How Leaders Can Create a Culture of Significance

What's in this episode

Send us Fan Mail What does it really mean to create a culture where people perform at their best? In this episode of Leading People, I’m joined by Zach Mercurio, researcher, speaker, and author of The Power of Mattering, to explore how leaders can create a culture of significance — one where people feel seen, valued, and needed. Drawing on decades of research into motivation and human performance, Zach explains why performance, resilience, and engagement suffer when people feel invisible or replaceable — and why leaders play a pivotal role in shaping the everyday signals that tell people whether they matter. In our conversation, we explore: What a culture of significance really looks like in practice Why people perform better when they feel valued and needed How leaders often unintentionally signal that people don’t matter Small, everyday leadership behaviours that have an outsized impact Why significance isn’t a “soft” idea — but a serious performance driver Zach brings these principles to life through compelling stories from an array of organisations. Whether you lead a team, work in HR or L&D, or care about creating environments where people thrive and perform, this episode offe