Why Great People Struggle in the Wrong Culture

What's in this episode

In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we explore why great people struggle in the wrong culture. My guest this week is Julie Holunga, a fractional leadership and culture advisor who works with organizations to turn their stated values into everyday behaviors. Julie shares how her early work examining women in the workforce shaped her perspective on leadership and culture, and why focusing on individuals alone is not enough to create meaningful change. Using her “pickling” metaphor, she explains how even the healthiest individuals struggle to thrive in environments that don’t support them. This insight has guided her work helping organizations align culture, behavior and leadership in a way that creates sustainable success. In our conversation, we talk about why organizations often tolerate high-performing individuals whose behavior undermines the broader team and how that sends powerful signals about what is truly valued. Julie explains how these patterns erode confidence, psychological safety and long-term performance, even when short-term results look strong. We also explore how past experiences shape present reactions in ways many people don’t recognize. Julie shares e