Culture in a People-First AI Organization featuring Rob Levin

In this episode of Culture From the Heart Podcast, hosts Larry Levine and Darrell Amy are joined by Rob Levin, chairman and co-founder of Work Better Now, about building “culture from the heart” through values-led leadership in a fully remote company spanning two continents and 15+ countries. Rob explains that their culture reflects the shared values of the founders, including putting talent first, pursuit of excellence, transparency and integrity, and an ownership mentality, and notes they plan to reexamine values this year. He describes reinforcing values through weekly meetings and peer-nominated “W awards,” plus operational structure via EOS, L10 meetings, KPIs, rocks, and a focus on creating “wow experiences.” Rob also outlines Work Better Now’s move to become AI-first while staying people-first, positioning AI as a multiplier that frees time, requires human oversight, and is supported by training, experimentation, and clear communication to reduce fear.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Culture starts with core values — and those values must be lived daily, not just posted on a wall
• In a remote, distributed team, over-communication is not optional — it's the glue that holds culture together
• Clarity is the operating system of culture: articulate what "good" looks like so people can deliver it
• Going AI-first doesn't mean people-last — AI is a people multiplier, freeing humans for higher-order thinking
• Leaders must personally build something with AI to truly understand its potential and lead transformation
• Recognize and reinforce values publicly — programs like "W Awards" make culture visible and repeatable
• Core values should be revisited periodically as the company evolves — what fit five years ago may need updating

QUOTES

• "AI is a people multiplier — it's not about putting AI before people, it's about leveraging AI so people can contribute more." — Rob Levin
• "Core values are there to help you make a decision when the decision is not clear." — Rob Levin
• "Whether somebody's in Peru or Peoria, it's the Work Better Now culture that matters." — Rob Levin
• "Every CEO needs to build something with AI — not just use it — to unleash what's possible in their mind." — Rob Levin
• "Technology today becomes the bridge builder to culture." — Larry Levine
• "Culture is the heartbeat of every organization." — Darrell Lambe

Learn more about Darrell and Larry.

Darrell's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrellamy/

Larry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larrylevine1992/

Connect and learn more from Rob Levin.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertslevin/

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