Building Cultures Where Risk-Taking Thrives: Guest Daniel Curtis, Chief Strategy Officer of emc3

Building cultures where risk-taking thrives starts with leaders who model what that looks like. In this episode of So Many Questions, host Rebecca Goodman-Stephens, CEO of Moses Singer, sits down with Daniel Curtis, Chief Strategy Officer of emc3, a global B Corp-certified events agency. Daniel shares what it took to build psychological safety and a culture of creative courage at emc3. He walks through how the company built its values from the ground up through a facilitated team workshop, the specific behaviors they make clear to every new hire, and the moment four members of his leadership team stood up in front of the whole company to publicly own their biggest professional mistakes. He also talks about stepping out of his own role so a rising team member could take over, and what his decision to relocate his entire family to New York in his 40s signaled to the rest of the organization. Whether you lead a small team or a global organization, this is a practical and honest look at what values-driven leadership actually requires. In This Episode: 02:13 — Why successful people can still be unhappy: the difference between chasing status and doing work that actually fulfills you 06:07 — What professional kitchens taught Daniel about humility, hard work, and what he looks for in people when hiring today 12:58 — The difference between culture and the effects of culture: why perks and social events aren't actually company culture 15:41 — How to give honest feedback without making people afraid to take risks next time 16:16 — Why four leaders stood up in front of the entire team to share their biggest professional mistakes 17:30 — The leadership move that actually builds strong teams: spotting who is better than you and genuinely stepping aside 20:35 — Why Daniel is not the CEO: on knowing your strengths, your limits, and the value of having someone who will stop you 24:36 — When a team member says "I want your job" — and why the right response is to help them get there 40:07 — Separating your identity from your title: what the pandemic forced Daniel to reckon with 41:53 — What Daniel would tell his younger self: why taking calculated risks is the thing most leaders wait too long to do Connect: Moses Singer: www.mosessinger.com emc3: https://emc3.com/ Rebecca Goodman-Stephens on LinkedIn:   / rebecca-goodman-stephens-b702665   Subscribe for more conversations about leadership, culture, and how to build organizations where people and performance can grow together.