What if culture doesn’t eat strategy for breakfast after all?

In this episode of HR Unlocked, Lisa Oakley sits down with organisational culture expert and corporate anthropologist Michael Henderson to unpack one of the most misunderstood concepts in business: culture.

With more than 40 years’ experience and over 300 culture transformation projects completed across four continents, Michael brings a distinctive lens to leadership, performance, and organisational effectiveness. Drawing on his background in anthropology, he challenges conventional thinking around strategy, performance, leadership, and human behaviour at work.

This conversation explores why culture is really about meaning and performance, how organisations can “out care” the competition, and why curiosity, language, and human connection still matter more than ever in modern business.

From high performance and customer intimacy to leadership capability and conflict resolution, this episode offers a thought-provoking and highly practical perspective on what drives successful organisations.

 

What You’ll Learn


Why Michael believes culture doesn’t “eat strategy for breakfast”


The difference between performance and high performance


How anthropology changes the way we understand organisations


Why meaningful work drives stronger performance outcomes


How language shapes organisational culture and behaviour


The role curiosity plays in leadership, conflict, and communication


What “out caring the competition” actually looks like in practice


Why many organisations misunderstand culture entirely


How customer intimacy creates competitive advantage


The connection between care, belonging, engagement, and performance

 

Key Takeaways


Culture is fundamentally about performance and meaning


High-performing organisations care more — deliberately and consistently


Leadership requires awareness, curiosity, and the ability to think beyond binary views


Language shapes belief systems, behaviour, and organisational outcomes


Strong cultures are built through meaningful human connection


Curiosity and understanding reduce conflict and improve collaboration


Organisations that deeply understand customers create stronger commercial outcomes


Culture capability remains a major gap for many businesses and boards

 

About Michael Henderson

Michael Henderson is the founder of Cultures at Work and a globally recognised organisational culture expert with more than 40 years’ experience helping organisations align culture and strategy.

With a background in anthropology, Michael has led over 300 culture transformation projects across four continents, working with leaders to improve engagement, performance, retention, leadership capability, and customer outcomes.

He is the award-winning author of 10 books on organisational culture, including The Caring Advantage and Out Caring the Competition.

Michael’s work focuses on helping organisations create meaningful, high-performing cultures grounded in care, connection, and purpose.

 

Why This Episode Matters

If you’ve ever struggled to define culture, influence performance, improve engagement, or create meaningful organisational change, this episode offers a fresh and practical perspective that challenges conventional thinking.

For leaders, HR professionals, and business owners alike, this conversation reframes culture from something abstract into something deeply human, commercially relevant, and actionable.

 

Resources & Links


Cultures at Work


Michael Henderson | LinkedIn

HR Unlocked with Lisa Oakley is a leadership conversation series where thoughtful HR and business leaders share lived experience on people, risk, culture, and compliance. It is designed for business owners, senior leaders, and HR professionals across Australasia to learn from real decisions and leadership judgment. The show is a platform to honour the contribution of leaders willing to share their experience.

<p>HR Unlocked with Lisa Oakley is a leadership conversation series where thoughtful HR and business leaders share lived experience on people, risk, culture, and compliance. It is designed for business owners, senior leaders, and HR professionals across Australasia to learn from real decisions and leadership judgment. The show is a platform to honour the contribution of leaders willing to share their experience.</p>