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Mark Rix: Shared Language Matters
Episode 265
Episode Summary
This episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times is about one of the most important and misunderstood challenges in business today, how to build workplaces where people truly thrive.
Host Chris Schembra welcomes Mark Rix, Group Managing Director of Wellbeing at Work, for an unfiltered conversation on belonging, resilience, and the human side of leadership. What makes this episode powerful isn’t just the frameworks and research Mark shares; it’s the raw, unexpected personal story that shaped his entire mission.
At 18 years old, Mark found himself alone in South Africa’s gold mines, working one and a half kilometers underground among hundreds of men who didn’t speak his language. In an early and unforgettable moment, he was literally punched in the face for unknowingly saying something offensive in Afrikaans, a humiliating and dangerous misunderstanding that forced him to confront the difference between “blending in” and truly belonging. It also sparked a lifelong obsession with empathy, psychological safety, and how humans treat one another at work.
Fast forward to today, and Mark leads a global movement to help organizations move wellbeing from a “nice-to-have” perk to a board-level strategy that drives engagement, innovation, and bottom-line results. His organization hosts summits on six continents, gathering thousands of leaders to explore the future of mental, social, and emotional wellbeing at work.
Throughout the conversation, Chris and Mark explore:
- Why the next era of corporate wellbeing will be about social health — helping employees feel seen, safe, and connected.
- How to equip managers (most of whom were promoted without training) to coach with empathy and curiosity instead of simply direct or command.
- The role of shared language in creating psychological safety, and why your team’s inside jokes, acronyms, and short codes matter more than you think.
- Why leaders don’t have to rewrite every policy or undo every mandate; often, culture change begins by simply changing how you show up in the next conversation.
- How investing in employee wellbeing isn’t just ethical but deeply strategic, the highest-performing companies in the world are proving that people-first drives profit.
This episode is as practical as it is inspiring. It reminds leaders that while technology and AI will keep reshaping the future of work, human connection remains our greatest competitive advantage.
If you’ve been struggling with disengagement, low morale, or the exhaustion of leading through uncertainty, this conversation will give you both a fresh perspective and simple actions to start right away, like carving out time to talk, listen, and ask better questions.
Above all, it’s a reminder that resilience and thriving cultures start with a choice: to lead with empathy and authenticity, one conversation at a time.
10 Memorable Quotes
- “You can blend but not belong. To bond, you have to give something of yourself.” — Mark Rix
- “Trust is built before it’s tested. If your people don’t feel safe, they won’t speak up when it matters.” — Chris Schembra
- “I realized after being punched that day — this is not how work should be. No one should feel unsafe simply trying to belong.” — Mark Rix
- “A shared language can literally save lives underground. In business, it can save culture.” — Chris Schembra
- “Most managers are promoted without the skills — or the mindset — to coach. And it’s costing engagement.” — Mark Rix
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Published on 1 month ago