On Culture: Work is Being Rewritten (Again)
- Myste Wylde
- May 8
- 6 min read
Dear Culturati Insider,
Work is being rewritten—and not just by AI. It isn't coincidental that this year's Culturati: Summit theme was 'Building Purpose, Agency & Trust.'
Across the board, leaders are reassessing how tasks get done, how trust is built, and how purpose is demonstrated. The RTO debate? It’s not about desks—it’s about diverging views on fairness, autonomy, and the evolving psychological contract. As expectations shift, so does the structure of work: from fixed roles to dynamic systems, from static processes to task-level reinvention. And as AI becomes a true collaborator in the workplace, leaders are actively orchestrating integrated systems of humans and machines—a shift that requires new capabilities.
HR is stepping up as a strategic force, too, linking people strategy to business results while navigating the emotional and structural demands of change—especially as it pertains to AI adoption. And even under political scrutiny, corporate citizenship isn’t fading; it’s becoming more focused, data-driven, and built to last. The throughline: leadership today is about clarity, care, and recalibrating for what comes next.
At Culturati: Summit 2C25, two featured keynotes captured the shifts redefining how we lead. In From HR Leader to AI Innovator: Navigating the Microsoft Transformation in HR, Christopher J. Fernandez (Chief HR AI Officer & CVP, Microsoft), shared how a human-centered AI strategy turned HR into a driver of enterprise-wide change. And in Leading Through Change: The Role of the People Function, Tiffanie Boyd (Global CPO, McDonald’s) and Brooke Weddle, PhD (Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company) highlighted culture as a strategic lever for navigating disruption.
Courageous leadership begins with asking the hard questions—and having the conviction to act on the answers. What are your next courageous steps? What should be ours?
In bold pursuit of the practices in leadership & culture,
Myste Wylde, COO
Want AI-Driven Productivity? Redesign Work
MIT Sloan Management Review By Ravin Jesuthasan
Summary: To unlock real ROI from AI, organizations can start by rethinking how work is structured—not as fixed roles, but as a fluid system of tasks. This begins with deconstructing jobs into their core activities, then redeploying those tasks based on whether humans or machines are better suited to execute them. Leaders are taking five key actions to drive results. First, they start with the work—not the technology—by analyzing which tasks can be automated, augmented, or transformed. Second, they view generative AI as part of a broader tech stack, combining it with tools like RPA and machine learning to multiply impact. Third, they adopt a “work-backward” approach, allocating tasks based on where skills exist across teams, locations, or systems—often surfacing value beyond the original use case. Fourth, they plan ahead for how to reinvest freed-up capacity, directing senior talent toward high-impact areas like customer experience. And fifth, they are making work design a core organizational capability, enabling continuous reinvention as AI evolves. This task-level precision is already helping companies bend the demand curve—achieving more output with greater agility, lower costs, and a stronger human focus. |
The Workplace Psychological Contract Is Broken. Here’s How to Fix It.
Havard Business Review By Anne-Laure Fayard and John Weeks
Summary: The clash over return-to-office mandates reflects more than just culture wars between executives and employees—it reveals a deeper shift in the psychological contract at work. This unspoken agreement, long rooted in stability and uniform policies, is being renegotiated as employees increasingly expect individualized consideration and relational trust. Leaders often approach workplace decisions through an “ethics of justice” lens—prioritizing consistency and rational fairness—while employees now respond more to an “ethics of care” mindset that values context, personal impact, and being seen. These differing views of what is fair are fueling dissatisfaction not just about where people work, but how they’re treated. To repair trust, companies are exploring new approaches grounded in care: fostering relational proximity, being transparent about intent, and equipping managers to adapt policies with empathy and flexibility. The goal isn’t abandoning structure, but evolving it—balancing equity with attentiveness in a way that meets today’s diverse expectations and restores a sense of shared purpose. |
7 Ways Leaders Must Evolve to Lead AI-Augmented Teams
Fast Company By Faisal Hoque
Summary: As AI becomes a true collaborator in the workplace, leadership is undergoing one of its most profound shifts: from directing people to orchestrating intelligent systems of humans and machines. With over 75% of knowledge workers already using AI and 100 million expected to work alongside “robo-colleagues” by 2026 (Gartner), leaders can no longer delegate AI adoption—they need firsthand experience and a clear strategic lens. Seven shifts define this evolution: conducting hybrid human-AI teams, modeling collaboration with AI, designing friction to preserve critical thinking, leading through questions rather than answers, anchoring decisions in purpose, cultivating emotional intelligence to manage uncertainty, and taking personal responsibility for ethical guardrails. The future of leadership isn’t less human—it’s more reflective, more intentional, and more accountable in an age where speed and scale are no longer the only benchmarks of success. |
It's HR's Time to Lead
Psychology Today By Ed Thompson
Summary: HR’s moment is now—and the business case is clear. According to Gartner, over 75% of organizations struggle to retain talent and only 37% managing change effectively, strategic HR leadership is a necessity. High-performing HR business partners drive up to 7% revenue growth and 9% profit gains, according to Gartner. As AI, hybrid work, and talent volatility reshape the workforce, CHROs are increasingly stepping into CEO roles—leaders like GM’s Mary Barra and Chanel’s Leena Nair prove the shift is real. To lead effectively, HR can evolve in three ways: link people strategy directly to business outcomes using data; humanize tech adoption by designing for varied learning and neurodiversity needs; and build enterprise resilience through agile workforce planning and future-focused leadership development. When HR leads with business acumen and people fluency, it becomes the engine for growth. |
Companies Aren't Giving Up on Doing Good—They're Becoming More Strategic About It
Fortune By Andrea Wood
Summary: Despite political headwinds and shifting public narratives, most companies aren’t abandoning corporate citizenship—they’re sharpening it. A recent AACP survey of 141 major companies found that 90% of CSR professionals report their organizations are maintaining or increasing their commitment to social impact. What’s evolving is the approach: initiatives are being more tightly aligned with business strategy, messaging is under review, and legal oversight is expanding. CSR remains critical to brand trust, talent development, and long-term competitiveness. In regions like Minneapolis–St. Paul, companies are investing in youth career readiness not just out of goodwill, but to build a skilled, diverse talent pipeline. As public pressure grows, leading organizations aren’t pulling back—they’re doubling down, building purpose-driven strategies designed to endure. |
When setbacks strike, our nervous system decides—often before we do—whether we spiral or steady. In this Culturati: LIVE session, Seminary of the Southwest professors Dr. Claire Miller Colombo and Rev. Steven Tomlinson, PhD. explore how small shifts in our responses to everyday crises can build neurobiological and spiritual resilience for work and beyond. |
Want the full newsletter each week in your inbox? Sign up now to save time and stay on top of trends.
LEADERSHIP AND CULTURE
C-SUITE
EMPLOYEES
A.I. AND TECHNOLOGY
CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, BELONGING
Comments