Truly Human Leadership
Business & Finance
About
One of the most fundamental of human needs is to know that who we are and what we do matter. As leaders in business, we have the unique opportunity to let our team members know that they do. And when they feel valued and cared for at work, they return home and enjoy better relationships with their loved ones, friends, neighbors and others. This world needs Truly Human Leadership.On this podcast, you'll hear about what it means to be conscious leaders and have a conscious business. You'll hear from voices of inspirational leadership like Simon Sinek, Amy Cuddy, Raj Sisodia of Conscious Capitalism and many more. You'll also hear stories and insights learned through Barry-Wehmiller and it's CEO Bob Chapman's transformation to traditional business management to Truly Human Leadership.
Episodes
- People and Performance Playbook: The Shift in Leadership Norms
This episode launches the People and Performance Playbook series, with experts from Chapman & Co. Leadership Institute discussing their methodology for harmonizing human vibrancy and economic growth in organizations. The discussion focuses…
- Rhonda Spencer, BW CPO, on Fostering People and Performance in Harmony
Rhonda Spencer, Chief People Officer at Barry-Wehmiller, spoke at the 2026 i4CP Next Practices Now Conference about the company's cultural journey and fostering people and performance. She shared insights, incorporating the thoughts of the…
- Remembering Bob Chapman pt.2
This episode of Truly Human Leadership features speeches from a celebration honoring Bob Chapman's 50 years as CEO and 80th birthday. It includes tributes from friends and colleagues such as Simon Sinek and Raj Sisodia, sharing lessons lea…
- Remembering Bob Chapman pt.1
This episode remembers Bob Chapman, former BW Chairman, who passed away in March 2026. It features interview clips highlighting his dedication to redefining business leadership, promoting caring in business, and demonstrating how economic…
- The Gund Company, a Truly Human Leadership Case Study
This episode features The Gund Company as a case study in Truly Human Leadership. CEO Steve Gund discusses the company's leadership journey and growth, with insights from Brian Wellinghoff of Barry-Wehmiller, highlighting how business can…
- Bonus Episode: Raj Sisodia and Nilima Bhat on Shakti Leadership
Our last episode featured an interview with Raj Sisodia and Nilima Bhat on their new book, Healing Leaders: 7 Steps to Recovery of Self. In that discussion, we talk about their previous book collaboration, Shakti Leadership: Embracing Femi…
- Healing Leaders w/ Raj Sisodia and Nilima Bhat
Raj Sisodia is the co-founder of Conscious Capitalism and, with BW Chairman Bob Chapman, the co-writer of Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family. Raj is a frequent guest on this podcast. For one, h…
- The Powerful Impact of Listening
Barry-Wehmiller Chairman Bob Chapman has said this about the importance of listening: Time and again, I've written that listening is the most important thing a leader can do. But it transcends the leader role. Listening is the most importa…
- Kyle Chapman at Gonzaga University
A few months ago, we were honored that Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, named the week of October 13, 2025 "Chapman Leadership Week." That week, their School of Business Administration hosted the inaugural Chapman Lecture on Trul…
- Jan Rivkin of Harvard on the Barry-Wehmiller Case Study, Layoffs and Teaching Leadership
Over the years, we've talked about the Harvard Case Study that was written about Barry-Wehmiller in 2016. It's a best seller, taught in over 200 universities to more than 30,000 students. On an earlier podcast, we talked to the authors of…
- Aaron Witt, Building a Better Dirt World
Aaron Witt started his career as a kid who loved construction. But over the years, he's built something bigger than he could have ever envisioned to support the industry he loves. Aaron is the founder of Build Witt. You can find out more a…
- Simon Sinek and Bob Chapman, An Experiment in Humanity
A few months ago, our friend Simon Sinek visited our BW Papersystems location in Phillips, WI to record an episode of his "A Bit of Optimism" podcast with Barry-Wehmiller Chairman Bob Chapman. It wasn't the first time Simon had been to Phi…
- Randall Fleming and the Power of Caring in the Workplace
You may have heard Simon Sinek's recent "A Bit of Optimism" podcast that featured Barry-Wehmiller Chairman Bob Chapman and a number of BW team member from our BW Papersystems company in Phillips, WI. One particular team member that was int…
- Jason Lippert, President & CEO of Lippert Components
This week, we are celebrating the release of the new revised and expanded edition of Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family , Barry-Wehmiller Chairman Bob Chapman and Raj Sisodia's book on Bob and…
- Bob Chapman and Kyle Chapman, a Legacy of Leadership
