Designing High, Performing Resilient Teams: Lessons from James and Krista White

Written By Marcus Vause

At Illoominus, we believe people leaders are better empowered to navigate rapid technological and social shifts when they have access to shared learning across peers. That belief is why we host conversations like Developing High-Performing, Resilient Teams, our recent CPO community event featuring James D. White and Krista White, co-authors of the new book Culture Design.

Together, the father–daughter team shared a practical and deeply human view of what it takes to build a culture that doesn’t just perform, but endures.

Culture by Design, Not by Default

As James put it, “Every company has culture. The question is whether it’s built by design or by default.”

That distinction set the tone for the entire discussion. With more than 30 years as an operating executive and two decades on corporate boards, James spoke candidly about what he sees across industries: organizations that underestimate how much culture drives performance.

Krista, who brings a multigenerational and creative lens to the work, emphasized that culture design starts with empathy. “Every organization is unique: the people, the moment, and the direction. Understanding that context is where intentional culture begins.”

The duo’s central framework: Know what matters. Do what matters. Measure what matters. provides a simple but powerful roadmap for leaders facing rapid change to take back to their organizations.

Know. Do. Measure.

Know what matters: Culture work starts with clarity and context. What’s happening in your workforce, your market, and are you communicating what matters most to your people?

Do what matters: Culture isn’t a one-off initiative or a line item in the HR budget. It’s a daily practice, reinforced through operating rhythms, rituals, and leadership behaviors. As James noted, “The best leaders don’t just talk about values, they operationalize them.”

Measure what matters: What gets measured gets reinforced. Both quantitative data and qualitative storytelling matter here. From engagement scores to “thank you” notes from leadership, measurement isn’t just about numbers; it’s about understanding what drives belonging and performance over time.

Empathy as a Leadership Capability

A recurring theme from the conversation was empathy not as a soft skill, but as a core capability. In a world where organizations are asking people to do more with less, empathy helps leaders understand what helps their teams thrive at the highest level.

As James shared, “The best leaders are intentional about making empathy a capability, not just a personal trait.”

The discussion also highlighted practical ways empathy shows up inside organizations, from rituals that reinforce connection to storytelling that brings culture to life.

Krista added, “Humans communicate through stories. That doesn’t change at work. The best cultures make space for both data and story: transparency, communication, and connection.”

From Measurement to Meaning

The conversation naturally came back to Illoominus’ roots: turning culture and engagement into measurable, actionable insight.

As Noelle London, Illoominus CEO and event host, put it:

“Your culture is what you measure. When you connect data about performance, engagement, turnover, and potential, you start to tell a much richer story about your people and where your organization is headed.”

James and Krista agreed that ongoing visibility, not just an annual engagement survey, is essential to sustaining performance. They described culture as the “operating system” of a company, one that must be maintained continuously, not patched in crisis.

Bringing It Back to Your Team

Before breaking into small group discussions, Noelle challenged attendees to consider three questions:

  1. How can you bring the “Know, Do, Measure” framework back to your organization?

  2. How are you currently measuring culture, and what’s missing?

  3. How can you build stronger executive buy-in for investing in culture?

As one participant shared, “We’ve measured engagement for years. What’s new is thinking about how those metrics tell the story of trust and accountability that drives performance.”

That’s exactly the goal.

A Shared Commitment to Building Better

Illoominus was built to help leaders see and strengthen what matters most: their people. Partnering with changemakers like James and Krista White reminds us that culture and performance aren’t opposites; they’re interconnected.

When leaders know, do, and measure what matters, they don’t just build high-performing teams. They build resilient ones.

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Marcus Vause
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