How can feedback lead to personal and professional growth?

Why should HR leaders be more confident in who they are and the value they deliver?

My guest on this episode is Lisa Sun, who is an entrepreneur and author, “Gravitas: The 8 Strengths That Redefine Confidence.”

During our conversation Lisa and I discuss:

• Why feedback is a gift that can lead to personal growth and transformation.
• Why confidence is not about external validation, but about understanding and appreciating your own abilities.
• How the traditional definition of confidence often leads to a double standard.
• Why expanding the scorecard of success and redefining the metrics of confidence can create a more inclusive and equitable workplace.

Connecting with Lisa Sun:

Connect with Lisa Sun on LinkedIn

Learn more about Lisa’s company, Gravitas and her book.

Episode Sponsor:

Elevate by Future of HR - Reserve your spot now to learn from 22 top HR thought leaders.

Next-Gen HR Accelerator - Learn more about this best-in-class leadership development program for next-gen HR leaders

This week’s episode is a sneak peek of the 22 HR and management thought leaders that you will be learning from at Elevate by Future of HR starting on October 8th.

Each sneak peek will not only provide valuable insights you can apply, but it will also give you an opportunity to learn more about the thought leader themselves.

If you are a fan of the podcast, then you know that my mission is to develop the next-generation of HR leaders. And what I try to do each and every week for the past 100+ weeks on the Future of HR podcast is to bring you the best minds in our field…

And while you can learn a lot by listening to a podcast conversation with a thought leader…. I believe you can take your learning to the next level by attending and participating in an interactive session with a thought leader.

And this is why I created “Elevate by Future of HR” which is a flexible and targeted 3-week program featuring 18 interactive sessions, live Q&As for personalized guidance from the 22 of the best minds in our field. And of course, you will have on demand access to recordings to all sessions through march 31, 2025 so you continue to learn long after Elevate is over.

This is an incredible opportunity to accelerate your growth, elevate your career, and amplify your impact with actionable insights and strategies from 22 top thought leaders.

You don’t want to miss out on this incredible development experience. Go to elevatebyfutureofhr2024.com and reserve your spot.

Here is who you will be hearing from on this episode:

Marc Effron • Angelea Lane • Michael Watkins • Sohee Jun • Sergey Gorbatov • Charlene Li • Kevin Cox • Wanda Wallace • Andre’ Martin • Rhonda Morris • Scott Anthony • Amy Kates • Jonathan Hornyak • Dianne Armstrong • Allan Church • Angela Cheng-Cimini • Sandy Ogg • Humera Malik Shahid • Noah Rabinowitz • Ken Keener • Hein Knaapen • JP Elliott

Episode Sponsor:

Elevate by Future of HR - Reserve your spot now to learn from 22 top HR thought leaders.

Next-Gen HR Accelerator - Learn more about this best-in-class leadership development program for next-gen HR leaders

How can HR help leaders make better people decisions?

Why is expertise in work the next big capability for HR leaders?

My guest on this episode is Lucien Alziari, EVP and CHRO of Prudential Financial, Inc

During our conversation Lucien and I discuss:

• What he learned from an early career setback and how that has impacted his leadership style
• Why the fundamental role of HR is to help their business to win in the marketplace
• What qualities differentiate the best CHROs from their peers
• How HR can use “decision logic” to help leaders make better people decisions
• Why the next big capability of HR leaders will be expertise in work
• What many HR leaders are getting wrong when it comes to Generative AI

Connecting with Lucien Alziari:

Connect with Lucien Alziari on LinkedIn

Episode Sponsor:

Deeper Signals - Click here to get your free Core Drivers assessment!

What differentiates the best HR leaders from the rest? Why it isn’t enough to “know the business, you must love the business

My guest on this episode is Marc Effron, President, Talent Strategy Group.

