surface the real reasons employees leave, even when compensation and culture seem strong. The other focuses on how leaders can evolve as AI transforms work, shifting from task managers to champions of emotional intelligence, ethical clarity, and human adaptability. These aren’t just good reads...they’re guideposts for leading with integrity in a complex, changing world.

For the freedom to be,

Myste Wylde, COO

How Much Should Values Guide Business Decisions? The Price Of Moral Leadership

Forbes

By Augustin Landier, David Thesmar, and Daniel Brown

Summary: Leaders committed to purpose-driven action must contend with a hard truth: values have a price, and most people won’t pay beyond a certain threshold. Research across the U.S., France, and Germany shows that while moral ideals like human rights and sustainability enjoy broad support, that support weakens when real costs arise. This is not hypocrisy, but “bounded morality”: values are conditional, shaped by personal sacrifice. Leaders who ignore this risk failed initiatives and eroded trust. Instead of framing ethics as absolutes, the authors urge transparency about trade-offs. Effective moral leadership means naming tensions, inviting pluralism, and designing strategy around realistic commitments. One leadership insight stands out: moral courage requires clarity, candor, and co-ownership.

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The Conflict Intelligent Leader

Harvard Business Review

By Peter T. Coleman

Summary: As polarization and workplace incivility surge—with 76% of U.S. workers witnessing incivility monthly and 26% considering quitting over it—leaders must develop "conflict intelligence" (CIQ) as a core competency. Conflict costs companies over $2 billion per day in lost productivity, yet few leaders are equipped to manage it strategically. CIQ combines emotional intelligence with systemic awareness, adaptive decision-making, and the ability to navigate complexity without escalating tensions. Research from Columbia shows that leaders high in CIQ create psychologically safe cultures that foster trust, innovation, and resilience under pressure. Drawing lessons from global peacebuilders and executives like Satya Nadella, Tim Cook, and Indra Nooyi, seven actionable strategies emerge: lay groundwork early, build durable rapport, balance firmness with creativity, stay situationally adaptive, leverage systemic forces, invest for the long term, and seize hidden opportunities. Conflict-savvy leaders can do more than resolve disputes, they can turn discord into cultural strength and a competitive edge.

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How to Create a Workplace Where Changemakers Thrive

Fast Company

By Shannon Lucas and Tony Martignetti

Summary: Most companies say they want innovation but structure themselves to resist it. Changemakers, or catalysts (fast, future-focused employees who challenge norms), often burn out or leave because systems reward stability over disruption. Only 21% of employees feel safe taking risks (Gallup), and innovation-driven talent is 2.5x more likely to quit without support (Deloitte). Real innovation requires more than bold hires. It needs a system redesign. Leaders must identify hidden catalysts, integrate them with stabilizers and implementers, protect their energy through psychological safety and recovery practices, and amplify their insights into strategy.

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The Secret to Retaining the Best Employees: Ask Them These Four Questions

The Wall Street Journal

By Ethan Bernstein and Michael B. Horn

Summary: Despite higher pay, better benefits, and lofty purpose statements, employees are still leaving their roles every 3.9 years on average. Research across 1,000 job changes shows people rarely leave for one reason. They’re influenced by a mix of 30 push and pull forces that often go unspoken. Standard check-ins miss the mark because most employees struggle to articulate what’s actually driving them. Instead of guessing, managers should ask four focused questions: when did you last consider quitting? When did work feel energizing? What trade-offs are you making to stay? And if this job disappeared, what would you want next? These conversations reveal values, priorities, and risks long before resignation letters appear. Smart leaders use this insight to adapt roles, prevent burnout, and build lasting trust without relying on compensation alone.

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How to Lead When Machines Can Do Everything (Except Be Human)

Fortune

By Mark Minevich

Summary: As AI advances, leadership must evolve from managing tasks to championing what only humans can do. In 2023, U.S. private investment in AI hit $110 billion, and experts like Anthropic’s CEO warn that up to 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs could vanish, pushing unemployment as high as 20%. Meanwhile, 99% of Fortune 500 companies already use AI to screen resumes, with automation expanding rapidly across every business function. The core question for leaders is no longer how to deploy AI, but how to integrate it with human potential. Effective leadership now centers on judgment, emotional intelligence, creativity, and ethical decision-making. Traditional org charts are giving way to skill-based teams where people and machines collaborate. Leaders must identify which human capabilities matter most, coach for adaptability, and guide their teams through the shift. Transparency about how and why AI is used builds trust, while a clear stance on ethical boundaries reinforces the company’s values. The leaders who will thrive are those who make AI understandable, culture actionable, and humanity indispensable.

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In this Culturati: LIVE session, culture architect and performance coach LaToya Collins-Jones reframes leadership as a practice of clarity, not charisma. Drawing on her experience at Dell and beyond, she introduces the D.O.P.E. framework—Direction, Ownership, Permission, and Energy—as a guide to leading without burning out or shrinking to fit. The session challenged participants to stop withholding their genius, take aligned action over waiting for perfect timing, and build culture in the micro-moments where it actually lives.

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