This episode provides sound bites and highlights from this year’s Thermostat Cultures LIVE, hosted by Jason Barger, that focuses on authentic leadership in the world today and creating compelling cultures.
SHOW NOTES
Jason introduces Season 9 episode 44 of the podcast, Highlights from the ThermostatCulturesLIVE.com Event. 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 at info@jasonvbarger.com
Season 9 Episode 44: Highlights from Thermostat Cultures Live 2025
The best leaders and teams in the world don’t just let their corporate culture happen by accident; they intentionally set the temperature. They are the “thermostats.” This requires making time to step back, reflect, and calibrate.
On a recent episode of The Thermostat with Jason V Barger, listeners get an exclusive pass inside this year’s annual event, Thermostat Cultures Live. Instead of a typical interview, this episode shares the sights, sounds, and powerful takeaways directly from the attendees.
This article explores the key insights on leadership and culture that resonated most from this powerful gathering.
Article Summary
This episode of The Thermostat podcast presents a special look at the Thermostat Cultures Live 2025 event. Instead of a standard interview, host Jason V Barger shares on-the-ground reactions from attendees. Listeners hear firsthand what concepts resonated most, from the power of servant leadership and positive accountability to the importance of humility, grace, and personal redemption. The conversation explores how leaders and teams can create “contagious momentum” and be a positive force—the “coffee bean”—in their environment. The episode is a testament to the community of leaders committed to authentically leading and creating compelling cultures.
The future of leadership is you. Be a thermostat.
To hear all the insights and inspiring stories, listen to the full episode of The Thermostat with Jason V Barger. For more information on leadership and culture development, visit JasonVBarger.com.
What is Thermostat Cultures Live 2025?
Thermostat Cultures Live 2025 is an annual, full-day event focused on intentional company culture and leadership. Hosted by Jason V Barger in Columbus, Ohio, the event features a hybrid format, allowing leaders to attend both in-person and virtually.
The day is designed to help leaders and teams:
- Breathe in “good oxygen.”
- Calibrate their “thermostats.”
- Gain clarity and inspiration.
- Develop strategies for creating compelling cultures.
The attendees featured in the podcast represent a wide range of industries, from engineering and finance (NetJets, Burgess and Niple) to education (Teays Valley Local School District, Balance Family Academy), all united by a commitment to improving their leadership in teams.
Key Themes on Leadership and Corporate Culture
From the many conversations, several powerful themes emerged as the day’s biggest takeaways.
Servant Leadership as a Lifestyle
One attendee, Grant Covell, noted that the most impactful concept for him was reframing servant leadership. It’s not just a management style to be used at work; it’s a lifestyle.
This perspective shifts the focus of leadership from pure output to personal growth. As Grant put it, “When you help people grow, you grow yourself.” This mindset is key for leaders looking to find work that is “impactful” and aligns with their values, seeing it as a more important part of the “paycheck” than salary alone.
The Power of Humility, Grace, and Redemption
A recurring theme was the power of humility and grace. Michael Tucker from NetJets was so moved by the topic that he chose “humility and grace” as his “thermostat words” for the coming year, recognizing he’ll need to give himself grace as he steps into a new role.
This theme was amplified by keynote speaker Damon West’s story of redemption. Attendees were deeply moved by his journey from rock bottom to a life of purpose. Karen Angles of CRSI connected this to leadership: “In order to understand grace, you have to be right-sized… and not think more of yourself than you are.” This humility is essential for building a corporate culture where people feel safe to grow.
Who Carries Your Culture?
A central question for every leader surfaced: “Who carries the culture when you’re not around?”
Allie Carlos-Carlotta from NetJets identified this as her biggest challenge. The answer, as attendees discussed, is that culture can’t be the job of one person or just the leadership team. It must be shared by everyone.
This is achieved by:
- Positive Accountability: Whitney from Balance Family Academy highlighted the idea of “positive accountability” — focusing on “shouting out the big words” and acknowledging wins, rather than only using accountability in a negative context.
- Contagious Momentum: Allie also coined the phrase “contagious momentum.” She explained that negativity is a magnetic force, so leaders must put equal energy into “trying to be the opposite” and creating a positive, encouraging environment where people want to be.
Being the “Coffee Bean” in Your Team
Damon West’s “Coffee Bean” parable was a powerful, practical metaphor for many, including Lee Slarp. The story illustrates that when faced with the “hot water” of a difficult environment, you can either be changed by it (like a carrot that goes soft or an egg that goes hard) or you can be the “coffee bean”—the one who changes the environment.
Lee noted how this applies to both home and work: “Just making sure I’m coming into the stressful days and being the coffee bean and impacting the culture around me.” This is the core of personal leadership in teams—taking ownership of the energy you bring.
Notable Quotes from the Event
“Servant leadership’s not just a leadership style… That’s a lifestyle.” — Grant Covell
“Who carries the culture when you’re not around?” — Allie Carlos-Carlotta, NetJets
“My thermostat words [are] humility and grace.” — Michael Tucker, NetJets
“It takes a long time to build trust; it takes a second to destroy it.” — Tracy McComb, Teays Valley Local School District
“Finding ways to focus more on the positive accountability and shouting out those big words.” — Whitney, Balance Family Academy
“Grace always costs the one giving it more than the one receiving it.” — Karen Angles, CRSI
“I am taking home my thermostat word, which is courageous, because in my role in HR, I have to have many courageous conversations.” — Tracy McComb, Teays Valley Local School District
“Just making sure I’m coming into the stressful days and being the coffee bean and impacting the culture around me.” — Lee Slarp
Questions to Ponder
As you reflect on your own leadership journey, consider these questions from Jason:
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In what ways could you provide hope for the people around you?
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What could you do to help build trust with the people in your life and your work?
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And how could you show compassion and provide stability for those around you?
Links and References
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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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.