During our conversation, Marc and I discuss the following:

• Marc’s career journey and what led him to co-author One Page Talent Management

• The unforgettable advice that Marshall Goldsmith gave to Marc

• The one question that will help advance your career

• What differentiates the best HR leaders from the rest

Books & Resources Discussed:

7 Rules of Power: Surprising--But True--Advice on How to Get Things Done and Advance Your Career by Jeffrey Pfeffer

8 Steps to High Performance: Focus On What You Can Change (Ignore the Rest) by Marc Effron

One Page Talent Management: Eliminating Complexity, Adding Value by Marc Effron & Miriam Ort

Talent Management Institute

Talent Quarterly

Connecting with Marc:

Marc Effron on LinkedIn

Talent Strategy Group

Why is it important that we speak truth to power? How can you redesign your current role to super charge your career?

My guest on this episode is Holly Tyson, Chief People Officer at Cushman & Wakefield.

During our conversation, Holly and I discuss the following

• How and when you should speak truth to power

• Holly’s advice for aspiring Chief People Officers

• How to redesign your current role and why it will accelerate your career growth

• Why you need many mentors throughout your career

Why is being intellectually curious so important to your career success? How can you identify, analyze and solve business problems like a consultant?

My guest on this episode is Aaron Sorensen, Partner and Chief Behavioral Scientist at Lotis Blue Consulting.

During our conversation, Aaron and I discuss the following

• The skills and capabilities required to be a successful consultant

• The most common misconceptions about being a consultant

• How to improve your critical thinking skills

• Why the next generation of HR pro’s must be digital natives to stay relevant

Aaron’s Book Recommendations:

Understanding Michael Porter: The Essential Guide to Competition and Strategy by Joan Magretta

The Minto Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing, Thinking, & Problem Solving by Barbara Minto

Connecting with Aaron:

Aaron Sorensen on LinkedIn

Lotis Blue Consulting

Why do some HR leaders have more influence and impact than others?

How do you develop the skills and mindset to be a trusted advisor?

My guest on this episode is former NiSource, CHRO turned Executive Coach, Ken Keener.

During our conversation, Ken and I discuss the following:

• How he got his start in HR

• The importance of HR leading, not managing change

• The steps he took to prepare and become an executive coach.

Ken’s Book Recommendations:

• The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni

• Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

• One Page Talent Management by Marc Effron & Miriam Out

• Performance Coaching by Dana Gaines Robinson & James C Robinson

• What Got You Here Won’t Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith

Connecting with Ken:

• Ken Keener on LinkedIn

• Keener Advisors

How can we learn to work with intelligent machines and Generative AI?

Why is the human connection so critical to learning new skills?

My guest on this episode is Matt Beane, Assistant Professor, UCSB Technology Management Program, Digital Fellow at Stanford & MIT, and & Author of the new book, “The Skill Code.”

During our conversation Matt and I discuss:

• Why we are “sacrificing learning for productivity” with technology like Generative AI and robotics
• Why mentors, coaches, and apprenticeships are more important than ever before
• How challenge, complexity, and connection are critical to developing valuable skills
• Why organizations need to shift their mindset from “Skills + AI” to “Skills X AI”
• Why he believes that learning and development is the new number one function in every organization

Connecting with Matt Beane:

Connect with Matt Beane on LinkedIn

Learn more about “The Skill Code: How to Save Human Ability in the Age of Intelligent Machines”

Read Matt’s article: Learning & Development: the new #1 organizational function

Read: GPTs are GPTs: An early look at the labor market impact potential of large language models

Episode Sponsor:

Deeper Signals - Click here to get your free Core Drivers assessment!

What does it mean to connect talent to value?

How can you create “Click” for your most critical roles?

My guest on this episode is Sandy Ogg, Founder CEO.works & Hein Knaapen, Managing Partner, Europe, CEO.works

During our conversation Sandy, Hein, and I discuss:

• Why the best leaders focus on the fewest things that can make the biggest difference
• Why companies can’t just improve their way to success, instead they must always be transforming to win
• Why companies must look beyond the traditional hierarchy to identify the roles that create value
• Why focus and the conviction to say “no” are the keys to managing complexity
• How organizations can create “Click” by aligning the role, the work, and the right level of resources with the right talent

Connecting with Sandy & Hein

Connect with Sandy Ogg on LinkedIn

Connect with Hein Knaapen on LinkedIn

Learn more about CEO.works

Episode Sponsor:

Deeper Signals - Click here to get your free Core Drivers assessment!

What trends will have the most impact on the future of work?

How will AI impact both white collar and blue collar roles?

