What is the current state of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in our organizations? My guest on this episode is Lybra Clemons, a C-Suite executive with experience leading talent, culture, and DEI initiatives across Fortune 500 companies and I go deep on the current state of DEI and how workplace expectations have shifted over the past few years. During our conversation Lybra and I discuss: Why she believes you should constantly be growing as a professional and in your career.The evolving...

Why should you aspire to be a business person, not a business partner? How can having a leadership philosophy make you more effective HR leader? My guest on this episode is Ian Ziskin, President of EXec EXcel Group, Fortune 100 CHRO, Author, & Board Member and I go deep on what really matters when it comes to developing HR leaders. During our conversation Ian and I discuss: Why the best HR leaders courageously push back against misguided ideas and advocate for the right ones, even if...

This is a very special episode in partnership with the Institute for Corporate Productivity, also known as i4cp where I had the opportunity to attend their annual “Next Practices Now Conference” in Scottsdale Arizona. Over three days, 500 HR leaders came to Scottsdale, where they were treated to over 25 different presentations and key notes by thought leaders and HR practitioners I was fortunate to be able sit down to interview seven of those amazing speakers and bring their insights to...

How have employee attitudes about work shifted since the pandemic? Why it is even more important than even that we build human-centric organizations? My guest on this episode is Kate Bravery, Mercer’s Global Talent Trends Author and Ilya Bonic, President of Mercer's Career Business and Head of Strategy During our conversation Kate, Ilya and I discuss: How to build a winning organization in what they are calling the “People Age”Why you should think of employees as contributors instead of...

Why does it mean to be a built to last company, like Johnson and Johnson? How can you build a talent pipeline that produces a deep bench of leaders? My guest on this episode is Peter Fasolo, CHRO and Micheal Ehret, Head of Global Talent Management at Johnson & Johnson During our conversation Peter, Michael and I discuss: The power of J&J’s Credo and how it has served as the organization’s north star for over 135 years.How CHROs and Heads of Talent can partner to create value for...

When it comes to Learning & Development, why are we so focused on new bright shiny objects? How can you improve the Return on Investment from L&D initiatives? My guest on this episode is Noah Rabinowitz, VP Talent Development at Commonwealth Fusion Systems and Brian Hackett, Founder, The Learning Forum During our conversation Noah, Brian and I discuss: Why L&D needs to stop being driven by trends and start being driven by common standardsHow HR leaders need to rethink the...

How can you master your mindset? Why should you embrace and lean into the mantra “Do it Afraid”? My guest on this episode is Sohee Jun, PhD, a premier leadership coach for successful women executives, a highly sought-after keynote speaker, leadership development expert and Amazon best-selling author During our conversation, Sohee and I discuss the following: What she learned from researching successful women in their 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, and 70’sWhy having the right mindset is...

What does it take to create a championship culture? How can you create a compelling employee experience that drives engagement? My guest on this episode is Shaun Mayo, Chief People Officer, Arizona Cardinals Football Club During our conversation Shaun and I discuss: How he was “drafted” into an HR role early in his careerWhat it is like to be a Chief People Officer in the NFL?How the organization is working to instill a championship culture on and off the fieldHow they are redefining...

What makes someone a powerful communicator?  Why does every HR leader need to master the art of communication? My guest on this episode is Gabe Zichermann entrepreneur, public speaker, gamification expert, and author of “The A-HA! Method: Communicating Powerfully in a Time of Distraction” During our conversation Gabe and I discuss: How the power of effective communication skills can help your careerWhy more is not better when it comes to communicating powerfully and effectivelyWhy...

What skills will be essential in the new workplace? How can you and your organization adapt to the future of work? My guest on this episode is Wagner Denuzzo, Future of Work Expert and Author of “Leading to Succeed: Essential Skills for the New Workplace,” Executive Coach, and HR start-up Advisor, During our conversation Wagner and I discuss: Why he believes awareness, acceptance, and accountability are the keys to success in life and your careerWhat a personal success profile is and how...

How can you align your personal purpose with your values?  Why is “putting people first” not only the right thing to do, but also a great business strategy? My guest on this episode is Sara Kelly, Chief Partner Officer, Starbucks During our conversation Sara and I discuss: How her “personal purpose”has served as her north star throughout her careerWhy she believes that putting people first is critical to business successWhy she believes you should be open to new opportunities and the...

What does it mean to be a coachable leader? How can being a coachable leader future-proof your career?  My guest on this episode is Kevin Wilde During our conversation Kevin and I discuss: Why believes that “leaders teaching leaders” is critical to successful leadership development programsWhy coachable leaders have a different mindset than less coachable leadersWhy being coachable decreases as we age and advance in our careersHow to overcome the seven faulty assumptions that low...

