Jacques Fradin

𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐮**𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞! When you read the line above, how did your mind fill in the asterisks? Did a profane word cross your mind? That’s not surprising. We often think about culture as an impediment. Along with Mohamed Hédi CHARKI and Nabila BOUKEF, we just published a study of a multinational attempting to change their culture by introducing enterprise social media. The goal: use technology to flatten the hierarchy. Increase decision speed. Let new knowledge flow. Those goals sound familiar. The change didn't work. But it’s not because the culture “resisted” the change or simply held onto traditions. We built on a recent framewwork that suggests culture can be understood as having both a big-C and a small-c (Kristie Rogers!). Big-C captures the official culture statements, measurement, and systems (rewards, training, policies) that bring the organizational values to life. In contrast, small-c captures how those values are translated into practical actions by groups and teams. Looking at the change through the big-C/small-c framework revealed something fascinating: the change was working. We found evidence that there were clear pockets of adoption in the small-c. But there were also pockets of hesitancy. These were small-c groups where some employees were excited about the change but others employee were not. Interestingly, all the employees were using the new technology. So the adoption statistics were growing, but these statistics obscured what was happening under the surface. It seemed like the big-C was changing. In the meantime, as they gained less attention the small-c cultures grew hesitant, posting less, or posting in ways that were safe (which often meant conforming to the old culture). Even though the organization initially celebrated the change as a success, it ended up as a failure. Culture fu**ed up the change! But let’s look at the phrase above again. What if we are filling in those asterisks incorrectly. Maybe the phrase is: Culture 𝐟𝐮𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐝 up the change! In fact our study showed that too. If senior leaders had paid more attention to the small-c cultures, if they had found early pockets of adoption and learned from them, if they had opted for a staged rollout, the change likely would have succeeded. In part because they would have seen spots where culture would fuel the change and that would have enhanced the rollout in other parts of the organization. Change works best when culture is your fuel. Finding the small-c parts of your culture that are ready to experiment or that are already using your values in ways that align with change provides your best bet at finding that fuel. If you’d like to read more, the paper is available here: https://lnkd.in/eX78ThRZ Huge thanks to Kevin Rockmann for his stewardship as an editor and to Academy of Management Discoveries for allowing science to be written up in creative ways.

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In a recent editorial published in BEYOUROWN | Female Leaders Network, Club Executive Zoe Kelleher shared how women can lead on their own terms by: ✨ Leading authentically ✨ Building meaningful networks ✨ Continuously learning and growing ✨ Bringing a human touch to leadership Tech thrives on innovation, but this cannot be at the sacrifice of inclusion. By showing up as our full selves, we open the door to more inclusive ideas, inspire the next generation, and build an industry where diversity, creativity, and impact go hand in hand. 💡 Read Zoe’s full piece here: https://lnkd.in/eFBarQRT #WomenInTech #AuthenticLeadership #InclusiveInnovation #DiversityInTech

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The world of startups is often perceived as a story of success: big investments, rapid growth, and fast scaling. But there is something very different behind it — hard work not only on the product or technology but, first and foremost, on understanding your customer; mistakes and the ability to learn from them; closed doors and the persistence to keep knocking again and again. For us, it’s important that Ukrainian founders hear not only about victories but also about why investment doesn’t come — and what homework they can do to move faster. That’s why the new video project Don’t Waste My Time was created. It’s a series of honest conversations with leading investors and people I deeply respect — about what truly influences decisions: speed, readiness to scale, customer insight, and honesty in numbers. This project shows that investors always see more than we think. And that candid answers to tough questions can save startups months, and sometimes years, of mistakes. The series includes 11 episodes featuring: - Nataliya Anon — CEO of Svitla Systems, angel investor, a friend of UCU who supports the Stanford Ignite Ukraine program - Adrian Slywotzky — business futurist, Partner at Oliver Wyman, a long-time friend of UCU who has been supporting us for years as an angel investor in projects that few believed in at the start, while also asking the hard questions - Ivan Petrenko — Managing Partner at Angel One Fund, CEO of Ideas Center UCU, graduate of the first Executive MBA cohort, who believed that a startup system for students could and should be built in Ukraine And as a bonus, a special episode with Steve Blank, the author of the Customer Development methodology, often called the “Godfather of Silicon Valley.” 📌 The first episode, “You’re Way Too Slow,” is already available on the YouTube channel of UCU Business School. I highly recommend watching and subscribing — this content is truly worth your time. I’m confident that young founders will find answers there to questions they should have asked themselves long ago. The project was created by Ideas Center UCU and Angel One Fund, with the support of the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute and Vilni Media.

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Where do we stand with AI? Momentum is building but key gaps remain.🔍 At the latest Rencontres Économiques d’Aix-en-Provence, I had the opportunity to discuss with Sylvain Duranton the key findings from our most recent report, "AI at Work". One striking insight: for the past two years, #AI adoption among frontline employees has stalled at 50 percent. - Why is it no longer progressing? - What are the consequences for companies, and what value can be unlocked with large-scale adoption? - Where are we with AI agents? - What is the next big shift? Watch our conversation and access the full report here: 🔗: https://lnkd.in/eH7DAS28 Nipun Kalra David Martin Matthieu Minguet Aurélia Bortone-Bouvet #AIAtWork BCG X

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From Vision to Execution: Early Lessons working with Start-ups    Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of working with several early-stage companies in the healthcare, AI, and education sectors. It’s been a lot of fun — but let’s be honest, leading an early-stage company is a tough job. The founders and leaders I’ve worked with have incredible vision. Their ideas resonate, customers are coming on board, and capital is starting to flow. That early traction is exciting — and it should be celebrated. But this is also where the real struggles begin. Turning a brilliant idea into a sustainable business requires a different skill set. The creativity that fuels the start-up phase now also needs discipline, structure, and the ability to make trade-offs. Here are four things I’ve observed that might help: 1)    Start your board early and focus on building one that genuinely adds value. A good board is more than governance; it’s leverage. The right members open doors to customers, investors, and partners; they lend credibility; and they help shape strategy with the benefit of experience. Think early about what relationships, expertise, and perspective your company needs, and build your board with purpose. 2)    Hire for the stage you’re in, or about to go in. Your team thrived in the idea stage, but they may not be the team that will thrive during the ramp-up and execution stage. The challenges you may now face—data privacy, compliance, regulatory, or financial—may call for individuals with experience in these areas. Ask yourself: What are the biggest execution challenges ahead, and do I have the right people in place to meet them? 3)    Get the fundamentals in order—investors notice. The companies I’ve worked with are so focused on the ‘exciting stuff’ that the boring ‘governance stuff’ gets overlooked. Credibility with investors comes from the basics: clean equity tables, visibility on burn rate, sound financial models, and transparent structures. These aren’t just “nice to haves” — they’re the hygiene factors that let investors focus on your growth story rather than questioning your foundations. 4)    Plan your runway You can’t do everything with the money you have currently, so you need to make the right choices and trade-offs.  Map your burn rate against key milestones and know what needs to be achieved before the next raise. Be disciplined in your planning. Scaling a start-up isn’t easy, but here’s where the opportunity lies.  By focusing on building the discipline, the team, and the choices that turn good ideas into lasting businesses, founders and leaders can make a difference.   

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In a complex working world, success is not just about strategy: knowing how to listen, understand, and anticipate human needs is just as essential. In concrete terms, this means: 👂 Detecting weak signals before they turn into crises, 🤝 Aligning individual aspirations with collective goals, 🌱 Creating a culture where mistakes are a source of learning and innovation. Empathy is not a ‘bonus’: it is a strategic skill. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gcAgVwiN

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