What does it mean to truly see people—not just acknowledge them, but deeply understand and value their perspectives? How can leaders create environments where diverse voices are not only heard but embraced?
In this episode of the Inspirational Leadership podcast, I speak with Justin Jones-Fosu about how to build inclusive workplaces and meaningful connections with curiosity and intentionality. Justin is a husband and full-time daddy of 4 high-energy kids, and he also recently summited one of the 7 Summits (the tallest mountain on each continent). He is a highly sought-after business speaker, social entrepreneur, and meaningful work researcher. He is the founder and CEO of Work. Meaningful. where he speaks 50-60 times per year to companies, organizations, and associations in the US and Internationally on meaningful work and diversity/inclusion. He is the author of Your WHY Matters NOW, The Inclusive Mindset, and his latest book: I Respectfully Disagree: How to Have Difficult Conversations in a Divided World.
Listen in to learn why curiosity is key to inclusion and transforming our perspectives and relationships in the workplace. You will also learn how to model, reward, and reinforce healthy disagreements in your organization to cultivate a culture of innovation and trust.
Key Takeaways:
- The psychological biases that shape our views and how curiosity can help us challenge them.
- The role of curiosity in leadership, personal growth, and parenting—how we can all cultivate a more open mindset.
- How leaders can foster a culture of appreciation and purpose in overlooked roles to bring meaning to work.
- The importance of creating spaces for respectful disagreement by modeling, rewarding, and reinforcing open dialogue.
- How simple acknowledgments can make a significant impact on dialogue and workplace culture.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
- [01:50] Justin’s experience growing up with a single mother who exposed him to diverse cultures that shaped his worldview.
- [04:57] He shares his early career influences and how he discovered his passion for corporate training and leadership development.
- [09:33] Behind his TEDx talk, Don’t Take the Exit on People—why we subconsciously “exit” conversations and relationships instead of leaning into curiosity.
- [13:34] How curiosity can transform your perspectives and relationships, plus practical ways to lean into being more curious.
- [19:50] The three rhythm model to bring meaning to work and the importance of choice in finding meaning at work.
- [24:00] Justin’s experience with TSA agents and how small acknowledgments can make a big difference.
- [29:06] The power of acknowledging and uplifting often overlooked roles in the workplace to create a more inclusive environment.
- [32:54] The need for respectful disagreement in workplaces; three strategies to build open and constructive conversations.
- [36:31] The role of leaders in creating psychological safety and trust, enabling employees to voice differing opinions without fear.
Standout Quotes:
- “The only way to not take the exit is to be curious, to choose to hear people’s stories, to get closer to people, and to put ourselves in positions of understanding and ways that we can challenge our perspective.”– Justin [11:39]
- “Growth-based mindset is that your only competition is yourself and failure is just another data point for learning and if you don’t know something, you just don’t know it yet.”– Justin [15:07]
Listen to the podcast here:
Watch the video here:
Resources Mentioned:
- Justin’s website
- Connect with Justin on LinkedIn
- Purchase Justin’s books
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