“We know that our P&Ls have to yield a net positive financial result, but I think also businesses need to yield a net positive people result… Net positive just means giving more than you take… When you use co-creation… people feel ownership and you don’t have to explain or implement it afterwards because when you’ve co-created, everybody is involved, and everybody knows what we’re talking about… In a company where people lead themselves, what do we need leaders for? We need leaders to give us direction and to inspire us, and we need leaders to push us out of our comfort zones and then have our backs when we fail…”
S03E08 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Ulla Sommerfelt, a dynamic serial entrepreneur from Denmark. Ulla is a seasoned CEO, founder with an exit, investor, and mentor. With a deep passion for leadership and culture design, she recently released her book Firesoul Leadership, which features a striking red cover. Ulla’s journey includes building a thriving culture from scratch at EGGS Design, an innovation consultancy where she grew the team from 27 to 130 people across 27 countries over a decade. Ulla is currently focused on her latest venture, Femtech Studios, dedicated to promoting female wellness.
In this episode, Ulla shares profound insights into the transformative power of workplace culture, emphasizing the need for intentionality in its design. She highlights the interplay of masculine and feminine leadership energies, advocating for a balance between achieving results and fostering empathy. Ulla underscores the importance of connection before performance, reminding us that people are not resources but human beings deserving trust and understanding. She challenges leaders to rethink culture as a dynamic system that must align with strategy to succeed. Through personal stories and practical advice, Ulla inspires us to lead with heart, prioritize people, and create workplaces where teams thrive.
The podcast is produced by Rethink Culture (rethinkculture.co). Our Culture Health Score provides an X-ray of your organisational culture, allowing you to measure and manage it.
Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.
Listen to this episode to discover:
• Why culture must be designed intentionally to align with strategy and prevent dysfunction.
• How masculine and feminine leadership energies can balance results-driven focus with empathy and care.
• The power of connection before performance in building trust and achieving team synergy.
• Why leading with heart and love creates loyalty and engagement in teams.
• How to treat culture not as a “fluffy” concept, but as a system that requires as much focus as strategy.
• Practical ways to redefine success by valuing employees as people, not resources.
Further resources:
• Ulla’s Website, Mother Hen Ventures: https://www.motherhen.ventures/
• Ulla on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ullasommerfelt/
• Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take, by Andrew S. Winston: https://www.amazon.com/Net-Positive-Courageous-Companies-Thrive-ebook/dp/B08TCHX4FY
• Firesoul Leadership: An Entrepreneur’s Blueprint for Fueling Growth, Igniting Creativity, and Crafting a Culture of Compassion, by Ulla Sommerfelt: https://www.amazon.com/Firesoul-Leadership-Entrepreneurs-Creativity-Compassion-ebook/dp/B0DGJ5G4P8
