Kyle McDowell, leadership expert, bestselling author of Begin With We, and former Fortune 10 executive, joins The Business Mic to discuss what it truly means to build a values-driven, people-centered culture in high-performance organizations. After leading tens of thousands of employees across major corporations, Kyle shares how he reached a turning point where traditional metrics of success — title, compensation, and results — were no longer meaningful without purpose, integrity, and team alignment. This realization led him to champion a new leadership philosophy rooted in shared accountability and collective excellence.

Kyle introduces his framework, The 10 WE Principles, emphasizing that culture is not built through slogans or posters, but through consistent behaviors lived by every leader, every day. He explains why many organizations struggle with toxic or disengaged cultures — not because of strategy or capability gaps, but because their leaders unintentionally reinforce a "me-first" environment. By shifting from individual heroics to collective ownership, teams evolve from compliance and fear into trust, safety, and meaningful contribution.

Throughout the conversation, Kyle underscores that high performance and humanity are not competing priorities. When leaders demonstrate vulnerability, clarity, and values-aligned decision-making, performance becomes a natural by-product of belonging. His message is clear: sustainable success is created when leaders model the culture they expect, when accountability is mutual, and when people feel they are part of something powered by WE, not ME.