Why is friction both good and bad for your organization How can leaders identify and reduce bad friction? My guest on this episode is Bob Sutton who is an organizational psychologist, professor emeritus at Stanford, New York Times bestselling author, and speaker. During our conversation Bob and I discuss: Why you should think like a “friction fixer” regardless of your positionWhen and how to apply “good friction” to slow things down for better decision makingHow to identify good and bad...

Why can you ask for a mentor, but you must earn a sponsor? How do you create a culture where leaders invest in mentoring and sponsoring talent? My guest on this episode is Kerrie Peraino, Chief People Officer at Verily, an Alphabet company bringing the promise of precision health to everyone, every day. During our conversation Kerrie and I discuss: The role sponsorship has played in her careerWhy she believes “you can ask for a mentor, but you must earn a sponsor”What she learned from...

Why is the single biggest barrier to having power…ourselves? How can you, as an HR professional step into your power? My guest on this episode is Jeffrey Pfeffer, Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University and Author of 16 books including his latest one the “7 Rules of Power - Surprising But True Advice on How to Get Things Done and Advance Your Career” During our conversation Jeffrey and I discuss: Why he believes the single biggest barrier...

How do you build a leadership pipeline? Why is leadership about jobs to be done and not hierarchy? My guests on this episode are Steve Drotter, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board and Kent Jonasen, Co-Founder and Global CEO, The Leadership Pipeline Institute During our conversation Steve, Kent and I discuss: The original research that led to the writing of the “Leadership Pipeline” bookWhat differentiates the leadership pipeline framework from traditional competency based leadership models...

Why should HR take more calculated risks? How can taking calculated risks increase HR’s impact? My guest on this episode is with Rhonda Morris, Chief Human Resources Officer at Chevron During our conversation Rhonda and I discuss: What she learned from her time owning a P&L and how it made her a better HR leaderThe importance of asking for help and not believing you have all the answersHow she leverages her own personal board of directors to continue to learn and develop as a leaderWhy...

How do managers create value and impact? How do the best managers reduce friction and create capacity for their teams? My guest on this episode is with with Dave Kline who teaches leaders the codified management playbook to build great teams & level up their career During our conversation Dave and I discuss: Why he and his wife launched the management accelerator program and what makes it uniqueWhy he believes that the role of a manager is to deliver impact and why he created the impact...

The “Best of 2023” episode features sixteen don’t miss moments from HR executives and thought leaders who… So, who can you expect to learn from on this episode? Lisa Buckingham, former Chief People, Place & Brand Officer at Lincoln Financial GroupDave Ulrich, Professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan and a partner at The RBL GroupMatt Breitfelder, Head of Human Capital and Partner at Apollo Global ManagementMiriam Ort, EVP & CHRO at C&S Wholesale Grocers...

How does your “operating culture” impact your employee experience? What are the best ways to co-create your culture using data and the voice of your team members? My guest on this episode is with Heidi Manna, Chief People Officer at Jazz Pharmaceuticals During our conversation Heidi and I discuss: Her advice for candidates on how to assess in the interview if an organization values HRWhy a mentor’s direct and honest feedback was a turning point in her careerHow your “operating culture”...

Why should all HR leaders be “systems thinkers” How are processes, practices, and behaviors the building blocks of culture change? My guest on this episode is with Melissa Daimler, Chief Learning Officer at Udemy and Author of ReCulturing: Design Your Company Culture to Connect with Strategy and Purpose for Lasting Success” During our conversation Melissa and I discuss: Why she is so passionate about building great cultures?Why “systems thinking” is so important for HR leadersWhy a shift in...

What makes an HR leader successful in a PE backed company? What are the key differences between PE backed and public companies? My guest on this episode is with Randy Patterson, Managing Director of Human Capital, Portfolio Operations Group at Blackstone During our conversation Randy and I discuss: What early career experiences were most helpful in preparing him to become a CHROThe differences between being a CHRO at a private equity backed company versus a public companyHow he assess...

What does it mean to have “career agility” and how can you build this important skill? My guests on this episode are Antoine Tirard and Claire Harbour who co-authored the book “Disrupt Your Career: How to Navigate Uncharted Career Transitions and Thrive” and co-host their popular “Disrupt Your Career" podcast. During our conversation Antoine, Claire and I discuss: The three key trends that are driving a new career paradigmWhat they have learned in researching successful career transitionsHow...

How can HR use people analytics insights to drive business results? How will AI impact not only people analytics, but HR? My guest on this episode is with Cole Napper, Vice President, People Analytics & Chief Evangelist, Orgnostic During our conversation Cole and I discuss: Why people analytics is much more than just dashboardsWhy he believes people analytics is team sportWhat “organizational network analysis” is and how it can diagnose breakdowns in collaboration and communication...