My guest on this episode is Kelly Monahan, Managing Director, Research Institute at Upwork

During our conversation Kelly and I discuss:

• The key trends that will impact the future of work over the next few years.
• Why leaders of the future must shift towards building trust and developing others.
• Why organizations need to shift from rewarding individuals to rewarding teams.
• Why AI will create a skill imbalance where it will create new jobs, but there will be a shortage of talent to fill these roles.
• Why the skills-based organization movement is stuck in the theory phase and the challenges it faces in implementation.

Connecting with Kelly Monahan

Connect with Kelly Monahan on LinkedIn

Episode Sponsor:

Deeper Signals - Click here to get your free Core Drivers assessment!

What does the research say when it comes to developing leaders?

Why is there a “knowing-doing” gap when it comes implementing talent management practices?

My guests on this episode are three well known HR thought leaders: Dave Ulrich, Bob Eichinger, and Allan Church.

During our conversation Dave, Bob, Allan and I discuss:

• Why skills-based organizations are an incomplete method of talent management.
• How to think about and define leadership potential?
• Why HR leaders need to asking what leadership do we need to have to be successful in the future?
• The reasons why organizations struggle to develop a leadership bench.
• How talent management professionals can elevate their impact.

Connecting with Bob, Dave and Allan

Connect with Bob Eichinger on LinkedIn or his company, TalentTelligent

Connect with Dave Ulrich on LinkedIn

Connect with Allan Church on LinkedIn

Resources and Articles Mentioned in this Episode:

Dave Ulrich’s Weekly LinkedIn Newsletter

PepsiCo’s Formula for Leadership Potential by Allan Church & Sergio Ezama

Why Talent Management and Succession Bench Building Aren’t Working Today: As Least Not as Well as They Could! by Dave Ulrich, Allan H. Church, Bob Eichinger, and Roger Pearman

Episode Sponsor:

BizLibrary - Where Learning Happens

Deeper Signals - Click here to get your free Core Drivers assessment!

Why do leaders need to earn the right to lead?

How can you be more intentional in building your company’s culture?

My guest on this episode is Adam Holton, Chief People Officer for Amedisys

During our conversation Adam and I discuss:

• What being a Marine and a basketball coach has taught him about leadership
• The four factors that can make or break an organization’s culture
• How focusing on and reinforcing core behaviors builds a high-performance culture
• Why he believes that people analytics is the most important skill set for both current and future CHROs
• How Generative AI will impact HR leaders in the short and long term.

Connecting with Adam Holton

Connect with Adam Holton on LinkedIn

Adam’s Book - Why They Served: Click here to read Chapter 7 and the rest of this powerful book

Episode Sponsors:

BizLibrary - Where Learning Happens

Deeper Signals - Click here to get your free Core Drivers assessment!

Why is having the right mindset critical to career success?

How can you use obstacles to become stronger and more resilient?

My guest on this episode is Andy Storch, Consultant, Coach, Speaker, and Author, “Own Your Career Own Your Life.”

During our conversation Andy and I discuss:

• What capabilities make a great talent development professional
• The skills that will be the most valuable in the future and why
• Why next-gen HR leaders need to build relationships with people who are doing what they want to be doing in the future
• What he learned during his battle to overcome cancer
• Why asking the right questions is the key to breaking out of your comfort zone

Connecting with Andy Storch

Connect with Andy Storch on LinkedIn

Learn more about or work with Andy

Episode Sponsor:

BizLibrary - Where Learning Happens

Why should you treat your employees like you treat your customers?

Why should Chief People Officers think of themselves as Chief Performance Officers?

My guest on this episode is Francisco Sorrentino, Chief People Officer at DigitalBridge and I discuss how HR can drive performance and organizational effectiveness.

During our conversation Francisco and I discuss:

• Why you should treat your employees like you treat our customers
• Why working in an early stage start-up can drive exponential development and professional growth especially early in your career.
• What he has learned from working with early stage company founders and CEOs
• How he assess talent and determines if someone is a fit for a role or the organization

Connecting with Francisco Sorrentino

Connect with Francisco Sorrentino on LinkedIn

Episode Sponsor:

BizLibrary - Where Learning Happens

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 role of the Chief People Officer and why many former Chief Diversity Officers are transitioning into this position.
• Her perspective on the current state of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in 2024 and beyond.
• Why investing in talent and developing leaders will be crucial for organizations in the next five years.
• How shifts in workplace expectations are redefining how people view work, their purpose, and how they think about work-life balance

Connecting with Lybra Clemons

Connect with Lybra Clemons on LinkedIn

Episode Sponsor:

BizLibrary - Where Learning Happens

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 unpopular
• Why the best HR leaders are clear on their leadership philosophy
• Why being a great coach is all about the “art of the question”
• His recommendations for CHROs on how they can develop their next-gen HR talent
• His advice for next-gen HR leaders on how they can invest in and develop themselves

Connecting with Ian Ziskin

Connect with Ian Ziskin on LinkedIn

Episode Sponsor:

BizLibrary - Where Learning Happens

Why is organizational design much more than org charts and who reports to whom?

How can HR guide, facilitate and drive effective an organizational design process?

My guest on this episode is Amy Kates who is organizational design expert and author of five books on the subject.

During our conversation Amy and I discuss:

• Why the purpose of organizational design is to design human behavior at scale
• Why matrix organizations are set up for good conflict and how best to manage it
• The six business problems that leaders seek to solve through organizational design
• Why organizational design is not about org charts and who reports to whom
• The role that HR leaders should play and not play in the organizational design process.
• Advice for HR leaders who are about to start an organizational design project

Connecting with Amy Kates:

Connect with Amy Kates on LinkedIn

Learn more about Amy’s work at Operating Model & Organization Design LinkedIn page

Episode Sponsor:

Elevate by Future of HR - Reserve your spot now to learn from 22 top HR thought leaders.

Next-Gen HR Accelerator - Learn more about this best-in-class leadership development program for next-gen HR leaders

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 you.

So who are those amazing speakers….:

• Prasad Setty, Lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business & former VP, People Ops and Workspace, Google

• Charlene Li, Bestselling Author & Founder & CEO, Quantum Networks Group

• Diane Gherson, former IBM CHRO, Board member of Kraft Heinz, Centivo and TechWolf

• Monica Pool Knox, who is a 2x CHRO, HR Tech Advisor, Board Director

• Sal Falletta, Professor for Human Resource Leadership and Organizational Science, Drexel University and author of “Creepy Analytics: Avoid Crossing the Line and Establish Ethical HR Analytics for Smarter Workforce Decisions”

• Elliott Masie, Chair, MASIE Learning Foundation

• Kevin Oakes, CEO, i4cp

Episode Sponsor:

BizLibrary - Where Learning Happens

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 workers
• How AI will amplify our intelligence and increase our productivity
• Why HR needs to lead the way on building an AI first culture and driving it’s adoption
• Examples of three companies that are implementing different innovative skills-first initiatives

Connecting with Kate Bravery & Ilya Bonic

Connect with Kate Bravery on LinkedIn

Connect with Ilya Bonic on LinkedIn

Learn more about “Work Different: 10 Truths For Winning in the People Age”

Episode Sponsor:

BizLibrary - Where Learning Happens

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 their organizations
• Why talent leaders need to have a point of view on the top 100+ leaders in their organization.
• Why every HR professional needs to think about their job in terms of the outcomes they deliver.
• How J&J is personalizing career journeys and using skills as the foundation for their mentoring programs.
• How Generative AI and the digital transformation of work will impact every organization’s people strategies

Connecting with Peter Fasolo & Michael Ehret

Connect with Peter Fasolo on LinkedIn

Connect with Michael Ehret on LinkedIn

Episode Sponsor:

BizLibrary - Where Learning Happens

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 standards
• How HR leaders need to rethink the “value of time” when it comes to investing in learning
• Why “skill surging” is an faster and better alternative to implementing a skills-based organization
• Why you should be refining, not reinventing your L&D governance model
• Noah’s advice to next-gen L&D leaders who want to increase their influence and impact

Connecting with Noah Rabinowitz and Brian Hackett

Connect with Noah Rabinowitz on LinkedIn

Connect with Brian Hackett on LinkedIn

Learn more about the CLO LIFT and The Learning Forum

Episode Sponsor:

BizLibrary - Where Learning Happens

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’s
• Why having the right mindset is so powerful in overcoming challenges and achieving success
• How to build a “board of advocates” that will challenge and support you over the course of your career
• Why imposter syndrome impacts all of us and how to move past it
• What organizations can do to invest in and develop their female leaders
• Her advice for next-gen HR leaders who want to accelerate their career

Connecting with Sohee:

Sohee Jun, PhD on LinkedIn

Sohee’s website

Episode Sponsor:

BizLibrary - Where Learning Happens

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 career
• What 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 field
• How they are redefining their values and what it means to be a Cardinal
• His advice for HR leaders who want to redefine their values and culture
• Why believes in creating a compelling employee experience is critical high performance and employee engagement

Connecting with Shaun Mayo

Connect with Shaun on LinkedIn

Episode Sponsor:

BizLibrary - Where Learning Happens

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 career
• Why more is not better when it comes to communicating powerfully and effectively
• Why effective communication now requires a different skill set due to the daily distractions of technology
• How to create “AHA” moments in your presentations
• How gamification will help people develop the soft skills to be successful in the future of work
• Why friendships at work can be a foundation for high performance and employee engagement

Connecting with Gabe Zichermann

Connect with Gabe on LinkedIn

Learn more about Gabe’s speaking engagement, coaching, and books

Learn more about The A-HA! Method

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 career
• What a personal success profile is and how it can help accelerate your career
• What he calls the five D’s of the new workplace and why they matter
• Why he believes we should move away from performance management and move towards “project assessments”
• His “disruptive” coaching model and how to apply it

Connecting with Wagner DeNuzzo

Connect with Wagner on LinkedIn

Learn more about Wagner and Leading to Succeed. 

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 career
• Why she believes that putting people first is critical to business success
• Why she believes you should be open to new opportunities and the power of saying “yes.”
• How Starbucks co-created their new values with input from their partners
• Her advice to HR leaders who are updating their organization’s values
• Why co-creation and an effective listening strategy is helping them to evolve their industry leading benefit offerings

Connecting with Sara Kelly

Connect with Sara Kelly on LinkedIn

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 programs
• Why coachable leaders have a different mindset than less coachable leaders
• Why being coachable decreases as we age and advance in our careers
• How to overcome the seven faulty assumptions that low coachable leaders make 
• How Kevin’s “two question” technique helps leaders seek out feedback
• How to seek out and find a truth teller who can give you candid feedback
• What most people are doing wrong when receiving feedback and what you should do instead

Connecting with Kevin Wilde

Connect with Kevin Wilde on LinkedIn

Learn more about the The Coachable Leader and Kevin’s research

Why do organizations need to invest in their employees personal and professional development?

How can HR help identify the “enterprise skills” that are most critical to driving value?

My guest on this episode are the three authors of “The Talent-Fueled Enterprise - A Powerful Approach to Build Tomorrow’s Workforce” Mike Ohata, Eric Dingler, and Larry Durham.

During our conversation Mike, Larry, Eric, and I discuss:

• Why understanding your organization’s current skills needs and gaps is critical to driving success
• How success profiles can be used to identify key attributes, skills, and experiences necessary for roles at all levels
• Why organizations need to recognize and engage with employees as individuals to fully develop their potential
• The importance of identifying, assessing, and validating "enterprise skills" to build tomorrow's workforce
• How new technologies and skills marketplaces are challenging traditional HR hierarchies and structures

Connecting with Mike, Eric, and Larry:

Connect with Mike Ohata, Larry Durham, Eric Dingler on LinkedIn

Learn more about the Talent Fueled Enterprise: A Powerful Approach to Build Tomorrow's Workforce

Episode Sponsor:

Elevate by Future of HR - Reserve your spot now to learn from 21 top thought leaders.

Next-Gen HR Accelerator - Learn more about this leadership development program for next-gen HR leaders

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 position
• When and how to apply “good friction” to slow things down for better decision making
• How to identify good and bad friction in your organization
• Why empathetic leaders seek out the “friction” in their organizations and then work to reduce it
• How to play the “subtraction game” and how it can help your organization

Connecting with Bob Sutton

Connect with Bob Sutton on LinkedIn

Learn more about Bob and his latest book, “The Friction Project”

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 career
• Why she believes “you can ask for a mentor, but you must earn a sponsor”
• What she learned from participating in the “the sponsorship effect” research project
• Why sponsorship is one of the greatest retention levers that organizations have
• Her advice on creating a culture where leaders invest in mentoring and sponsoring talent
• Her advice for next gen HR leaders on how to find a mentor and grow that relationship into sponsorship

Connecting with Kerrie Peraino:

Connect with Kerrie Peraino on LinkedIn

Learn more about the Sponsorship Effect: Breaking Through the Last Glass Ceiling

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 to having power is ourselves
• Why it is important that we own and tell our story, not let others tell it for us
• Why he believes that being authentic and/or modest is terrible leadership advice Why networking is a super power and how to do it well
• Why he believes HR needs to raise the bar and step into their power
• His advice on how to deal with difficult leaders in positions of power

Connecting with Jeffrey Pfeffer

Connect with Jeffrey Pfeffer on LinkedIn

Learn more about the Jeffrey’s books, research, podcast and more

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” book
• What differentiates the leadership pipeline framework from traditional competency based leadership models
• Why leadership is not about leadership, but rather the specific job that needs to be done
• The common traits shared among senior executives who are not chosen for CEO roles
• How the leadership pipeline model can be applied in smaller organizations
• The most common mistakes companies make when implementing the leadership pipeline model

Connecting with Kent Jonasen and Steve Drotter

Connect with Kent Jonasen and Steve Drotter on LinkedIn

Learn more about the Leadership Pipeline Institute

Buy the Leadership Pipeline: Building Leaders in the Digital Age

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 leader
• The importance of asking for help and not believing you have all the answers
• How she leverages her own personal board of directors to continue to learn and develop as a leader
• Why she believes HR needs to take more calculated risks
• The question every HR leader should ask before trying gain the buy-in of their business leaders
• Why HR leaders need to practice “other thinking” to increase their impact

Connecting with Rhonda Morris

Connect with Rhonda Morris on LinkedIn

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 unique
• Why he believes that the role of a manager is to deliver impact and why he created the impact equation
• Why the best leaders focus on reducing friction and cycle time for their teams
• How new leaders can build trust with their teams by identifying and making a meaningful change on something that matters to them
• Why leaders who are afraid to give feedback in the moment often drop what he calls the “synthesis bomb” and it how it negatively impacts trust
• The six fears (rational and irrational) that stop leaders from delegating to their teams and how to overcome them

Connecting with Dave Kline

Connect with Dave Kline on LinkedIn

Learn more about MGMT Accelerator on Maven

Subscribe to Dave’s weekly newsletter MGMT Playbook

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 Group
• Dave Ulrich, Professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan and a partner at The RBL Group
• Matt Breitfelder, Head of Human Capital and Partner at Apollo Global Management
• Miriam Ort, EVP & CHRO at C&S Wholesale Grocers & Symbotic
• Sam Hammock, EVP & CHRO at Verizon
• Ola Snow, CHRO, Cardinal Health
• Andre’ Martin, PhD, Founder of Shift Space and author of “Wrong Fit, Right Fit”
• Tami Rosen, Chief People Officer at Pagaya
• Jay Parker, founder and CEO of Mentorforce
• Cary Friedman, Global Head of Human Resources at Jefferies
• Matt Abrahams, a leading expert in communication and author of “Think Faster, Talk Smarter”
• Mita Mallick, Chief Diversity Officer & Author of “Reimagine Inclusion”
• Nick Bloom, WFH expert & Professor of Economics at Stanford University
• Anne Gotte, VP Global Talent, General Mills & Joe Garbus, EVP Global Head of Talent, PVH Corp.
• Peter Block, author of Flawless Consulting and Partner at Designed Learning
• Chris Scalia, Chief Human Resources Officer, The Hershey Company

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 HR
• Why a mentor’s direct and honest feedback was a turning point in her career
• How your “operating culture” impacts your employee experience
• Why they have relied on “principles” and team leaders judgement in developing their future work model “Jazz Remix”
• How data on employee preferences, commute times, and percentage of distributed teams helped inform their future work model “Jazz Remix”
• How she engaged and collaborated with the senior leadership to gain alignment and ownership for “Jazz Remix”

Connecting with Heidi Manna

Connect with Heidi Manna on LinkedIn

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 leaders
• Why a shift in business strategy likely means you need to make a shift in your culture
• Why you should look for four common gaps when diagnosing culture
• Why behaviors, processes, and practices all must work together to drive culture change
• Why she believes culture change is not an HR initiative

Connecting with Melissa Daimler

Connect with Melissa Daimler on LinkedIn

Learn more about Melissa and ReCulturing

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 CHRO
• The differences between being a CHRO at a private equity backed company versus a public company
• How he assess potential candidates experiences, capabilities and fit for the CHRO role
• What makes a 1st time CHRO successful in a private equity backed company
• How Blackstone's innovative Career Pathways program is supporting the advancement of underrepresented talent

Connecting with Randy Patterson

Connect with Randy Patterson on LinkedIn

Learn more about Blackstone’s Career Pathways program

What really matters when it comes to CEO and executive succession?

What role should CHROs play in executive succession?

My guests on this episode are Kevin Cox, Founder and President of LKC Advisory and Anthony Nyberg, Director, Center for Executive Succession at University of South Carolina.

During our conversation Kevin, Anthony, and I discuss:

• Why culture is owned by the CEO, not the CHRO
• What is the one common mistake that Boards make during the executive succession process and how to fix it.
• The most important role that CHROs can play in executive succession process.
• Why CFOs are more likely to be promoted internally than CHROs.
• Why character, courage, and business acumen are three of the most important traits of successful CHROS

Connecting with Kevin and Anthony

Connect with Kevin Cox on LinkedIn

Connect with Anthony Nyberg on LinkedIn

Learn more about Center for Executive Succession

Resources mentioned in this conversation:

CEO succession planning playbook

CHRO Principles: Responsible Use of AI in Organizations

Episode Sponsor:

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Next-Gen HR Accelerator - Learn more about this leadership development program for next-gen HR leaders

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 paradigm
• What they have learned in researching successful career transitions
• How to leverage their 4E career framework to find the right role for you
• Why “career agility” is so important and how to build this important skill
• Why career management is both an art and a science.
• What companies and HR can do to better support career development

Connecting with Claire and Antoine

Connect with Claire Harbour on LinkedIn

Connect with Antoine Tirard on LinkedIn

Learn more about their “Disrupt Your Career” book

Listen or subscribe to their “Disrupt Your Career” podcast

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 dashboards
• Why he believes people analytics is team sport
• What “organizational network analysis” is and how it can diagnose breakdowns in collaboration and communication within teams
• The potential value and use cases of Generative AI tools in HR
• How AI will impact the future of people analytics

Connecting with Cole Napper

Connect with Cole Napper on LinkedIn

Check out his podcast “Directionally Correct” or subscribe to his Substack to read his articles

Why is talent the ultimate value creator?

How can you unlock the capacity of your people and a high performance culture?

My guest on this episode is Chris Scalia, Chief Human Resources Officer, The Hershey Company

During our conversation Chris and I discuss:

• Why he believes talent is the ultimate value creator
• Why it is important that your organization have a strategic narrative that drives clarity and purpose for your workforce
• Why the most effective employee listening capabilities give team members a direct voice in shaping strategies and how the business operates
• Why he believes every high performing team is composed of visionaries, pragmatists, and geeks
• Why he believes a strong employee value proposition can build trust, increase organizational agility and foster inclusion.
• His advice for future CHROs on how to be successful in the role

Connecting with Chris Scalia

Connect with Chris Scalia on LinkedIn

Learn more about the Milton Hershey School

• How organizations can accelerate the transition of new leaders into their roles
• How remote and hybrid work has impacted leadership transitions
• Why it is critical that new leaders come in with a “learning plan” and how to create one
• Why he believes “integration” is more important than “orientation”
• Why organization’s need to be more clear on who owns leadership transitions
• Why he believes that people can develop “strategic thinking” skills

• Why differentiating your skills, a variety of experiences, and building deep relationships are critical to career success
• How and why I started the Future of HR podcast
• What I have learned after interviewing over 50+ HR leaders and experts in our field
• How CEOs can better leverage their HR leaders
• The key phrase that I believe will define the Future of HR

• Why relationships are the delivery systems of how work gets done
• How decisions are often driven by relationships, emotions, and other factors rather than rational thinking
• Why he believes the feedback is overrated
• Why is critical that HR speaks authentically and addresses what is happening in the moment
• How HR leaders can handle resistance and why overcoming it is about uncovering a leader’s doubts, not providing more evidence
• Why asking your key stakeholders, “what about our relationship do you find valuable” is one of the most effective ways to builds trust
• Why HR needs to stop waiting for a seat at the table and become the table

What makes a Talent Review successful?

Why is it important that your talent review be “action oriented” and deliver outcomes for the business

My guest on this episode is Anne Gotte, VP Global Talent, General Mills & Joe Garbus, EVP Global Head of Talent, PVH Corp.

During our conversation Anne, Joe, and I discuss:

• Why your talent review needs to be “smart and simple” and how to do it
• Why you should think of talent reviews as a diagnostic and planning tool
• Why talent reviews should focus on development, not just assessing performance and potential
• Why establishing consistent and shared definitions for evaluating and differentiating talent is critical to a successful talent review
• Why the best talent reviews are “action-orientated” and result in tangible plans, outcomes, and progress.

Connecting with Anne & Joe: Connect with Anne Gotte & Joe Garbus on LinkedIn

How can you best design and optimize your remote or hybrid work practices to increase productivity, collaboration and culture?

My guest on this episode is Nick Bloom, WFH expert & Professor of Economics at Stanford UniversityDuring our conversation Nick and I discuss:

• How he became the expert on “Working From Home” research
• The real reason “work from home” has increased over the past few years (hint: it is not just the pandemic)
• Why people working from home are more likely to log hours at night or on the weekends
• What the research really says about productivity and “remote / hybrid work”
• Why organized hybrid work schedules are becoming more popular
• Why he believes a strong performance management system is critical to successful hybrid/remote work workplaces
• Why he believes work from home will increase like a Nike swoosh over the next ten years

Connecting with Nick: Connect with Nick Bloom on LinkedIn

• How he made a mid career transition from operations to HR
• The workforce trends that are impacting healthcare organizations
• Why he believes that increasing productivity through technology is an imperative in the healthcare industry
• Why asking “how does this make someone feel” is the key to creating great employee experiences
• How talent acquisition drives the employee experience and can increase retention

Are you clear on your purpose?

How can you align your career with your values, passion, and purpose?

My guest on this episode is with Dean Carter, Chief People and Purpose Officer, Guild

During our conversation Dean and I discuss:

• How he found his passion and purpose to be an HR leader
• What he learned about leadership, culture and a purpose during his time as Patagonia’s Global Head of People, Culture, and Shared Services?
• Why he believes you should identify what makes your culture unique and go after it in a big way
• Why did he add “Purpose” to his Chief People Officer title at Guild?
• How he used “first design principles” to redesign the roles with his HR organization at Guild
• Why he launched a community for CHRO’s called “CHRO Compass”
• His advice for CHROs who aspire to be on an organization’s board of directors

Connecting with Dean:

Connect with Dean Carter on LinkedIn

Learn more about Guild’s CHRO Compass

Why do we need to rethink how we value and measure human capital?

How can HR influence the business to take a longer term view when making investments in their people?

My guest on this episode is Peter Cappelli Professor of Management at The Wharton School and Director of Wharton’s Center for Human Resources

During our conversation Peter and I discuss:

• Why people are the least important asset according to current financial accounting practices.
• The real reason companies do layoffs (hint: it is often not about cost savings).
• What HR leaders can do to better communicate the tangible and intangible costs of layoffs.
• Why hiring decisions are the most important decisions organizations make.
• Why companies complain about skills gaps and why a lack of skills is not really the problem.
• His advice for HR leaders on what they should be doing in 2024 and beyond.

Connecting with Peter Cappelli

Connect with Peter Cappelli on LinkedIn

Learn more about Peter and his contributions to the field