223: The Work Beneath the Work: How Contemplation Drives Leadership from the Inside Out with Larry Baker
Release Date: 05/07/2026
Daily Dose: What Do You Do When Someone Tries to Take Your Presentation or Meeting in a Different Direction?
Being [at Work]
Being [at Work] offers a daily dose of leadership focused on helping you, the leader. During challenging times we need all of the encouragement we can get. Sometimes there’s simply no playbook and we just need to do the best we can. Sometimes the best we can is being reminded of the gifts and insight you already have within. Be sure to subscribe and get your daily dose. Subscribe in Subscribe in About Andrea Butcher Andrea Butcher is a visionary business leader, executive coach, and keynote speaker—she empowers leaders to gain clarity through the chaos by being MORE of...
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224: Leading When the Need Is Growing and the Environment Is Getting Harder with Kelly Coker
Being [at Work]
How do you scale impact, protect culture, and sustain your team when the need keeps growing, but the environment keeps getting harder? This is a conversation about leading with clarity, compassion, and boundaries. When the stakes are high and the pressure isn't letting up, what does it look like to step into the CEO role of a growing nonprofit? You’re not alone if you’ve ever found yourself lying awake at 3 a.m., wondering how you can protect your culture, your people, and still make a difference when the world seems to be working against you. Kelly Coker, CEO of...
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Daily Dose: What You Want Wants You Too
Being [at Work]
Being [at Work] offers a daily dose of leadership focused on helping you, the leader. During challenging times we need all of the encouragement we can get. Sometimes there’s simply no playbook and we just need to do the best we can. Sometimes the best we can is being reminded of the gifts and insight you already have within. Be sure to subscribe and get your daily dose. Subscribe in Subscribe in About Andrea Butcher Andrea Butcher is a visionary business leader, executive coach, and keynote speaker—she empowers leaders to gain clarity through the chaos by being MORE of...
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Daily Dose: How Do You Stay True to Yourself While Still Growing?
Being [at Work]
Being [at Work] offers a daily dose of leadership focused on helping you, the leader. During challenging times we need all of the encouragement we can get. Sometimes there’s simply no playbook and we just need to do the best we can. Sometimes the best we can is being reminded of the gifts and insight you already have within. Be sure to subscribe and get your daily dose. Subscribe in Subscribe in About Andrea Butcher Andrea Butcher is a visionary business leader, executive coach, and keynote speaker—she empowers leaders to gain clarity through the chaos by being MORE of...
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Daily Dose: We Weren't Meant to Live This Fast
Being [at Work]
Being [at Work] offers a daily dose of leadership focused on helping you, the leader. During challenging times we need all of the encouragement we can get. Sometimes there’s simply no playbook and we just need to do the best we can. Sometimes the best we can is being reminded of the gifts and insight you already have within. Be sure to subscribe and get your daily dose. Subscribe in Subscribe in About Andrea Butcher Andrea Butcher is a visionary business leader, executive coach, and keynote speaker—she empowers leaders to gain clarity through the chaos by being MORE of...
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Daily Dose: The Foundation That Makes Growth Possible
Being [at Work]
Being [at Work] offers a daily dose of leadership focused on helping you, the leader. During challenging times we need all of the encouragement we can get. Sometimes there’s simply no playbook and we just need to do the best we can. Sometimes the best we can is being reminded of the gifts and insight you already have within. Be sure to subscribe and get your daily dose. Subscribe in Subscribe in About Andrea Butcher Andrea Butcher is a visionary business leader, executive coach, and keynote speaker—she empowers leaders to gain clarity through the chaos by being MORE of...
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Daily Dose: What Your Body is Trying to Tell You
Being [at Work]
Being [at Work] offers a daily dose of leadership focused on helping you, the leader. During challenging times we need all of the encouragement we can get. Sometimes there’s simply no playbook and we just need to do the best we can. Sometimes the best we can is being reminded of the gifts and insight you already have within. Be sure to subscribe and get your daily dose. Subscribe in Subscribe in About Andrea Butcher Andrea Butcher is a visionary business leader, executive coach, and keynote speaker—she empowers leaders to gain clarity through the chaos by being MORE of...
