It’s time to preview the powerful annual event, hosted by Jason Barger, where people come together to set the temperature for the type of leader and cultures they aim to set in their life and work.
SHOW NOTES
Jason introduces Season 10 episode 44 of the podcast, ThermostatCulturesLIVE.com 2026 Is Here. Welcome back to the podcast on corporate culture and leadership and thank you for listening. We engage thought leaders like CEOs, CFOs, managers, VPs, directors, and more for this podcast. We wish to create content that engages your mind and heart and allows you to step back and think and add some positivity to your life. We deep dive into today’s topic.
We can’t control everything but what we can control is our response. Still a lot of work to do but wanted to remind the audience what is within our control is the temperature we create in the organizations and teams we work with.
Please leave a review for the podcast It really helps the podcast to spread these messages out into the world. Please share this podcast with your organization, on your team, or in your life to help spread these messages. Thank you!
If any of these topics are interesting to you please or you want a deep dive on any specific topics, please reach out to us here
ThermostatCulturesLIVE.com 2026 Is Here
Achieving sustainable organizational performance requires leaders to step away from the frantic pace of daily operations and evaluate the actual climate of their workplace. On Friday, November 6, 2026, the 10th anniversary of Thermostat Cultures Live brings together executive leaders, cultural architects, and change-makers in a hybrid format—hosted in-person in Columbus, Ohio, and broadcast virtually worldwide at ThermostatCulturesLIVE.com.
This landmark milestone marks a decade of helping executives calibrate their personal leadership and build thriving organizations. As workplace disruption accelerates, the need to intentionally design corporate culture and develop resilient leadership in teams has never been more critical.
Executive Summary
Thermostat Cultures Live 2026 marks the tenth anniversary of an executive gathering dedicated to intentional leadership and sustainable workplace transformation. Hosted by author and speaker Jason V. Barger, this hybrid experience offers leaders a dedicated environment to pause, reflect, and calibrate the organizational standards they set.
Featuring insights from social psychologist Owen Fitzpatrick, future-of-work researcher Dr. Rebecca Hinds, and former Starbucks President Howard Behar, the event addresses the root mechanics of high performance: overcoming internal narratives, reforming meeting culture, and leading through authentic service. This article previews the core themes of the 2026 summit and outlines how proactive leadership shapes enduring, high-trust team environments.
A Decade of Calibrating Culture
For ten years, Thermostat Cultures Live has served as an annual summit for leaders committed to intentional organizational growth. Rather than reacting to external volatility like a thermometer, the core philosophy challenges leaders to act as thermostats—proactively regulating the environment, establishing psychological safety, and fostering shared ownership across their teams.
Over the past decade, the event has featured prominent voices in leadership, performance, and cultural design, including:
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James Clear, author of Atomic Habits
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Howard Behar, former President of Starbucks
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Shane Battier, two-time NBA Champion
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Jenny Britton, founder of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
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Cameron Mitchell, founder of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants
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Jessica Jackley, co-founder of Kiva.org
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Tamara Miles, researcher on meaningful work environments
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Greg Oden, former NBA number one overall draft pick
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Chris Singleton, inspirational speaker and author
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Damon West, bestselling author of The Coffee Bean
The 2026 event builds on this legacy, gathering leaders across industries to transition from conceptual theories into actionable workplace execution.
Stepping Off Autopilot: The Core Mission of 2026
Modern executives frequently operate on operational autopilot. Jammed calendars, back-to-back status updates, and digital distractions pull focus toward immediate crises while starving long-term cultural strategy.
Thermostat Cultures Live is engineered as a strategic pause. Taking intentional time out of the calendar year to reflect is not an indulgence—it is an operational necessity. To retain top talent and navigate technological shifts, organizations must evaluate the stories they tell, the efficiency of their collaboration, and the consistency between their stated values and daily behaviors.
Featured Voices Shaping the 2026 Stage
The 10th-anniversary lineup focuses on three critical frontiers of modern work: psychological narrative, collaborative efficiency, and servant leadership.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ THERMOSTAT CULTURES LIVE 2026 VOICES │
├───────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Owen Fitzpatrick │ Inner Propaganda & Storytelling │
│ Dr. Rebecca Hinds │ The Meeting Epidemic & Modern Work │
│ Howard Behar │ People-First Servant Leadership │
└───────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────────────┘
Owen Fitzpatrick: Conquering “Inner Propaganda”
Social psychologist and author Owen Fitzpatrick has examined the mechanics of belief across global environments, from closed societies to the executive suites of global corporations. His work explores a vital premise: the most dangerous propaganda professionals face does not originate from external screens, but from the mirror.
