Leading with Curiosity: Inspiring Top Company Cultures with Chris Dyer

05/15/24 • 26 min

Strategic Edge: Applying Transformative Leadership

“We put people first. Profit is important, but we put our people first.” - Chris Dyer

Episode Summary:

Join your host Ted Davis as he discusses positive leadership with Chris Dyer, a successful entrepreneur and company culture expert. Chris shares his journey in transforming company culture, and the importance of appreciative inquiry, and outlines the seven pillars for building a great organizational culture. Ted and Chris also touch on time management, team dynamics, and radical humility.

About Chris Dyer:

Chris Dyer is a recognized company culture and remote work expert. As a former CEO managing thousands of people, his companies consistently were named a best place to work. They have also been named a fastest growing company by Inc Magazine 5 times. Chris routinely consults and speaks, and Inc Magazine ranked him as the #1 Leadership Speaker on Culture. He has three bestselling books The Power of Company Culture and Remote Work, and has been named #5 on the Leadership Power List, a Top 50 Voice in Leadership, a Top 40 Change Management Guru, a Top 50 Global Thought Leader, and a Top 50 leadership podcast, Top 50 HR Leaders Shaping the Future of Work, and a Top 101 Global Employee Engagement & Experience Influencers by Inspiring Workplaces and Work Buzz, just this year.

As a keynote speaker, his goal is to inspire audiences with a straightforward delivery, insightful candor, and engaging humor. His talks leave audiences permanently transformed, offering innovative perspectives on leadership to improve company culture, and empower organizations to discover new successes. Countless companies have unlocked productivity, performance, and profits by implementing his 7 Pillar Strategy.

In this episode:

2:25 Putting people first.
3:30 Recognizing the need for change.
5:20 The power of appreciative inquiry.
6:00 Building a positive culture.
8:30 Focusing on the success for growth.
12:00 Dealing with underperforming employees and the importance of design.
17:40 Leading with curiosity.
20:50 The seven pillars of a strong company culture.
23:19 Focusing on the positive and growing your company culture.
20:45 Action items for building a great company culture.

Today’s Action Items:

Deeply consider saying yes to every question that's asked of them. Don’t tell anyone that is what you are going to do, but instill your own internal practice of saying “yes” more. Try to be more open-minded, approach new concepts with “let's see", "let's try", "maybe we can make that happen", or "how do we figure that out?”.
What you focus on grows, be intentional with your focus and energy, if you unintentionally focus on the negative things, that is what will grow.
Design what you want or deal with what you get. To get a great company culture you must design it first by hiring the right people.

Get a free PDF of today’s action items! Podcast Action Items - Grace Strategic Services (grace4success.com)

Recommended Reading:

Connect with Chris Dyer:

Text “Chris” to 33777 for free resources

Connect with Ted Davis:

Podcast management and production by Jazzy at Premier Podcast Promotions

“We put people first. Profit is important, but we put our people first.” - Chris Dyer

Episode Summary:

About Chris Dyer:

In this episode:

2:25 Putting people first.
3:30 Recognizing the need for change.
5:20 The power of appreciative inquiry.
6:00 Building a positive culture.
8:30 Focusing on the success for growth.
12:00 Dealing with underperforming employees and the importance of design.
17:40 Leading with curiosity.
20:50 The seven pillars of a strong company culture.
23:19 Focusing on the positive and growing your company culture.
20:45 Action items for building a great company culture.

Today’s Action Items:

Deeply consider saying yes to every question that's asked of them. Don’t tell anyone that is what you are going to do, but instill your own internal practice of saying “yes” more. Try to be more open-minded, approach new concepts with “let's see", "let's try", "maybe we can make that happen", or "how do we figure that out?”.
What you focus on grows, be intentional with your focus and energy, if you unintentionally focus on the negative things, that is what will grow.
Design what you want or deal with what you get. To get a great company culture you must design it first by hiring the right people.

Get a free PDF of today’s action items! Podcast Action Items - Grace Strategic Services (grace4success.com)

Recommended Reading:

Connect with Chris Dyer:

Text “Chris” to 33777 for free resources

Connect with Ted Davis:

Podcast management and production by Jazzy at Premier Podcast Promotions

Previous Episode

Rising Through Leadership: Navigating the Five Levels of Leadership

“You must be able to develop a healthy relationship” - Ted Davis

Episode Summary:

Where are you in your leadership journey? How are you maturing and growing?

This week take a deep dive into the Five Levels of Leadership as described by John Maxwell and Jim Collins. Your host, Ted Davis, explains each model and emphasizes the importance of maturity and growth in leadership. Discover the keys to reaching higher levels of leadership and get practical tips for your leadership journey!

In this episode:

2:05 Maturity and growth in leaders.
3:30 Maxwell’s five levels of leadership.
6:15 Reaching the pinnacle of leadership.
9:00 Having a safety net on your leadership journey.
10:40 The importance of building healthy relationships for effective leadership.
12:15 Collin’s five levels of leadership.
17:00 Being a humble, and exceptional executive.
21:30 Episode action items.

Today’s Action Items:

Be intentional about the benefit others get from being under your leadership.
Define what people will experience while under your leadership.
Assess yourself using Collin’s Five Levels of Leadership.
Find a mentor, coach, or accountability partner.

Get a free PDF of today’s action items! Podcast Action Items - Grace Strategic Services (grace4success.com)

Recommended Reading:

Connect with Ted Davis:

Podcast management and production by Jazzy at Premier Podcast Promotions

Next Episode

Leading the Right Way: How to Build a Healthy Culture in a Virtual Environment with Rusty Fulling

“I think it's culture that's broken. I don't think it's where you're sitting.” - Rusty Fulling

Episode Summary:

Can you build a healthy company culture in a virtual environment?

Rusty Fulling, founder of Fulling Management and Accounting, joins Strategic Edge this week to share his three keys to building a strong company culture in a virtual environment. He also shares his approach to helping business leaders make sense of their numbers and grow their profits, emphasizing the importance of mentoring and integrating faith into leadership and investing in your team.

About Rusty Fulling:

Rusty Fulling serves as founder and CEO of Fulling Management & Accounting, Inc. in Olathe, KS. Since April 2000, Rusty has been focused on helping business leaders make sense of their numbers, grow their profits, and gain peace of mind.

With a passion for mentoring, Rusty seamlessly integrates faith, storytelling, and humor into his leadership approach. Beyond the professional realm, he's a dedicated family man, celebrating over 32 years of marriage with his bride, Pam, and loves hanging out with their two daughters, son-in-law, and active granddaughters.

In this episode:

04:25 The importance of mentorship.

06:20 Incorporating G.R.A.C.E into your company culture.

08:50 Integrating faith into the workplace: using biblical principles to do business the right way.

10:30 The value of participating in accountability and advisory groups.

11:25 The power of asking clarifying and open-ended questions.

12:40 How to ask the right questions.

15:20 Transitioning to a virtual company.

16:25 Building a strong company culture: investing in your team.

20:50 Recommended reading.

Today’s Action Items: