Culture de-cooded

Hosted by Charlie Coode

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Latest episode

Dec 2025

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About the show

A collaboration between Coode and Culture15, intended to highlight the best in thought leadership and effective implementation on the topic of organisational culture. Culture de-cooded is a series of interviews where prominent leaders, culture practioners and thinkers from a range of fields are asked to reflect on their personal journeys and that of their organisations. Whether you are starting a business, leading a team or organistation, or you are just interested in how organisations succeed or fail, there's something here for you - we hope you enjoy listening.

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12 recent

December 2, 20251 hr 9 min

Damian Hughes, High-Performance Speaker and Bestselling Author

Damian Hughes is an international speaker, bestselling author and co-host of the High Performance Podcast . From formative years in a Manchester boxing gym shaped by his father’s belief in community and belonging, to a career spanning Unilever, elite sport and academic work as a visiting professor, Damian combines his background in sport, organisational development and change psychology to help leaders and teams create high-performing cultures grounded in behaviour and human connection. In this episode of Culture de-cooded , Damian explores the central question he has asked across more than 500 conversations with leaders, athletes and creatives: what really defines high performance? His guiding insight is simple and inclusive. High performance is doing the best you can, in the moment you’re in, with the resources you have. Drawing on stories from his upbringing in the Manchester boxing gym, his work across England football, rugby union and rugby league, as well as interviews and research that underpin Microhabits , Damian explains why exceptional cultures are those where people feel seen, heard and loved. He reveals how leaders close the say-do gap by replacing abstract values with lived, observable behaviours. Damian also explores why clarity, consistency and trust matter, how standards are formed, and why personal reflection sits at the heart of sustainable leadership. Through examples ranging from Clive Woodward to Toto Wolff and insights gathered from 20 years working inside high-pressure environments, he shows how small, practical habits become the foundation of performance. Finally, Damian reflects on his own journey, including the turning point at Unilever that pushed him toward dedicating his career to human performance, culture and behavioural change. It is an honest, practical and deeply human conversation about what it takes to build environments where people can truly thrive. Podcast Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to the episode 00:01:33 Introducing Damian Hughes 00:02:12 What is high performance 00:03:36 Phil Neville’s definition 00:05:45 Growing up in a Manchester boxing gym 00:07:43 A culture where people feel seen, heard and loved 00:09:24 Are great cultures replicable 00:10:30 The Eleven Madison example 00:12:03 Culture and outcomes 00:13:42 What happens in the shadows 00:14:36 Turning values into behaviours 00:17:46 The say-do gap 00:19:50 Trust and behavioural consistency 00:22:24 Standards and non-negotiable behaviours 00:27:48 Transparency, consistency and hard calls 00:31:00 The leader’s self-mastery challenge 00:33:59 Behaviour as personality plus environment 00:41:08 The “Dickhead Test” and context 00:44:47 Psychological safety (SAFE) 00:48:36 Humility and the valley of humility 00:52:12 Lessons from Nims Purja 00:56:55 Damian’s journey from boxing to Unilever 01:02:11 The Durban boardroom moment 01:04:06 Working in elite sport and culture 01:05:36 Damian’s leadership journey in a song: Just Say Yes

June 24, 2025Episode 147 min

Dan Strode, Global Culture & Innovation Expert

Dan Strode, a culture and innovation strategist with a track record of transforming organisations across 32 countries, opens Season 2 of Culture de-cooded with a masterclass on leadership at scale. From his formative years as Global Culture Lead at Santander Group to his current role as Principal at Coode , Dan shares a deeply practical, human approach to shifting behaviours and embedding cultural change in global systems. In this episode, Dan unpacks what it means to lead with purpose and clarity in fast-moving environments. He reflects on the three guiding questions that shaped his work at Santander, exploring how they evolved alongside the organisation. He discusses how local and global cultures intersect, and why measuring cultural progress requires more than just metrics, it demands nuance, dialogue, and consistent alignment between strategy and lived behaviour. Dan introduces listeners to the “Cyborg Mindset”, a philosophy that balances the rise of AI with core human traits like curiosity, empathy, and collaboration. With sharp insight and candid reflection, he explores the future of work, the importance of psychological safety, and how leaders can create conditions for innovation and autonomy to thrive. Blending systems thinking with frontline experience, Dan makes a compelling case for culture as both a strategic lever and a deeply human endeavour, one that, when understood and nurtured, can unlock extraordinary performance across teams, geographies, and industries. Podcast Chapters 00:00:00-Welcome to Season 2 00:01:24-Introducing Dan 00:02:24-Career Path to Santander 00:05:15-Global Culture at Santander Group 00:11:14-Becoming the first global culture lead at Santander 00:15:37-Three Core Questions & Adapting Over Time 00:20:01-Global vs Local Culture 00:26:34-Tracking Progress By measuring Culture 00:31:29-Life After Santander & Writing The Books 00:38:54-AI, Innovation & the Cyborg Mindset 00:44:42-Ants. 00:45:30-Dans leadership Journey in a Song

January 22, 2025Episode 1050 min

Kerem Hasan, Pioneering Global Conductor

Kerem, a London-born conductor with Cypriot roots, has gained international acclaim from his early win at the Nestlé and Salzburg Festival’s Young Conductors Award in 2017 to serving as Chief Conductor of the Tiroler Symphony Orchestra in Austria and performing globally, Kerem shares invaluable insights into his craft.He emphasises the importance of collaboration, active listening and adaptation to orchestras different styles, as he embarks on an incredible feat this year, in directing sixteendifferent orchestras, across sixteen of the world’s big cities, in just six months. Kerem describes orchestras as high-performing teams and discusses how he guides them with authenticity, perceptiveness, and a strong sense of self, citing deep intuition and sensitivity as key to unlocking the potential of an ensemble. Kerem highlights the need to embrace mistakes as opportunities to learn and improve through intense practice, constantly refining his approach. He introduces the concept and importance of multiple layers of awareness in leadership and underscores the evolving role of conductors in making classical music accessible, fostering community connections, and harnessing the universal power of the arts to bridge cultural divides. Podcast Chapters 00:00:00-Welcome Kerem to Culture de-cooded 00:02:47-The Role of the Conductor 00:09:11-Adaptation to orchestras across the globe 00:13:13-Importance of continuous improvement & collaboration 00:18:47-Relationship between orchestra and conductor 00:22:03-Authentic leadership 00:29:15-Ability to read the room 00:31:16-Education in Glasgow & Zurich 00:36:09-Importance of Sleep 00:38:20-Looking ahead... 00:43:09-Idealism & the power of music 00:44:53-Kerem's Inspirations 00:48:27-Kerem's leadership philosophy in a song A collaboration between ⁠Coode⁠ and ⁠Culture15⁠ , intended to highlight the best in thought leadership and effective implementation on the topic of organisational culture.

November 25, 2024Episode 954 min

Paul Taylor, CEO and founder of Thought Machine

In this episode Paul shares his experiences of the AI and tech industry and discusses the trials and tribulations of building culture and founding a business. Before founding Thought Machine, Paul successfully launched two companies, the second of which was acquired by Google in 2010. At Google, he led the text-to-speech team, which developed the cutting-edge technology that is now found in all of Google's navigation and voice search products. Paul holds a PhD in AI and has held teaching positions at Edinburgh and Cambridge Universities. Paul highlights how explicit and intentional the team at Thought Machine are when it comes to culture, and as such they have a set of core principles which guide it, inspired by Google. He touches on the importance of work ethic, and the encouragement of certain behaviours in building a productive and inspiring culture, as Thought Machine encourage all employees to facilitate debates and be “do-ers”. This episode is packed with insight, anecdotes and advice for all listeners looking to learn more about culture, AI and business. Chapters 00:00:00-Introduction to Paul Taylor 00:01:45-About Thought Machine 00:03:31-Modernising banking infrastructure 00:07:47-Thought Machine bridging the gap between challenger and legacy banks 00:10:58-Shaping culture at Thought Machine 00:17:03-"The problem with company values" 00:19:18-Maintaining culture in a growing organisation 00:20:39-"Good cultures get owned by people, who replicate it and buy into it" 00:25:28-Lessons from Google and other ventures 00:36:16-Deep dive into AI 00:42:11: "You can do simple things very well, and build a great buisness" 00:43:11-Reflections on leadership & Entrepreneurship 00:49:30-Closing questions 00:52:03-Pauls career journey as a song A collaboration between ⁠Coode⁠ and ⁠Culture15⁠ , intended to highlight the best in thought leadership and effective implementation on the topic of organisational culture.

August 27, 2024Episode 858 min

Lieutenant General Sir Nick Borton KCB DSO MBE, Former Senior British Army Officer and NATO Commander

Lieutenant General Sir Nick Borton KCB DSO MBE is a former Senior British Army Officer who commanded NATO’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps from 2021 to 2024. Commissioned into the Royal Highland Fusiliers in 1991, he served in multiple global locations and held key instructional and leadership roles. He commanded 16 Air Assault Brigade from 2013 to 2015 and the 3rd (UK) Division from 2016 to 2018. Promoted to Lieutenant General, he became Chief of Staff Operations at the Permanent Joint Headquarters before leading the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps. In 2023, he was appointed Knight Commander of The Order of the Bath. The episode not only delves into global politics and military strategy but also highlights the transferable leadership skills that apply across all sectors. Sir Nick reflects on individuality, responsibility, and the importance of understanding the people you lead, this episode offers powerful lessons for listeners from all walks of life. Chapters 00:00:00-Introduction to Sir Nicks Career 00:03:26-NATO and Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine 00:08:33-Putin & global power dynamics 00:17:52-A “pre-war” phase 00:20:39-Culture in the British Army 00:29:39-Diversity of thought in the Army 00:33:18-3 things make soldiers fight 00:41:49-Military Leadership 00:51:04-Challenging the hierarchy 00:53:49-The Military as an animal 00:55:53-Sir Nick’s journey as a song A collaboration between ⁠Coode⁠ and ⁠Culture15⁠ , intended to highlight the best in thought leadership and effective implementation on the topic of organisational culture.

July 22, 2024Episode 751 min

Dame Sally Davies, Former Chief Medical Officer for England

In this episode, Charlie speaks to Dame Sally Davies, the 40th - and first female - Master of Trinity College Cambridge and also the first female Chief Medical Officer for England and the UK's special envoy on antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Recorded in the Master's Lodge at Trinity College, Cambridge, the episode delves into Dame Sally's illustrious career and her lifelong dedication to tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR). She describes her work as health diplomacy as she raises awareness of and attempts to influence policy on AMR, highlighting the critical need for global action against superbugs. The conversation also touches on her earlier work with sickle cell patients and her role in establishing the National Institute for Health Research.Dame Sally emphasises the challenges of changing institutional mindsets and creating sustainable health policies, sharing insights from her experiences in health diplomacy and international cooperation. She reflects on her role as Master of Trinity, saying her leadership style encourages the 192 Fellows to recognise and pursue innovation as a collective endeavour. Dame Sally highlights that her style of leadership is one of influence, not power, freedom, not constraint and evolution not revolution. Chapters: 00:00:00-Introduction to Dame Sally’s life works 00:03:37-Anti-microbial resistance (AMR) explained 00:08:42-Challenges of shifting beliefs & policy change 00:13:30-Childhood, personal values & passion 00:15:46-Pathway to overcoming AMR 00:18:47-Diplomacy & global influence on AMR 00:27:25-Behavioural change is needed 00:32:19-Resilience & mindset 00:37:57-First woman Chief Medical Officer 00:42:12-Trinity College Fellowship 00:47:00-Leadership of 192 fellows 00:49:59-Dame Sally’s journey as a song A collaboration between ⁠Coode⁠ and ⁠Culture15⁠ , intended to highlight the best in thought leadership and effective implementation on the topic of organisational culture.

June 17, 2024Episode 650 min

Sir Anthony Seldon, Historian, Political Author and Educator

In this episode, Charlie speaks to Sir Anthony Seldon, political author and the current head of Epsom College. Anthony has led three of the most influential independent schools in the UK and was the vice-chancellor of Buckingham University, the UK’s first private university. As the official biographer of No. 10 Downing Street, Seldon has also written the authorised biographies of consecutive Prime Ministers over the last 25 years, from John Major to Boris Johnson. The conversation with Seldon ranged widely, from defining education as ‘to lead out students potential’ and establishing the role of leaders as ‘releasers’. Seldon reflects on the damaging effect of standardisation on the education system, which leaves little room for individuality and connects the dots between positive psychology and student performance. Seldon reflects on what makes a good (and bad) prime minister. He also affirms that schools no longer teach character, suggesting this may be why recent prime ministers led with their career prospects in mind and not their principles.Seldon also offers up the idea that the politics of today are shifting to a consumer form of politics rather than a conviction of principle-led politics. Seldon’s deep spirituality and broad education and experience provides rich insights from this episode of the Culture de-cooded podcast. Chapters 00:00:00-Introduction, diverse career and upbringing. 00:05:20-Education system and its impact on students. 00:13:19-Effective Leadership and length of tenure. 00:16:54-Political Leadership 00:20:04-Leaders as releasers 00:27:17-‘Politics should be principle-led, not consumer driven’ 00:36:00-Energy,ego and building bridges. 00:47:36-Seldon’s journey as a song. A collaboration between ⁠Coode⁠ and ⁠Culture15⁠ , intended to highlight the best in thought leadership and effective implementation on the topic of organisational culture.

May 20, 2024Episode 550 min

Tamara Rojo, Artistic Director of San Francisco Ballet

In this episode Tamara Rojo shares her experience as artistic director of both English National Ballet (2012-2022) and more recently San Francisco Ballet (since 2022). Tamara speaks of her love of dance as an art form and its ability to change lives. Having been at the forefront of cultural transformation at the English National Ballet (ENB) for 10 years, Tamara champions the importance of personal accountability from individuals within an organisation and reflects on her belief in investing in new voices. She also highlights the importance of speed, citing quick change and therefore quick reward, as the cornerstone of cultural and organisational success. She also reminisces fondly over the late chairman, Justin Bickle, who shared her passion and workload during cultural change at ENB, which enabled Tamara to ‘not have to fight every battle alone’. Originally from Spain, Tamara didn’t train at any of the traditionally admired institutions in the ballet world, but from a small school in Madrid, and she says this ‘outsider status’ gives a fresh perspective and the ability to always question everything. As an accomplished principal dancer herself, Tamara openly discusses the mindset of a ballerina and the pursuit of excellence. Tamara states that she finds it easy being ‘ambitious on behalf of others’, and highlights that success doesn’t happen alone. She encourages all dancers in her company to take pride in their common responsibility to deliver an outstanding performance worthy of applause every time they take the stage. Chapters 00:00:00-Welcome to Episode 5 00:01:16–Introduction to Tamara’s career 00:02:50-10 years as Artistic director of theEnglish National Ballet (ENB) 00:09:18-Cultural transformation at ENB 00:18:21-Uniting dancers with purpose 00:23:29-The pursuit of excellence as aperson and a professional 00:27:44-Ambition, pride and the ability toquestion everything 00:34:13-Adapting to a role off the stage 00:41:49-Whats next for Tamara and the SanFransisco Ballet 00:45:24-Reclaiming the Swan 00:47:49-Tamaras choice of song A collaboration between ⁠Coode⁠ and ⁠Culture15⁠ , intended to highlight the best in thought leadership and effective implementation on the topic of organisational culture.

April 15, 2024Episode 41 hr 7 min

Martin Glenn, Former CEO of The FA

In this episode, Martin reflects on his diverse career, spanning 15 years at PepsiCo, 9 years in private equity as CEO of Iglo (Birdseye in the UK) and United Biscuits followed by a jump to the FA as CEO in 2015. Following this, Martin transitioned to a non-executive career, being appointed as chairman of the Football Foundation, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) and Britain’s biggest wine producer, Chapel Down. Martin discusses the importance of uniting employees with purpose and reflects on his leadership journey, sharing his key learnings that shaped his career. From his time at United Biscuits, Martin identifies that it takes courage to view culture as an opportunity, to not delegate it to HR teams, and to champion it as a leader. Martin talks about moving to take on leadership of The FA as his “midlife crisis”, where he was responsible for appointing Gareth Southgate, championing culture change and highlighting what it means to wear the England shirt. He cites cultural transformation as one of the reasons that England is now seen as a contender in international tournaments and shares his insight on the growth of women’s football and the rise of development squads at St Georges Park. Given the breadth of Martin's professional experience, this podcast episode is packed with insight, humour and solid lessons for anyone wanting to implement change. Chapters 00:00:00-Welcome to Episode 4 00:02:00-Introduction to Martin’s career 00:05:12-Reflection on the culture at PepsiCo 00:11:07-Leadership & culture evolution from PepsiCo to private equity at Birdseye 00:19:01-‘It takes courage to prioritise culture and to see it as an opportunity’ 00:22:07-Move to United Biscuits, restoring pride and unlocking the potential of culture 00:29:41-Joining the FA, re-affirming purpose & what it means to play for England 00:46:36-Prioritising development squads at St Georges park and the Lionesses 00:53:15-The growth of women’s football 00:57:30-Life as a chairperson on the board of the Football Foundation, PGMOL, Chapel Down and Froneri 01:05:08-Martin's career as a song A collaboration between ⁠Coode⁠ and ⁠Culture15⁠ , intended to highlight the best in thought leadership and effective implementation on the topic of organisational culture.

March 20, 2024Episode 31 hr 7 min

David Tait, CEO at the World Gold Council

In this episode, David Tait candidly dissects his life experiences and discusses how they have impacted his leadership style and mindset during his role as CEO of the World Gold Council. David describes the cultural transformation he has led at the World Gold Council since joining in 2018, and highlights his determination to fundamentally shift the culture within the gold industry, through his commitment to responsible sourcing, transparency, and digitalisation. David also reflects on his time at Credit Suisse, and talks about how the seeds of its future demise as an organisation were already visible when he left in 2015. David highlights the genuine fulfilment he experiences from leading people and investing in culture. He also talks about his early life experiences which have shaped his mindset and driven him to raise millions of pounds for the NSPCC through his multiple ascents of Everest and other fundraising activities. Chapters 00:00:00-Welcome to Episode 3 00:01:20-Introduction to David's career 00:03:06-Overview of the World Gold Council 00:08:10-Challenges of cultural transformation in the gold industry 00:32:20-Experiences whilst shifting the focus onto Culture 00:38:05-Reflections on the culture at Credit Suisse 00:45:24-Early life experiences, fundraising for the NSPCC and the only north-south traverse of Everest 00:52:25-The writing of David's life story and creation of his film Sulfur and White 00:57:45-David's mindset throughout leadership 01:06:12-David's leadership journey encapsulated in one song A collaboration between Coode and Culture15 , intended to highlight the best in thought leadership and effective implementation on the topic of organisational culture.