Working/Broken
Welcome to Working/Broken with Nick Richtsmeier and Brad Farris. Every episode, we examine a trend, bias, or hot topic affecting business leaders and ask the question: Is it working? Or is it broken?
Much of what is broken in the world impacts our business and our leadership. We can’t fix all that, but we can learn to respond and lead differently. Business leaders have been hard-wired and trained to chase trends, follow conventional wisdom, and find any way possible to simplify the endless list of hard decisions they have to make.
So the ecosystem of “hacks” and “best practices” fills to overflowing, leaving you at a loss for a sorting mechanism: What applies to you? Where have bias or assumptions skewed the gurus? What actually applies to you?
The spectrum of what’s working and what’s broken isn’t fixed. It’s custom. To not just your situation, but you as a leader and what you’re bringing to the table. And while you try to follow the rules given to you, part of the magic of succeeding in leadership is knowing what’s for you and what isn’t.
So come join us. We’re gonna laugh. We’re gonna challenge. We’re gonna wrestle. Together.
______________
Nick Richtsmeier is a catalyst for change in organizations that rely on trust to deliver their services. If your advisory, education, or professional services firm needs to accelerate growth, visit CultureCraft.com to find out how he can craft a growth strategy that’s made for you.
Brad Farris coaches leaders of creative professional firms to become the people they need to be to lead the agency they aspire to grow. Find out more at AnchorAdvisors.com
You can find additional resources at WorkingBroken.com.
If you liked what you heard this week, you could do us a solid and (1) subscribe so we see you here next time, (2) share cause friends don't let friends work broken, and (3) give us that infamous 5 STAR review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or wherever you are consuming us today.
Working/Broken
Is "Politics" Breaking Work?
In this timely and unfiltered episode, Brad and Nick explore the increasingly tangled relationship between politics and work culture. They ask the central question: Has politics become so pervasive that it’s breaking our ability to lead, work, and think clearly?
Key Themes:
- The Blurring Line Between Culture and Politics: Brad and Nick debate whether culture is now downstream from politics or whether it's still the other way around. Nick argues that cultural trends, even fringe ones, often precede political movements (e.g., mommy bloggers influencing public health debates).
- The Role of Algorithms: The hosts criticize how algorithmic thinking is shaping what we consume, from news headlines to music to political discourse, and how it narrows our perspectives.
- Fear and Existential Framing: Every political issue today is presented in existential terms, which creates emotional fatigue and disrupts our ability to engage meaningfully in leadership and life.
- Leadership, Brands, and Point of View: In today’s climate, leaders and companies can’t afford to be neutral. Nick makes the case that if you’re not willing to state a point of view—on the issues that matter to your work—you lose trust and relevance.
- Creating Better Culture: Iif we want better politics, we must first invest in better culture—through storytelling, creativity, and human connection. He criticizes cultural homogeneity (driven by platforms like Spotify or Netflix) as a breeding ground for bland politics and weak leadership.
Notable Quotes:
- "Bad culture makes bad politics." – Nick
- "Politics feels like a tax on my attention—it's stealing time from the things I care about." – Brad
- "Culture is a product of human relationships. You can't make good culture with machines." – Nick
- "If you're going to be in business today, you need a point of view. Period." – Nick
Referenced Resources:
The Cult of Creativity by Samuel W. Franklin
A deep dive into how “creativity” became central to modern work and business culture.
Tangle Newsletter
A politically balanced daily newsletter that presents left, right, and center perspectives on current events.
Ensure you are fully subscribed through your favorite podcast app so you do not miss a single episode.
Have a business topic you want us to decide if it's working or broken? Have a question about the episode? You can email us at podcast@culturecraft.com.
