"I present a vision of the world the way it was meant to be… As we come together in organizations, we need leaders who know how to be good stewards of the people who join this organization, and we send them home fulfilled each night, which will create better families, heal the brokenness we're seeing in our communities… We could heal the brokenness in the world, if we had leaders who had the skills and courage to care."

S03E01 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Bob Chapman, Chairman & CEO of Barry-Wehmiller. Under Bob's leadership, Barry-Wehmiller has transformed from a struggling $20 million business into a $3 billion global company with over 12,000 team members. His unique approach, rooted in people-centric leadership, has driven over 130 acquisitions while focusing on improving lives—not just for customers, but for employees too. Beyond his business role, Bob founded the Chapman & Co. Leadership Institute, emphasizing leadership training and cultural transformation. He's also the co-author of Everybody Matters and the newly released The Journey of Leadership, which explores servant leadership and building happier workplaces.

In this thought-provoking conversation, Bob Chapman redefines leadership with a powerful message: it's not about profits, it's about people. He highlights how traditional leadership often overlooks teaching leaders to care, instead focusing on using people for success. At Barry-Wehmiller, Bob flips the script, championing a culture where "The People are our Purpose." By seeing every employee as someone's precious child, he creates a workplace where people feel valued. The result? A thriving company that measures success by the impact on lives. Bob’s insights will challenge you to rethink what true leadership looks like.

The podcast is produced by Rethink Culture (rethinkculture.co). Our Culture Health Check helps you turn your culture into a competitive advantage, with data.

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:
• Bob Chapman’s revelations about the positive impact business can have on the world.
• Why leaders were not taught to care for the people they’re leading, and how they can start.
• How to shift from management to human-centered leadership.
• The importance of showing pride in your employees and addressing their needs with compassion.
• How to balance people, purpose, and performance equally.
• Why creating both human and economic value matters.
• The power of courageous patience and healing the poverty of dignity.
• If business is more like a family or a sports team.
• Whether Barry-Wehmiller's culture or business model is what drives its success.
• How the way we see people affects the way we treat them, and in turn their performance.

Further resources:
• Truly Human Leadership: https://www.barrywehmiller.com/blog
• Chapman & Co. Leadership Institute: https://www.ccoleadership.com/
• Humanistic Leadership Academy: https://humanisticleadershipacademy.org/
• Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family, by Bob Chapman and Raj Sisodia: https://www.amazon.com/Everybody-Matters-Extraordinary-Caring-People/dp/1591847796
• Bob Chapman – Truly human leadership – TEDxScottAFB: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01NQZrWIXno
• Impressions of Truly Human Leadership: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVyQ_IuzuKA