In the realm of leadership, few things are as influential as our lived experiences. This truth resonated deeply during a recent conversation with Andy Crouch on the Culture Keepers podcast. As we explored Andy's journey to becoming a leading voice in culture, it became evident how formative experiences—especially those involving cultural transitions—shape not only personal growth but also the way we lead and connect with others.

Andy shared how moving from rural New York to the suburbs of Boston as a teenager first exposed him to the nuances of culture. He described it as a “cross-cultural experience,” despite both locations being within the United States. The move revealed to him that culture is often invisible until you’re displaced from your own. This insight was deepened by later experiences, such as immersing himself in the black gospel tradition while working as a musician in an African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Zion church.

From these beginnings, Andy’s career evolved into a broader exploration of how people contribute to culture. As he worked with students at Harvard, he began to see culture-making as central to human design—not just as consumers of culture but as creators. These insights culminated in his book Culture Making, a call to action for individuals to shape their environments through intentional contributions.

The Greatest Threat to Workplace Culture

Our conversation naturally turned to the workplace and the undeniable role leaders play in shaping culture. In today’s world, people increasingly prioritize environments where they feel seen, valued, and connected over high salaries or exceptional benefits. Research supports this: employees are willing to stay in roles with less financial reward if the culture fosters connection and belonging.

This reality places a significant responsibility on leaders. As Andy emphasized, modern workplaces face a pressing threat: excessively mediated relationships. Communication increasingly relies on digital tools—texts, emails, video calls—stripping away vital emotional and non-verbal cues.

While these tools offer convenience, they cannot replicate the depth of in-person interaction. “Emotion is our primary cognitive resource,” Andy explained, highlighting how our ability to make decisions, navigate relationships, and empathize relies on the unspoken emotional information we exchange in physical presence. Without this richness, we risk misunderstanding, mistrust, and disconnection.

The Role of Flow vs. Superpower Solutions in Building Thriving Workplace Cultures

As Andy Crouch and I discussed, our workplaces are often shaped by a drive for superpower solutions—quick fixes that promise outsized results with minimal effort. These are like the modern miracles of technology: a button pressed, an email sent, a Zoom call wrapped up. Yet, these solutions often come at the cost of something deeper—connection, creativity, and the flow state that fuels both individual growth and team success.

Andy introduced the idea of flow, drawing on the work of psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Flow is that immersive experience where you lose track of time, discover new possibilities, and develop skills through deliberate practice. It contrasts sharply with the instant gratification of superpowers, which may produce outcomes but rarely cultivate meaningful change.

For leaders, this distinction is profound. The temptation to prioritize outcomes over connection can feel overwhelming, especially when deliverables are piling up. I've worked with leaders who admitted they wished they could hire someone to "do the connecting" for them. But the truth is, leadership isn't about outsourcing care—it’s about building trust and empowering your people. That’s slow, deep work, but it leads to outcomes that are not only better but often beyond what we could have planned.

As Andy shared, even companies operating remotely can find ways to foster this deeper connection, but it requires intentionality. His team, for example, gathers in person just five times a year, but those days are filled with purpose—building trust, fostering creativity, and navigating conflicts. It’s this time together, however infrequent, that unlocks the synergy necessary to make remote work not just functional but extraordinary.

The Airplane Metaphor: Why Outcomes Alone Can Deplete Us

Andy also shared a compelling metaphor about airplane travel, which resonated deeply with me. Airplanes are modern marvels that get us where we need to go with incredible speed. But at what cost? After a long-haul flight, passengers emerge depleted, disconnected, and far from energized. Similarly, workplaces that focus solely on outcomes often leave their teams drained, like a line of weary travelers trudging through customs.

We take these quick, outcome-driven approaches because they seem efficient. But efficiency isn't the same as effectiveness, especially when it comes to workplace culture. Just as a 12-hour flight might get you to your destination while stripping away your autonomy, creativity, and energy, a workplace culture that prioritizes outcomes over connection risks losing the human spark that drives innovation and engagement.

Connection Creates Outcomes

Here’s the paradox: when leaders slow down to connect with their teams, the outcomes often take care of themselves. It’s not magic—it’s the result of people feeling seen, valued, and empowered. As Andy noted, things happen in connected workplaces that leaders couldn’t have planned or imagined. Creativity flourishes, collaboration deepens, and new opportunities emerge.

Building this kind of culture takes time, effort, and a willingness to embrace flow over superpower fixes. It means resisting the urge to rush through meetings, skip over meaningful conversations, or treat connection as optional. Instead, leaders can create space for the kind of engagement that energizes rather than depletes, allowing their teams to thrive—not just survive.

The path to a thriving workplace culture may not be as quick as hopping on a flight, but it’s infinitely more rewarding. By investing in connection, we unlock the true potential of our people and our organizations—and that’s worth every minute.

To build a thriving workplace culture, leaders must create and nurture what Andy Crouch describes as canopies of trust. These canopies—spanning everything from individual relationships to entire organizations—enable creativity, productivity, and genuine collaboration. They are built and sustained through three key processes:

1. Absence and Presence: Trust begins with the simple act of showing up. By consistently being present and returning to the team—whether daily, quarterly, or annually—leaders establish reliability. Much like a toddler looks back to ensure a parent is watching, teams thrive on the reassurance of a leader’s presence.

2. Failure and Recovery: Mistakes are inevitable, but how we handle them defines trust. Leaders who confront challenges openly, navigate failures collaboratively, and demonstrate resilience build deeper trust with their teams. Each recovery from a setback strengthens the canopy.

3. Sin and Forgiveness: In a workplace context, this means acknowledging when we’ve made a mistake or fallen short, whether by action or inaction. Leaders who take responsibility and model forgiveness—offering genuine apologies and creating space for healing—foster an environment where trust can flourish. As Andy puts it, the most profound trust grows when we navigate the pain of offenses and work to repair relationships instead of simply ejecting people from the team.

If you’re wondering what to do tomorrow to strengthen trust in your workplace, start with showing up. Be present, attentive, and open. Identify what isn’t working—not to assign blame, but to begin the work of recovery. And when there’s an opportunity, model forgiveness. This daily work of building trust may feel simple, but it has the power to transform teams.

As a parent, I see this same dynamic play out when I encourage my children to express genuine remorse, learn from their mistakes, and change their behavior. Leadership is not parenting, of course, but the principles of presence, recovery, and reconciliation apply to all human relationships. When you create a culture of trust, your team can weather challenges and reach new heights together.

So, show up tomorrow with purpose, look for opportunities to repair what's broken, and lead with the courage to forgive and rebuild. Trust is not a one-time achievement—it’s the ongoing, daily work of every leader.