Slow Down to Speed Up: The Leadership Cheat Code for Culture and Trust
November 20, 2025
What does it take to transform employee engagement into meaningful work that drives long-term loyalty and performance? In this episode of High Octane Leadership, Donald Thompson explores this critical leadership challenge with experts Bob Batchelor and Jackie Ferguson. Together, they unpack the essential pillars of meaningful work - from psychological safety and inclusive leadership to understanding how employees' life stages impact their relationship with work.
Whether you're a seasoned executive looking to build stronger teams or an emerging leader seeking to create lasting impact, this conversation reveals practical strategies for building trust and fostering an environment where people bring their full potential every day. Learn why true meaningful work goes beyond traditional engagement metrics and requires leaders to adapt their communication style for each team member's unique needs.
Meaningful work transcends traditional employee engagement, requiring leaders to build deep trust and create environments where people bring their full selves to work every day.
In this episode of High Octane Leadership, Donald Thompson joins forces with Bob Batchelor and Jackie Ferguson, two veteran communication and leadership experts, to explore how organizations can move beyond basic employee engagement to foster truly meaningful work environments that drive long-term loyalty and performance.
What You'll Learn:
- How trust and psychological safety transform engagement into meaningful work
- Why C-suite sponsorship and authentic leadership communication are key to lasting culture change
- How personalized leadership, grounded in empathy and context, drives loyalty and performance
About the Guest(s)
Bob Batchelor is a globally recognized communications strategist, award-winning author, and cultural historian. His passion lies at the intersection of business, culture, and storytelling. In executive leadership roles, he has led high-performing teams delivering data-driven marketing that enhanced thought leadership and drove brand growth. He is also the author of 16 books, editor of 19 books.
Bob Batchelor is a globally recognized communications strategist, award-winning author, and cultural historian. His passion lies at the intersection of business, culture, and storytelling. In executive leadership roles, he has led high-performing teams delivering data-driven marketing that enhanced thought leadership and drove brand growth. He is also the author of 16 books, editor of 19 books.
Jackie Ferguson is co-founder and vice president of content and programming at The Diversity Movement. A member of the 2023 Inc. Female Founders 200 list, she wrote the bestselling book The Inclusive Language Handbook: A Guide to Better Communication and Transformational Leadership.
Resources:
High Octane Leadership is hosted by The Diversity Movement CEO and executive coach Donald Thompson and is a production of Earfluence.