This past week signaled a major milestone in the history of our company. We announced that Kyle Chapman is now CEO of Barry-Wehmiller, in addition to his existing role as President. His father, Bob Chapman, who has served as CEO since 1975…
- Love as a Business and Change Strategy with Mohammad Anwar of Softway
We told you in the last episode about the new revised and expanded edition of our CEO, Bob Chapman's book, Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family, which will be out Oct 21. Learn more about it at e…
- Bob Chapman & Raj Sisodia Discuss the 10th Anniversary Revised and Expanded Edition of Everybody Matters
If you're a regular listener of this podcast, you've probably heard of Bob Chapman and Raj Sisodia's book, Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Treating Your People Like Family. Well, I'm pleased to be able to finally tell this au…
- Unleash Your Team w/ Chapman & Co. Leadership Institute
BW CEO Bob Chapman often tells a story about meeting Steve Jones, who was formerly a high school football coach at Kimberly High School in Kimberly, WI. Steve led his teams to five consecutive state titles from 2013-2017 with an incredible…
- The Changing Landscape of Leadership w/ Jane Adshead-Grant
Our friend Jane Adshead-Grant says this is key in furthering our hope to build a better world: "As we begin to share the message of what it means to be a Truly Human Leader, to take the responsibility of leadership and be this great stewar…
- Looking at the Future Leader w/ Jacob Morgan
There is a hunger for a new kind of leadership. Throughout business and organizations, people continue to be taught to be managers, not leaders. They make sure everyone is in their seat on time, they take headcount for the day, they check…
- Your Leadership is Contagious w/ Anese Cavanaugh
One thing we have consistently believed at Barry-Wehmiller is that everyone can be a leader. Anese Cavanaugh's book, Contagious You advances the notion—for good or for bad—that leaders have tremendous power to influence those who follow th…
- Zach Mercurio and the Power of Mattering
Almost ten years ago, our CEO, Bob Chapman's book, Everybody Matters was released. It is a documentation of the lessons Bob and Barry-Wehmiller have learned along our journey. Among the most important insights we gained: Everybody wants to…
- Bob Chapman at the 2017 Aspen Ideas Festival
Over the last few years, Bob Chapman has been honored to present the message of Truly Human Leadership to more and more audiences. Whether to a group of manufacturing executives, city government leaders, business students, human resources…
- The Influencer's Impact with Bob Burg
The term "influencer" has really become a marketing term. It's a job. People are paid on social media to influence behavior, usually toward certain products. But there are real influencers in our lives -- intentional or unintentional -- th…
- A Truly Human Approach to Service and Language, Metlife and Chapman & Co. Leadership Institute
Here's something our CEO Bob Chapman recently wrote in a post on our Truly Human Leadership blog : The people our leaders lead, they do not "report to" that leader, they are within that leader's span of care. Just that simple deviation fro…
- Scaling Culture on a Global Level with BW Chief People Officer, Rhonda Spencer
Barry-Wehmiller's Chief People Officer, Rhonda Spencer, was recently recognized by the St. Louis Business Journal in their 2025 HR Awards for Innovation in HR. This was a long overdue recognition of Rhonda's leadership, but also the work o…
- Michael Gelb, Encouraging Creativity for a Better Workplace
True leaders create space for individuals to be passionate about their work and feel a sense of ownership. Nobody wants to be managed, bossed or supervised. We must inspire creativity in our people. Those ideas are the backbone of a cultur…
- Belonging in the Workplace with Shawn Murphy
BW CEO Bob Chapman often tells a story about meeting Steve Jones, who was formerly a high school football coach who led his teams to five consecutive state titles from 2013-2017 with an incredible run of 70 consecutive victories, a Wiscons…
- Marcel Schwantes Defines Humane Leadership
Marcel Schwantes is a speaker, author, acclaimed executive coach, and an Inc. Magazine Contributing Editor. Marcel writes and delivers presentations, workshops, courses, and coaching programs about the human side of business and how cultur…
- Elevating a Leadership Journey w/ Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages
This podcast features a story from Chapman & Co. Leadership Institute, 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…
- Kristen Hadeed, Permission to Screw Up
Kristen Hadeed hadn't turned 30 and she was already the CEO of a successful company and well on her own leadership journey. Through her company – Student Maid, an all-student cleaning company – she was able to touch the lives of hundreds o…
