by Alex Draper, founder of DX Learning and author of “CARE to Win – The 4 Leadership Habits to Build High-Performing Teams“
When I first started leading teams, I thought success was all about hitting the numbers. But over time, I realized that the real secret to exceptional performance wasn’t just in meeting metrics — it was in creating a culture where people come first. It took years of trial, error, and a lot of humility to understand that when employees feel seen, valued, and heard, they deliver their best work.
That’s what I aim to share with you: the practical steps I’ve learned to foster a people-first culture that reduces toxicity, builds trust, and drives exceptional performance, even in the unpredictable world of small businesses and startups like my business.
Building a People-First Culture
At its core, a people-first culture is about trust. It’s about creating an environment where people feel safe to speak up, take risks, and bring their full selves to work. When trust thrives, teams collaborate better, solve problems faster, and engage more deeply. Without it, toxicity creeps in—disengagement rises, turnover increases, and performance drops.
Psychological safety is where it all begins. This isn’t just a buzzword; it’s the foundation of a high-performing team. People need to know they can share ideas, admit mistakes, and ask questions without fear of judgment. As leaders, it’s our job to make that happen — not by accident, but with intention.
How Leadership Creates Trust
Leadership isn’t about titles or authority; it’s about influence, care, and consistency. I’ve developed what I call the CARE playbook — Clarity, Autonomy, Relationships, and Equity — to guide leaders like you in building trust and creating high-performing teams.
Here’s how it works:
1. Clarity: Setting the Stage for Success.
Ambiguity kills confidence and trust. When people aren’t sure of their roles or what’s expected of them, frustration and mistrust take hold. Clear expectations align efforts and give teams a sense of purpose.
How I apply this: I make a point to revisit goals regularly with my team, ensuring everyone knows how their work contributes to the bigger picture. It’s amazing how much more motivated people feel when they understand the “why” behind their tasks and are fully aligned with their expectations.
2. Autonomy: Empowering Creativity.
Early in my leadership journey, I was a micromanager. I thought I was helping, but I was stifling creativity and trust. I saw them flourish when I finally let go, allowing my team the freedom to make decisions and do their work how they see fit to achieve the goals we were fully aligned on.
What I do now: I delegate with clear outcomes in mind but let my team decide how to achieve them. When mistakes happen, we treat them as learning opportunities, not failures.
3. Relationships: Leading with Connection.
I used to focus on results first and people second. But I’ve learned that when you take the time to build genuine relationships, trust deepens, and collaboration improves.
My practice: Regular one-on-one check-ins aren’t just about tasks — they’re about understanding each person’s goals, motivations, values, challenges, and aspirations. This builds loyalty and reduces tension across the team.
4. Equity: Providing What People Need.
Early on, I believed fairness meant treating everyone the same. However, fairness is about meeting people where they are and providing them with the resources they need to succeed.
My lesson: When I started tailoring support to unique individual needs — be it training, tools, or time — my team felt valued, and their performance reflected it.
Tackling Toxicity
Toxicity in teams is a silent killer. It grows when people feel undervalued, underappreciated, or ignored. I’ve seen firsthand how fostering a people-first culture minimizes these risks. When team members know they can trust their leader and each other, engagement and morale soar, with sustainable performance following.
Here’s the reality: psychologically safe teams report lower stress, higher productivity, and a stronger sense of belonging. These teams don’t just survive challenges — they thrive because they know their voices matter. More on the data to support the case for psychological safety in this article on Google, called Project Aristotle.
Transforming Performance with CARE
Creating a people-first culture is a game-changer for small businesses and startups, where resources are often tight. I’ve seen this approach help teams deliver their best work, even under pressure. And it’s not just good for people — it’s good for business. Research consistently shows that psychologically safe teams are more innovative, adaptive, and resilient.
The CARE playbook — Clarity, Autonomy, Relationships, and Equity — gives leaders a roadmap to build this culture. When people feel cared for, they care more. And when they care more, they perform at levels that exceed expectations.
The question I ask myself every day is: “Am I sending my team home less stressed and more fulfilled than when they arrived?” If you can answer “yes” to that, you’re not just leading — you’re winning.
Alex Draper, founder of DX Learning, began his career as a teacher before shifting to adult education and leadership in 2002. In 2015, he launched DX, a firm focused on eradicating workplace toxicity and cultivating people-centered leadership through the CARE Equation — Clarity, Autonomy, Relationships, and Equity. Under his guidance, DX has empowered over 60,000 leaders globally, leading transformative leadership training programs
that prioritize human connection, emotional intelligence, and psychological safety across organizations through the CARE to Win platform.
