Cultural Excellence Part Two: Michele Herlein’s Guide to Real Organizational Alignment

In part two of this conversation, Michele Herlein drills into the work leaders need to do to build a culture people feel every day. She explains why most change efforts fail, why leaders underestimate the process, and how misalignment at the top spreads through an organization. Michele breaks down what strong horizontal and vertical alignment look like. She shares how to strengthen the middle layer, how to coach managers who struggle with leadership responsibilities, and how to fix systems that reward the wrong behavior. She uses clear examples from companies she has helped, including how structure and incentives shape collaboration, burnout, and results. You also hear her take on compensation, remote work, the limits of the old Monday through Friday model, and why honesty from leaders matters more than prefabricated talking points. Michele closes with personal habits that keep her grounded and the practices she believes help leaders stay aligned. This episode gives you a direct path to building a culture that lasts, supported by simple routines, consistent communication, and leadership behavior your teams can trust.