Some problems grow quickly like sharks. Jason Barger talks about the direct candor required to help leaders and teams get out in front of obstacles.
SHOW NOTES
Jason introduces Season 10 episode 13 of the podcast, Change-Seeking Leaders and Cultures. 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
In the complex ecosystem of modern business, the most dangerous predators aren’t always the external competitors. Often, they are the unresolved conflicts and unaddressed behaviors lurking beneath the surface of your own office. In this episode of The Thermostat, Jason V. Barger explores the essential role of courage in leadership and why the most effective teams are those that master the art of direct feedback.
Change-Seeking Leaders & Cultures
In an era of rapid technological shifts and global uncertainty, the ability to navigate transition is no longer just a “nice-to-have” skill—it is a requirement for survival. On a recent episode of The Thermostat Podcast, Jason V. Barger explores a pivotal finding from the 2025 Harvard Global Leadership Development Study: the most successful organizations are those that intentionally build a change-seeking organizational culture.
This article explores what it means to transition from a reactive posture to a proactive, change-seeking mindset, and how leadership in teams can leverage a structured process to stimulate lasting progress.
The New Mandate: Change-Seeking Organizations
The Harvard study identified that the number one opportunity for modern organizations is to cultivate a “change-seeking” environment. But what does that actually look like in practice?
A change seeker is not someone who simply reacts to external pressures. Instead, they are individuals who actively look for ways to improve themselves, their systems, and the overall team experience. Rather than accepting “the way it’s always been,” these leaders view the status quo as a baseline to be improved upon.
This mindset begins at the individual level—looking in the mirror and asking, “What can I do differently to stimulate progress?”—and then ripples outward to influence the broader corporate culture.
The 6 A’s of Leading Change
Change is rarely a lightning-strike event; it is a disciplined process that happens over time. To help leaders navigate this, Jason outlines his “6 A’s” framework for effective change management:
1. Assess
You cannot lead change if you don’t know where you are. This stage requires an honest look at your current state: your strengths, your “baggage,” your obstacles, and your opportunities.
2. Align
Change requires collective buy-in. Leaders must align themselves and their teammates around a shared mission and establish a sense of urgency for why the change is necessary.
3. Aspire
What does the future look like? This is the vision-casting stage. Leaders must paint a clear picture of a future that doesn’t yet exist, identifying exactly what they hope to become.
4. Articulate
Language drives behavior. If you cannot describe the change you want in clear, compelling terms, you cannot be surprised when the team fails to see it. Clear language around values and strategy is critical.
5. Act
Many teams skip the first four steps and jump straight to action. However, action without vision is just busyness. Effective action grows out of a clear plan and helps bring the vision to life.
6. Anchor
The final step is making the change stick. This involves anchoring new habits into the organizational DNA—from how you hire and onboard to how you conduct performance evaluations and develop emerging leaders.
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.”
“A change seeker is someone who actively looks for ways to improve things around them… instead of simply accepting the way it’s always been.”
“Language drives behavior. This is why clear language around mission, vision, values, and strategy is critical.”
“Change is truly led, not by accident, but by intentionally seeking the change that we want with intention, with discipline, [and] with commitment to the vision over time.”
Questions to Ponder
To help you and your team recalibrate for the journey ahead, consider these questions from the close of the episode:
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What change are you seeking in your personal life?
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What change are you seeking within your team or your organization?
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Are you and your team actively leading the 6A change process, and where in that process are you currently struggling?
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What would be helpful to better align your team, your vision, and your follow-up actions?
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
Follow @JasonVBarger on social media for even more insights and new video content.
Read the Harvard Global Leaders Study referenced in this podcast here.
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.
If you like the podcast, have a question, or just want to share your thoughts about daring to begin please leave a comment below or please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts.
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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.