EP51: Building a Thriving Workplace Culture with Jim Barnett

The Conscious Entrepreneur

“I worked for people who have achieved a lot but didn’t seem all that happy in life,” shares Jim Barnett, a seasoned CEO with leadership roles at Wisq, Glint, and LinkedIn. This realization sparked a 35-year journey into happiness and consciousness, leading Jim to explore meditation and conscious leadership.

Introduced to meditation by a monk in Los Angeles, Jim’s daily practice has since become a cornerstone of his personal and professional life. Through YPO and transformative retreats, he deepened his commitment to conscious living, eventually partnering with Diana Chapman of the Conscious Leadership Group. Her teachings on the 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership impacted his approach to leadership.

Jim discusses how shifting from a stress-driven mindset to one focused on awareness and intentionality transformed not just his well-being but also the culture within his organizations. He also highlights the potential of AI to fill gaps in traditional HR, offering accessible coaching and support to managers and employees.

For entrepreneurs, Jim emphasizes the importance of building a strong company culture from the outset. His advice? Prioritize actions that reflect thoughtfulness, inclusion, and collaboration to create a workplace where happiness and success can thrive.

Quotes

• “I’m so dedicated to helping people be happy and successful at work that I see this as a way of being of service to humanity, rather than trying to achieve a specific business outcome.” (17:33 | Jim Barnett)
• “I think the role of a manager is to be a guide for the team and the people on the team in all areas. The challenge is that a lot of managers don’t have the skill set required to be a good manager. Typically, what we do is find the highest performer, and that performer then becomes the manager.” (25:53 | Jim Barnett)
• “I would say one cheat code for approaching anything consciously is to approach it with curiosity. If you come from a place of “I’m right, they’re wrong,” that’s not likely to lead to the best outcome.” (32:48 | Jim Barnett)
• “Don’t just talk about culture. Let your actions show how important culture is. Dedicate yourself to creating a culture of thoughtfulness, inclusion, empowerment, responsibility, communication, and collaboration. Be very thoughtful and purposeful about it. I think it’s super important.” (42:51 | Jim Barnett)

Links

Connect with Jim Barnett:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-barnett-a5312/

Website: https://www.wisq.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afraymond/

Website: https://consciousentrepreneur.us/

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