Christine Hudson, coauthor of Practice Makes Culture, discusses why organizational transformations fail and how small behavioral changes in meetings can shift culture. She outlines three pillars—welcoming elephants, creating ownership, and facilitating daily practice—and explains why humans consistently underestimate the irrational side of change. Hudson also addresses how leaders can apply the same small-steps framework to AI adoption, and why making practices accessible to underrepresented voices matters for both business outcomes and human happiness.
Questions this post answers
How can leaders start changing organizational culture without formal authority or buy-in?
Start with a small behavioral change in a meeting — something that bothers you or feels attainable. For example, ask a colleague who interrupts others to let everyone finish, or simply say 'I'd like to hear from everybody.' A universal starting point is active listening: listen attentively, paraphrase back what was said, and ask 'Did I get that right?' This builds psychological safety and models the behavior you want others to adopt. Leaders navigating culture shifts without top-down support find practical tactics like these on daily.dev.
How should leaders approach AI adoption when they feel overwhelmed and don't know where to start?
Open a generative AI tool and ask it to do something interesting every single day — it doesn't need to be work-related. Examples include having it create a quiz on a random topic, draw a picture, ask questions to help identify your core values, or write a short story. Gradually push further: visualize data, write a small app, or ask AI systems connected to your work 'What do you know about me?' Small daily practice builds comfort and ownership. Developers and leaders tracking the practical side of AI adoption keep up through daily.dev.