What if your company’s culture is actually holding you back? Would you have the courage to change it — even if you were the one who built it? In this episode of North Star Leadership Podcast, Lindsay talks with Craig McLuckie - co-founder and CEO of Stacklok. They explore what it really means to lead — especially when it means rethinking your own assumptions. Craig brings a rare blend of technical depth, operational wisdom, and honest self-awareness as he unpacks how to build resilient, reality-based organizations in a fast-changing world. This is a candid, unvarnished take on leadership, culture, and how to survive the hype cycles — with your integrity intact.
You'll hear them discuss:
Culture replication vs. diversity – Why the only thing you should aim to replicate across your company is culture, and how to let everything else be diverse. Craig explains how culture acts as a “standard interface,” enabling variation while preserving coherence.
Hypocrisy as a culture killer – The moment your implicit behavior contradicts your stated values, you lose trust. Craig shares how leaders must be honest about when culture needs to evolve — or risk becoming the bottleneck.
Implicit vs. explicit culture – Every company has both, and they don’t always align. Craig discusses how a company naturally becomes a caricature of its founders, and what happens when that unspoken culture isn’t addressed.
The camel vs. unicorn mindset – Why Craig believes it’s better to be durable than dazzling. He explains how being hype-resistant and focused on creating real value is a more sustainable path through volatile markets.
Leadership at different scales – From zero to thousands of people, Craig shares the traps leaders fall into when they fail to adjust their style. He talks candidly about learning to “reset his operating model” depending on the moment.
The evolution of developer work – With GenAI reshaping the landscape, Craig reflects on how it’s changing everything from workflows to security. He shares how he’s actively rebuilding his internal models to keep up.
Personal capacity and rituals – How Craig structures his days for clarity, why he aims to work himself out of a job, and what assembling office chairs has to do with humility in leadership.
Resources:
Craig McLuckie on the Stacklok | LinkedIn
Lindsay Pedersen - Contact me to tell me who you'd like to hear as a guest! | Connect with me on LinkedIn
