Julian Blair Baldwin is an author, leadership thinker, and founder of Cohere Leadership Group who helps leaders bridge the gap between their values and their actions. After more than 20 years in corporate leadership, including serving as a senior vice president at a $34 billion company, Julian has developed a framework for building trust, navigating personal growth, and leading with consistency. His book, To Zuri, written as a series of letters to his daughter, explores the lessons he has learned through grief, struggle, and self-discovery—and how those lessons can help others build a meaningful legacy.
On this episode we talk about:
Why Julian wrote To Zuri for his daughter and the importance of passing down life lessons, not just memories and accomplishments.
How to question inherited beliefs, challenge assumptions, and develop principles based on your own experiences.
Why personal growth often requires unlearning behaviors that once helped you survive but no longer serve you.
How leaders can build trust by aligning their personal values with their professional actions.
The connection between trust, employee engagement, productivity, and long-term business performance.
Top 3 Takeaways
Examine the beliefs you inherit. The values and assumptions passed down by family, culture, and life experiences can shape your decisions without you realizing it. Take the time to question them, understand where they came from, and decide which principles you genuinely want to live by.
Let your principles evolve as you grow. Behaviors that help you navigate one stage of life may hold you back in another. Stay open to new information, learn from difficult experiences, and have the courage to update your perspective when reality challenges what you once believed.
Build trust by living consistently. Your values shouldn't change depending on whether you're at work, at home, or around different people. As Julian puts it, “You have one life, so you should have one set of standards.” Consistency between your words and actions strengthens relationships, leadership, and organizational culture.
Notable Quotes
“I didn't want my daughter to just inherit a highlight reel of my career and a resume and keepsakes. I wanted her to have my interpretation and what my life meant to me.”
“What worked in one setting didn't work in another setting.”
“You have one life, so you should have one set of standards.”
Connect with Julian Baldwin:
Website: https://julianblairbaldwin.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baldwinjulian1
Other: Look for To Zuri on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Audible, or wherever books are sold. Julian is also the founder of Cohere Leadership Group.
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