In the world of public markets and quarterly reporting, it is easy to forget the power of company culture. Andrew Barnes is a financier and entrepreneur turned crusader of workplace culture and wellbeing. As Architect of the Global Movement of 4 Day Week Global he shares his insights and knowledge about "The 4 Day Week" movement he is spearheading.
Andrew’s eclectic career has spanned banking, tech entrepreneurship, acquisitions, and more. In our discussion, he shares how he was unhappy in life while he was in banking and the moves he made to end up in a position where his work didn’t provide only money but meaning too.
“ It’s only now that I think I am actually doing things that I love, not the things that just gave me money.” — Andrew Barnes [0:04:40]
Andrew had a complete change of heart about what good leadership meant at one point in his journey. He talks about the huge investments he started to make in his teams and the payoffs they led to.
The most recent effort in this respect is the practice of only working four days per week. The conversation with Andrew Barnes highlights the significant benefits these shifts bring not only to productivity but to the levels of enrichment his employees feel.
“ If you have an engaged and empowered enthusiastic team who understand where the business is going, what their role is, understand that they are valued and appreciated, you actually get better business out of them.” — Andrew Barnes [0:10:54]
KEY POINTS FROM THIS EPISODE:
Andrew’s journey of realizing the importance of culture and knowing how to lead people.
What triggered the change in Andrew’s leadership style 20 years ago.
The value of nourishing culture by using a bottom-up approach.
Businesses Andrew turned around by using his new leadership style.
Initiatives he put forward to create cultural changes
Rethinking how we measure productivity and define success.
How he got the idea of a four-day week and implemented it in his teams.
The benefits of the four-day week including productivity, empowerment, engagement, and teamwork.
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