Inside The Shift: Our Team, Our Values, Our Movement (Vol. 1, No. 2)

By Andrew Vidales

The Shift | Vol. 1, No. 2 – Future Proofing Our Communities

Looking back on how much we’ve grown, I am reminded that transformation does not come all at once: it comes in layers, in moments of bravery, and when we are open to reimagining how we will work together. At LeadersUp, we’ve been on a quest from compliance to care, managing people, and nurturing a culture where belonging is at the core. That’s how we future-proof our community; it all starts with us.

As the Head of People & Culture, this evolution has been felt in how we lead and connect. In our early evolution, our focus was on clarifying who we are through our core values of Normalizing Safety, Equitable Opportunity, and Sharing Power (SOP), which guide every decision, relationship, and learning experience within our organization. But the definition of values was just the beginning. Far more challenging was when we asked ourselves: “What does it really mean to actually live those values every day?”

That question gave rise to the Evolve Forum Series, a journey designed for learning on purpose, taking us from theory in conversation to practical application. In three sessions – Normalizing Safety, Equitable Opportunity, and Sharing Power – participants and our team members discussed, reflected, and shared stories about what those values mean. We’ve investigated how to build cultures of psychological safety, design equitable systems of opportunity, and share power in decision-making. What emerged was not just a series of conditioning; it was an awakening.

We’ve started to see these lessons materialize across LeadersUp. Teams are using SOP behaviors during meetings, projects, and performance conversations. We’ve moved from “How do we get the work done?” to “How do we show up for one another as we do it?” That pivot is the heart of a people-first culture.

Our success is based on real data and introspection. Employee engagement has increased by 24% since the introduction of our Evolve Forum Series and the integration of SOP values, with 92% of team members feeling that their work is valued and appreciated. These are not just numbers; they reflect a cultural change that allows people to feel seen, valued, and empowered to develop themselves.

And yet, the work continues. Culture change is not a destination; it’s a practice. With united learning experiences, we’ve made room for vulnerability, connection, and inclusion. Every story shared at the Forum and in our workplace reminds us that our strength lies not in uniformity, but in the diversity of thought, lived experience, and identity. We value diversity by making the pathways to belonging, for belonging is the heartbeat of inclusion.

However, we don’t stop there; this is a commitment we take beyond our walls. The same core principles we use ourselves—focusing on safety, creating opportunities, and sharing power—guide our work alongside communities, employers, and young adults. The Evolve model has become an inspiring training experience for others who desire to embark on a similar journey toward becoming inclusive leaders. By sharing our playbook for culture transformation, we’re supporting others to develop the emotional intelligence and systems readiness that create future-proof communities.

Looking to our future, I am so proud of what we’ve built and even more inspired by who we’re becoming. Here at LeadersUp, we’re not just preparing for the future; we are shaping it together, one act of care at a time. Because the future of work, and for our communities, is going to be for those who lead with humanity, humility, and hope.

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Andrew Vidales is the Head of People & Culture at LeadersUp, driving organizational development and building inclusive, future-fit leaders.