BW CEO Bob Chapman met Dr. Anita Sanchez a few years ago through a mutual friend, William Ury. Since then, Anita and her husband, Kit Tennis, have become great supporters of what we’re trying to do at Barry-Wehmiller, spreading the message about the power of Truly Human Leadership.

As is described on her website, Anita’s book, The Four Sacred Gifts: Indigenous Wisdom for Modern Times, is a guide "in living as whole, joyful human beings in our modern lives. Through a series of breath-taking, up-lifting stories drawn from experiences of leaders in business and communities around the world as well as from her own amazing journey, the author inspires us to discover and trust our gifts showing us how to become the life-giving connection to all: People, Spirit and the Earth."

The principles Anita writes about and their connection to her heritage align closely to the similarities Bob has identified between leadership and parenting. When we lead others, when it comes to building teams, having a connection – like a family – is so important.

Sometimes, as leaders, we need to reconnect with the idea of what a family is to be able to connect with others. Anita’s book is filled with the wisdom to try to do that in order to move toward a world where people feel like they matter.

Dr. Ken Druck has been a trusted advisor through the years, personally to Barry-Wehmiller CEO Bob Chapman, and also to the leadership of BW during some of our tough times.

After the loss of his daughter, Ken decided to dedicate himself to helping others find their way through grief. He founded the Jenna Druck Center in his daughter’s honor and went on to be a source of hope to families affected by the tragedies of 9-11, Columbine, Katrina and Sandy Hook.

A few years ago, we invited Ken to Barry-Wehmiller corporate headquarters in St. Louis as part of our Leadership Speaker Series. We at Barry-Wehmiller often talk about how listening is key to helping people feel valued, but that must be accompanied by empathy and compassion.

In his talk, Ken spoke not only about how he processed his own grief, but he also talked about how to be a good friend and encourage those who are experiencing grief. But, the things that Ken discusses in this podcast can not only be guidelines to be compassionate to those experiencing grief, they're good things to think about when approaching people in everyday life. Especially during stressful or tense times. Our friends, family, teammates and acquaintances. In our workplaces, our neighborhoods and our homes.

Chapman & Co. Leadership Institute is Barry-Wehmiller's consulting arm that specializes in helping other organizations unleash the extraordinary in their businesses and their people. They do this by helping those organizations identify, develop, and equip their leaders. You can learn more about Chapman & Co. at ccoleadership.com

One company that Chapman & Co. has a long relationship with is Meijer, a midwestern chain of grocery stores that currently has about 270 stores with 70,000 team members. On this podcast, Barry Kirk, one of Chapman & Co.’s partners, has an indepth conversation with Dave Lopez and Josh Barber of Meijer. They talk about why Meijer began working with Chapman & Co. and share some of the results, as well as how they are trying to sustain those results. They also talk about a fascinating aspect of training that incorporates gamification. But most importantly, they share how they were able to let their leaders be leaders.