Over the past several months, I've been exploring how to expand the inclusive culture work I developed at Amazon into something broader and more urgent: a holistic approach to human-centered culture transformation. In an age of unprecedented AI transformation and workplace uncertainty, I've come to believe that our humanity isn't optional—it's essential. While technology reshapes how we work, the need for empathy, connection, and authentic human leadership becomes more critical, not less.

After years of research, practice, and countless conversations with leaders across industries, I've developed a framework I call The 5 C's of Human-Centered Culture. This isn't a linear checklist—it's an interconnected system where each element energizes and reinforces the others.

The framework centers on five essential elements that work together to create the conditions where courage, innovation, and human potential flourish. The framework helps us create conditions for human-centered culture by creating conditions for:

Each C addresses a critical dimension of workplace culture, and together they create a powerful flywheel effect. When you foster curiosity, people naturally begin to connect more authentically. Those authentic connections make real collaboration possible—not just working together, but working together as people who actually see and value each other. As collaboration deepens, constructive conflict becomes safe and productive. And all of that creates the foundation for true community, where people invest in each other's flourishing.

Here's what's important to understand: this isn't a step-by-step progression. Real human dynamics are messy and cyclical. Sometimes you enter through community when a crisis brings people together. Sometimes through conflict when a difficult conversation opens curiosity. Sometimes through connection when a vulnerable moment sparks collaboration.

The key is that all five elements require continuous nurturing. You can't just "achieve" curiosity and move on. Leaders need to tend to each element simultaneously, recognizing that:

If you're reading this, chances are you've felt it: the disconnection, the exhaustion, the sense that something fundamental is broken in how we work together. Maybe you're a leader trying to hold your culture together through constant change. Maybe you're an employee wondering if there's a better way. The 5 C's framework offers a path forward—not through more policies or programs, but through intentionally creating the conditions where human beings can do their best work while remaining fully human.

It's about creating places where people genuinely want to work. Where Monday morning doesn't feel like a sentence. Where "how are you?" isn't just a pleasantry but a real question. Where people grow, contribute, and connect in ways that make them better versions of themselves.

That's the promise of human-centered culture. That's what becomes possible when we create conditions for all 5 C's to flourish.

As you think about your own workplace or the organizations you lead, consider:

• Which of the 5 C's feels strongest in your culture right now?

• Which feels most needed?

• Where would you enter the flywheel to start building momentum?

The best place to start is wherever you have the energy, the relationships, and the permission to begin. Pick one C. Create one new condition. Notice what shifts. Then keep going.

Because human-centered culture isn't a destination—it's a commitment to continuously creating the conditions where people can thrive.