At the 2026 summit, Fitzpatrick addresses the internal narratives that dictate performance. Leaders will examine:
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The internal scripts executives tell themselves about capability, risk, and control.
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The unverified assumptions team members make about colleagues, which quietly erode cross-functional collaboration.
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The cultural narratives organizations spread internally, determining whether teams default to cynicism or shared accountability.
Dr. Rebecca Hinds: Curing the Meeting Epidemic
Dr. Rebecca Hinds, a Stanford PhD in organizational behavior, serves as one of the nation’s foremost authorities on workplace efficiency. Having established corporate think tanks including the Work Innovation Lab at Asana and the Work AI Institute at Glean, her research appears regularly in the Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times.
Dr. Hinds addresses the modern meeting epidemic—the chronic proliferation of low-value calendar commitments that draining cognitive capacity and stalls productivity. Her session provides concrete frameworks to evaluate:
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How recurring, ineffective meetings erode team energy and stall execution.
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Practical strategies to redesign team collaboration for deep, high-impact focus.
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The future of work in environments where human ingenuity balances AI-driven automation.
Howard Behar: The Enduring Power of Servant Leadership
Returning virtually to the Thermostat Cultures Live stage is Howard Behar, former President of Starbucks. Behar was instrumental in scaling Starbucks from an initial footprint of 28 Seattle stores to a global enterprise exceeding 15,000 locations.
Behar’s philosophy reinforces that sustainable commercial success is built on human dignity. True leadership is not about managing coffee; it is about serving the people who serve the coffee. His insights remind executives that when a company prioritizes the personal growth and well-being of its workforce, business results naturally follow.
Notable Quotes
“The best leaders and team cultures in the world are the ones that make time to step back, breathe in good oxygen, and calibrate their thermostat.” — Jason V. Barger
“The most dangerous propaganda you’ll ever face doesn’t come from a screen. It comes from the mirror.” — Owen Fitzpatrick
“This isn’t just about coming together and having some great conversations. It is about action. It’s about being solutions focused. It’s about having impact.” — Jason V. Barger
“Every leader in the world needs time and space to step back and breathe. We don’t just need to be on autopilot.” — Jason V. Barger
Questions to Ponder
To evaluate your organizational climate and prepare your leadership for the road ahead, reflect on these diagnostic questions from the episode:
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What specific temperature are you trying to set in your personal life and executive leadership over the coming year?
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What internal narratives or “inner propaganda” are you telling yourself that might be limiting your team’s collaboration and growth?
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How are your organization’s meetings currently impacting your culture—are they fostering alignment and energy, or contributing to operational fatigue?
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What intentional strategies will you deploy to step off autopilot, prioritize human connection, and build an enduring, change-seeking culture?
Is your team ready to become change-seekers? If you’re looking for further guidance on aligning your vision with action, how can we help you take that next strategic step? – Contact Us Now
Links and References
Learn more & visit ThermostatCulturesLIVE.com to learn more about the event
Ready to improve your corporate culture? Checkout TCL 2026 event this year and reserve your spot now. Visit Here
Follow @JasonVBarger on social media for even more insights and new video content.
For more insights and practical tips, be sure to check out Jason V Barger’s book Breathing Oxygen. This book dives deeper into the concepts discussed in this episode and provides additional strategies for fostering a positive mindset and effective leadership.
By incorporating these practices into your summer routine, you can breathe new life into your personal and professional endeavors. Remember, as Jason says, “The best leaders, teams, and cultures on the planet stimulate progress by recalibrating their thermostat together.”
Please leave a review for the podcast It really helps the podcast to spread these messages out into the world. Please share this podcast with your organization, on your team, or in your life to help spread these messages. Thank you!
If any of these topics are interesting to you please or you want a deep dive on any specific topics, please reach out to us at info@jasonvbarger.com
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Remember, the best leaders, teams, & cultures stimulate progress by recalibrating their thermostat together.
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ABOUT THE THERMOSTAT
Conversations and micro-thoughts to engage your mind and heart.
A thermostat is proactive. It sets the temperature in a room. Controls the temperature. Regulates the temperature. But in today’s distracted, fast-paced and digital world, it’s easy for individuals and organizations to act more like thermometers, slipping into reactionary thinking, becoming scattered and inconsistent. The most compelling leaders, teams, organizations, families, or collection of humans of any kind operate in thermostat mode. They calibrate their mind and heart to set the temperature for the vision and culture they want to create. Jason Barger, globally celebrated author, keynote speaker, and founder of Step Back Leadership Consulting, is the host of The Thermostat, a podcast journey to discover authentic leadership, create compelling cultures and find clarity of mission, vision, and values.