- Raj Sisodia, the Conscious Business Movement, Yesterday to Today
Raj Sisodia is the co-author of our CEO, Bob Chapman's, book, Everybody Matters, and the co-founder of Conscious Capitalism. You can find out more about Raj on his website, Raj Sisodia.com Raj is working on a very special project we'll be…
- Donna Hicks, Dignity and Truly Human Leadership
Our friend Donna Hicks, a Harvard professor, world peace negotiator and author of the book, Leading With Dignity , was recently in St. Louis to participate in an event co-sponsored by Barry-Wehmiller at St. Louis University. It was a round…
- Building the Leaders of Tomorrow Through Succession Planning
We've all heard about those organizations who have a dynamic and powerful leader who brings everything to new heights of success and notoriety. But then, when the times comes where that leader moves on, things are never quite the same. Oth…
- Better Work, Better World: Interviews with BW Team Members Pt. 1
Often on this podcast, you'll hear Barry-Wehmiller CEO Bob Chapman, other BW leaders or other thought leaders talk about the waycaring leadership or Truly Human Leadership impacts the lives of people in our workplaces. However, on this epi…
- Bob Chapman Answers Listener Questions Pt. 3
This is the third and final part of this podcast series where Barry-Wehmiller CEO Bob Chapman answers questions submitted by our social media audience. You will find the questions below the You Tube embed. Don't forget to go back and liste…
- Bob Chapman Answers Listener Questions pt. 2
This is the second episode of our podcast where Barry-Wehmiller CEO Bob Chapman answer questions submitted by our social media audience. You will find the questions below. Don't forget to go back and listen to part one. We appreciate every…
- Bob Chapman Answers Listener Questions Pt.1
A while back, we asked followers of Barry-Wehmiller on social media to send in questions for CEO Bob Chapman to answer on our podcast. We were overwhelmed by the response! We appreciate the time and thoughtfulness of everyone who submitted…
- Exploring Indigenous Wisdom for Modern Times with Anita Sanchez
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…
- Compassion and Empathy with Dr. Ken Druck
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…
- Meijer and Chapman & Co. Leadership Institute, Letting Leaders be Leaders
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, de…
- Developing a Coaching Habit with Michael Bungay Stanier
Michael Bungay Stanier (or MBS) is the founder of Box of Crayons, a learning and development company that helps organizations move from advice-driven to curiosity-led. They've trained hundreds of thousands of managers to be more coach-like…
- Productivity Reimagined with Jacob Stoller
Jacob Stoller previously appeared on our podcast to discuss his last book, The Lean CEO: Leading the Way to World-Class Excellence. A number of years later, he has a new book: Productivity Reimagined: Shattering Performance Myths to Achiev…
- Leading From the Inside Out, Bob Chapman and Ramesh Srinivasan of McKinsey & Company
Barry-Wehmiller's CEO, Bob Chapman, often says that to be a Truly Human Leader, you need to have the skills and courage to care. Often, when you are placed into the role of leadership the traditional way to view the people within your span…
- The Journey of Leadership, Hans-Werner Kaas and Bob Chapman in Conversation
McKinsey and Company is one of the most, if not the most, prestigious consulting firms in the world. McKinsey creates immeasurable value for its clients, influences how the business world operates, and produces many of the world's business…
- Bob Chapman Talks About Writing Your Eulogy
Have you ever thought about what your eulogy might say? It's kind of a macabre thought, but it's actually a pretty important question. And it's the topic of conversation on this podcast between Barry-Wehmiller CEO, Bob Chapman, and Garrett…
- Rich Sheridan, Chief Joy Officer
Rich Sheridan is the CEO and co-founder of Menlo Innovations, a software development company based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He's the author of the books Joy, Inc. and Chief Joy Officer: How Great Leaders Elevate Human Energy and Eliminate F…
- Implementing an Organizational Culture Survey Within a Global Company
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, de…
- Raj Sisodia and Michael Gelb, Business as a Healing Organization
Businesses destroy lives all the time. Not just by being poor partners to their consumers or communities, but through poor leadership and work environments where the employees feel overlooked or disregarded. But what if businesses could be…
- Jeffrey Pfeffer Thinks the Workplace is Killing Us
"Most leaders understand their influence on team members' lives during work hours, but often enough, they don't think about how their leadership affects team members outside of the workplace as well." Barry-Wehmiller CEO, Bob Chapman, wrot…