Episode 29: Culture is the game — IBM vs Polaroid

What does it really take to survive disruption—and thrive in the face of it? In this episode of Culture by Neurodesign, Dr Lisa Colledge explores two iconic companies that faced massive change in the early '90s: IBM and Polaroid. Both had brilliant people. Both valued culture. But only one turned its culture into a capability—and survived.

Lisa unpacks how IBM’s turnaround under Louis Gerstner Junior hinged not on new technology, or hiring and firing, but on enabling the talent already within—by changing the culture. She contrasts this with Polaroid, whose strong but rigid culture stifled innovation, even as their team developed a digital camera well in advance of their closest competitor that could have saved the company.

Listen to discover what happens when you go beyond cognitive diversity and actively enable it—because culture isn’t a backdrop. It’s the game.

 

I'm Lisa, and I take inspiration from neurodivergence-inclusion to help leaders create cognitively inclusive cultures that connect people with different cognitive styles, empowering everyone to contribute their best.

 

I’m Dr Lisa Colledge, and I help ambitious leaders build future-ready teams they trust to deliver now and adapt to whatever’s next — driving engagement, performance, and enduring resilience.

Learn more about building Neuro-Inspired Teams that outpace, outperform, and outlast your competition.