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Daily Dose: The Encouragement Ratio That Changes Everything
Being [at Work]
Being [at Work] offers a daily dose of leadership focused on helping you, the leader. During challenging times we need all of the encouragement we can get. Sometimes there’s simply no playbook and we just need to do the best we can. Sometimes the best we can is being reminded of the gifts and insight you already have within. Be sure to subscribe and get your daily dose. Subscribe in Subscribe in About Andrea Butcher Andrea Butcher is a visionary business leader, executive coach, and keynote speaker—she empowers leaders to gain clarity through the chaos by being MORE of...
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Daily Dose: What Encouraging Others Does to You
Being [at Work]
Being [at Work] offers a daily dose of leadership focused on helping you, the leader. During challenging times we need all of the encouragement we can get. Sometimes there’s simply no playbook and we just need to do the best we can. Sometimes the best we can is being reminded of the gifts and insight you already have within. Be sure to subscribe and get your daily dose. Subscribe in Subscribe in About Andrea Butcher Andrea Butcher is a visionary business leader, executive coach, and keynote speaker—she empowers leaders to gain clarity through the chaos by being MORE of...
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Daily Dose: The Thread That Connects Us
Being [at Work]
Being [at Work] offers a daily dose of leadership focused on helping you, the leader. During challenging times we need all of the encouragement we can get. Sometimes there’s simply no playbook and we just need to do the best we can. Sometimes the best we can is being reminded of the gifts and insight you already have within. Be sure to subscribe and get your daily dose. Subscribe in Subscribe in About Andrea Butcher Andrea Butcher is a visionary business leader, executive coach, and keynote speaker—she empowers leaders to gain clarity through the chaos by being MORE of...
info_outlineDo you ever feel like you’re hustling nonstop, but deep down, something’s missing? Henry David Thoreau wrote that most people live lives of "quiet desperation," and if we’re honest, a lot of us in leadership know exactly what he meant.
Larry Baker is a leader who’s spent a lifetime on an inner journey. His daily practice of contemplation transformed not just his career, but his entire outlook on life and leadership. If you crave deeper meaning and want your work to feel purposeful for both you AND your team, this conversation will spark something inside you.
Successful leadership doesn’t just come from tactical business moves or working harder. It comes from pouring into yourself, developing your own awareness and resilience, and leading from a place of genuine care. By tending to your own inner work, you create stronger foundations for your family, your team, and your company, especially when life throws curveballs.
In this episode, Larry shares how facing his mortality as a child launched a decades-long practice of contemplation, what it looks like to lead from the inside out, and why this “soft work” is actually the hardest and most rewarding thing you can do.
We'll dig deep into why putting your people first isn’t just nice, it’s strategic, and why self-knowledge and heart-driven leadership fuel loyalty and clarity when you and your team need it most.
By the end of the episode, you’ll have tools and encouragement to take real steps toward your own practice, no matter where you’re starting. You’ll understand how doing the work beneath the work changes everything above it.
Leadership Takeaways
(00:00) Why leaders feel stuck and where the search for meaning begins
(02:22) How Larry Baker's near-death experience transformed his approach to leadership
(04:07) How Larry developed his meditation practice, even when it felt like he was failing at it
(06:03) Why love, care, and “soft skills” are the hard skills in business
(09:24) How the inner journey shaped culture and retention at FleetWatcher
(14:00) Step-by-step: How to start a daily practice of contemplation (even if you’re busy)
(17:07) The benefits of starting your day with stillness and gratitude
(18:45) Practical differences between meditation and contemplation for leaders
(23:55) Why the business community must lead with heart
(28:04) Embracing our connectedness
Connect with Larry Baker
https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-baker-3883348/
Links and Resources Mentioned
The Third Eye by T. Lobsang Rampa
https://www.amazon.com/Third-Eye-T-Lobsang-Rampa/dp/0345340388
About Andrea Butcher
Andrea Butcher is a visionary business leader, executive coach, and keynote speaker—she empowers leaders to gain clarity through the chaos by being MORE of who they already are. Her experiences—serving as CEO, leading at an executive level, and working in and leading global teams—make her uniquely qualified to support leadership and business success. She hosts the popular leadership podcast, Being [at Work] with a global audience of over 600,000 listeners and is the author of The Power in the Pivot (Red Thread Publishing 2022) and HR Kit for Dummies (Wiley 2023).
Connect with Andrea
https://www.abundantempowerment.com/
Connect with Andrea Butcher on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/leaderdevelopmentcoach/
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