165: Conscious Capitalism with Jeff Blanton

by | Apr 13, 2022 | Podcast | 0 comments

Change It Up Radio with Paula Shaw - Episode 165: Conscious Capitalism with Jeff Blanton

Today we’re talking about conscious capitalism and how to live and lead with meaning and impact.

Many people feel like a prisoner that’s trapped in their career or their current circumstances, and yet, the idea of breaking out of that jail is sometimes too scary and requires an unfathomable amount of courage. 

The reality is, that sometimes it’s not necessarily our environment that needs to change, but something within ourselves that needs to shift instead. Taking the time to identify a higher purpose for ourselves and get really clear on that can help us to break free from this mindset where we feel stuck and stagnant, and can not only impact us but also those around us to have a higher purpose around what they’re doing as well.

The work we do does not have to feel like a prison sentence. We should be able to find meaning and purpose in what we do so that we can feel fulfilled and also inspire others to feel fulfilled as well, but this requires us to take action, recognize what’s holding us back, and leverage our strengths in order to make a greater impact.

My guest today, Jeff Blanton, is a recognized leadership consultant, author, and speaker who even after attaining monetary and professional success, came to find himself in a state of “smoldering discontent.” As his career evolved, he could not help but notice that most individuals, from his perspective, seemed to be simply unfulfilled and content to trade their time for money.

Over the years, Jeff had come to see the value in having a purpose in one’s work and set out to find his own purpose. In doing so, he learned that very few individuals know their foundational purpose and discovered why: it is hard. However, the great news is that, in his search, Jeff not only found his own purpose, but also developed a process for helping others to find theirs as well.

Jeff joins us today to talk about the importance of discovering where our strengths, passion, and purpose truly lie, and how we can find the satisfaction we desire by developing a process to go about igniting our passion and purpose within the work we do. He explains how Conscious Capitalism calls for a different type of leadership, and the rewards and challenges of being a conscious leader.

Jeff provides insight on how these leaders seek a higher purpose for their business beyond profit that positively impacts all the stakeholders beyond the shareholder – employees, customers, vendors, and the community they work in. He also shares how his Jailbreak Leadership Process helps individuals, teams, and large organizations to clarify who they are and where they do their best work through identifying their personal purpose so that they can lead from the top down with significant meaning and impact.

“All the early years, my discovery process was always about me – what would make me feel good, would make me look good? And that never seemed to land. But, when I flipped that purpose is actually the service I bring to the world, all the sudden I could see purpose in a different light.” – Jeff Blanton

About Jeff:

Jeff Blanton is a recognized leadership consultant, author, and speaker. Even after attaining monetary and professional success, Jeff came to find himself in a state of “smoldering discontent.” He could not help but notice that, as his career evolved and he was charged with accomplishing things with the help of others, they too consistently displayed a lack of engagement and satisfaction, a widespread issue throughout corporate America. Most individuals, from his perspective, seemed to be simply unfulfilled and content to trade their time for money.

This problem became the catalyst to his success. He began to make a point of engaging his teams and aligning them around a common goal whether within a company, department, or project. Today, we call this a “higher purpose.”  In addition, he sought to find a connection between a team member’s work and that which he or she was looking for personally. Although this brought about more teamwork, engagement, and winning outcomes, it did not solve Jeff’s underlying “smoldering discontent.”

Jeff knew that there had to be more. He had come to see the value in having a purpose in one’s work and set out to find his own purpose. In doing so, he learned that very few individuals know their foundational purpose and discovered why: it is hard. However, the great news is that, in his search, Jeff not only found his own purpose but also developed a process for helping others to find theirs as well.

This became the foundation of the Jailbreak Leadership process. When leaders can identify their personal purpose and align their strengths and passion around the work that they do, they begin to reach new heights. In doing so, they are then able to invite their stakeholders to share in their success through finding purpose in their work and striving towards a shared, compelling vision of the future.

Jeff spent 20 years in corporate America, including working in a leadership capacity in a successful,  medical-device start-up, and has been a serial entrepreneur since 2000. He is the founder and partner of several consulting companies and a popular keynote speaker. Now, he has combined his experience with his passionate, purpose-driven approach to create Jailbreak Leadership. With it, he aims to guide leaders to “Make Work Meaningful” for all of their stakeholders, enjoy greater personal success and leave a lasting impact on their communities.

Jeff lives in San Diego with his wife and is having the time of his life, doubling down on his personal purpose through helping others to actualize their greatest possibilities and Make Work Meaningful to use the influence of business to positively change the city of San Diego.

“Often, it isn’t about quitting your job and starting something new. It’s just really understanding where’s the meaning, where’s the impact? Figuring out what your role is in that, and then reframing and shifting your work more in that direction.” – Jeff Blanton

Check out the video below to watch our interview:

Resources Mentioned:

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