Episode 9 (Podcast) - Breaking Cycles. Courageous Leadership. Shaping Culture.
What Carolyn Young Teaches Us About Culture, Belonging, and Building People
What makes a great leader?
Is it strategy? Performance? Results?
Or is it something quieter — less visible — but far more powerful?
In Episode 9 of Culture 360, Stu Savage sits down with Carolyn Young to unpack a leadership journey shaped by hard work, resilience, sport, inclusion, and human connection.
From her upbringing in a working-class Scottish immigrant family to leading organisations like Retail NZ, Special Olympics New Zealand, and the Central Pulse, Carolyn’s story reveals a powerful truth:
Culture is not built through slogans.
It’s built through how people are made to feel.
Small Beginnings Shape Big Leaders
Before the boardrooms and CEO titles, there was a dairy shop in Masterton.
Carolyn spent her teenage years working long hours in the family business after her parents emigrated from Scotland to New Zealand in 1958.
There were no shortcuts.
No silver spoons.
Just hard work, sacrifice, and a family culture built on honesty, trust, and resilience.
One line from the episode captures it perfectly:
“Rest is a luxury. You can rest when you die.”
It’s equal parts humour and truth — and it became a thread running through Carolyn’s leadership journey.
But alongside that toughness came something equally important:
Connection.
Her mother’s influence shaped not just how Carolyn worked, but how she treated people.
Leadership Starts With Being Yourself
One of the standout themes from this conversation is authenticity.
In a world increasingly dominated by personal brands, curated perfection, and social media performance, Carolyn’s approach is refreshingly grounded:
“I am me.”
Whether speaking to ministers, board members, staff, or athletes, she believes leadership works best when people experience consistency and honesty.
Not performance.
Not ego.
Just genuine human connection.
And perhaps that’s why so much of her leadership philosophy centres on belonging.
The Culture Shift Behind the Central Pulse
When Carolyn stepped into leadership at Netball Central, the organisation was struggling financially and operationally. Staff turnover was high. Confidence was low.
The environment needed more than management.
It needed rebuilding.
One of the most revealing moments in the episode comes when Carolyn reflects on being told during a media interview:
“You’re the ninth CEO in five years.”
That moment stayed with her.
And while it drove discipline and accountability, it also revealed something deeper:
Leadership driven by fear of failure can achieve results — but it can also limit growth.
It’s a rare level of self-awareness, and one of the most powerful reflections in the conversation.
High Performance Isn’t Just About Winning
During her time with the Central Pulse, Carolyn helped build one of the strongest talent pathways in New Zealand netball.
But success didn’t come purely from systems or strategy.
It came from alignment.
Bringing the Pulse and the wider zone together
Creating pathways athletes could believe in
Appointing strong leaders like Yvette McCausland-Durie
Empowering experts to lead in their areas
Rather than controlling everything, Carolyn focused on creating the environment for others to thrive.
That’s leadership maturity.
Knowing you don’t need to be the smartest person in every room — you just need to build the right rooms.
What Special Olympics New Zealand Teaches Us About Humanity
If high-performance sport sharpened Carolyn’s leadership, then Special Olympics New Zealand deepened it.
And this section of the conversation is genuinely moving.
At Special Olympics New Zealand, success looks different.
It’s not always about first place.
It’s about inclusion. Dignity. Opportunity. Joy.
Carolyn describes athletes receiving medals — regardless of where they placed — with pride written all over their faces.
Because for many athletes, it represented something much bigger:
Recognition. Belonging. Achievement.
And perhaps the most profound insight?
“They’re just people.”
Simple. Human. Important.
Culture Is Built Through Connection
Across every role Carolyn has held, one theme consistently emerges:
Connection matters.
Not surface-level networking.
Real connection.
Listening to people
Understanding their experiences
Creating safe spaces for difficult conversations
Making people feel seen
Whether it was supporting athletes during COVID isolation, helping teams navigate conflict, or involving Special Olympics athletes in recruitment processes, the approach remained the same:
Build culture with people — not around them.
The Leadership Lesson Most Organisations Miss
One of the strongest takeaways from Episode 9 is this:
Culture is not built by policies alone.
It’s built by behaviour.
By what leaders tolerate.
What they reward.
What they ignore.
And how they make people feel when nobody else is watching.
Carolyn repeatedly returns to the importance of openness, honesty, and creating environments where people feel safe to contribute.
Because without psychological safety, there is no trust.
And without trust, culture becomes performance theatre.
Why This Conversation Matters Right Now
At a time when organisations are grappling with burnout, disengagement, and disconnection, this episode feels incredibly timely.
It reminds us that leadership isn’t about having all the answers.
It’s about:
Creating belonging
Building trust
Empowering others
Staying human in the process
And perhaps most importantly:
Understanding that people remember experiences far longer than strategies.
In case you missed it…
In this episode of Culture 360 (Ep 7) ‘The Invisible Thread of Culture’, Irene shares powerful stories from her upbringing, elite netball, leadership lessons forged in adversity, and why a strong culture is felt long before it’s ever spoken.