Welcome to The People Dividend Podcast, a platform where meaningful dialogues, diverse perspectives, and inspiring stories come together to redefine the world of human capital. Every week, we sit down with industry experts, thought leaders and innovative professionals across various sectors to discuss the most pressing issues concerning people and work. Our goal is to change the narrative of business, emphasizing that people are not just resources but the most valuable assets who drive growth, innovation, and success.
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Episode 098: Cultural Influences on Leadership Styles
Tuesday, December 23, 2025 • Duration 21:01
In this episode of the People Dividend Podcast, host Mike Horne speaks with John Wang, author of 'Big Asian Energy' and an executive coach, about the journey to bold leadership and empowerment. They discuss the impact of cultural upbringing on leadership styles, the challenges posed by stereotypes, and the importance of embracing one's authentic self. John shares insights on building confidence, the power of vulnerability, and the significance of understanding cultural nuances in communication. The conversation emphasizes that leadership is not just about competence but also about warmth and connection.
Key Points:
Leadership is about taking initiative and embracing your authentic self.
Our cultural upbringing shapes our leadership perspectives and how we succumb to or overcome the negative effects of stereotypes.
Understanding cultural nuances is crucial in communication and being an effective leader.
John Wang's book 'Big Asian Energy' encourages individuals to own their strengths and challenge limiting beliefs about oneself.
Self-doubt can be transformed through understanding personal patterns.
Episode 097: Equity and Inclusion: A Transformative Journey
Tuesday, December 16, 2025 • Duration 21:02
In this episode of The People Dividend Podcast, host Mike Horne speaks with Celeste Warren, a transformative leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). They discuss the true meaning of equity, common misconceptions, and the importance of creating equitable workplaces. Celeste shares her journey from journalism to DEI leadership, her framework for understanding equity through the 'rocks and fence' analogy, and practical steps that everyone can take to foster inclusivity in their organizations. The conversation emphasizes that equity is essential for achieving collective goals and creating a better world for all.
Key Points:
Equity is not about preferential treatment but meeting people where they are, and this misconception is what often hinders understanding and implementation.
Celeste Warren's journey highlights the importance of passion in DEI work.
The 'rocks and fence' framework illustrates the need for equity in overcoming barriers.
Building trust and demonstrating servant leadership are key to effective leadership.
Creating an inclusive environment requires active participation from all employees.
Equity is foundational for true meritocracy in the workplace.
Episode 088: How High Achievers Redefine Success in Retirement
Tuesday, October 14, 2025 • Duration 35:49
"Leisure has meaning when it's in tension with effort, when it's in tension with something that asks more of us than pure relaxation or fun or just even lighthearted stimulation." - Elizabeth Parsons
In this episode of The People Dividend Podcast, host Mike Horne sits down with Elizabeth Zelenka Parsons, a retirement transition expert and author of Encore: A High Achiever's Guide to Thriving in Retirement. Together, they explore how high achievers can find fulfillment, purpose, and meaning beyond financial success as they transition into retirement.
Elizabeth challenges the traditional view of retirement as "the end" of productivity, reframing it as a new chapter of growth and contribution. She explains why redefining success, planning in decades, and building strong relationships are essential for a thriving post-career life.
Whether you're years away from retirement or already planning your next act, this episode will inspire you to approach the future with curiosity, purpose, and balance.
Key Points:
Redefine success: Learn how high achievers can shift from accomplishment-driven goals to purpose-driven living.
Start early: Plan for retirement in 10-year increments to build a more intentional and fulfilling future.
Look beyond money: True fulfillment comes from relationships, community, and meaningful engagement—not just financial security.
Episode 125: Dialogic Integrity: Emotions and Rationality in Leadership
Tuesday, January 23, 2024 • Duration 17:16
Corporate speak often masks more than it reveals – how can leaders navigate this to foster genuine dialogue and integrity? In this episode of the Authentic Change Podcast, host Mike Horne delves into this challenging aspect of organizational communication. He examines how the nuanced use of language in corporate settings often leans towards debate-style interactions, rather than fostering authentic dialogue and meaningful connections.
Mike explores the essential role of integrity in leadership and organizational development. He introduces a thought-provoking model that categorizes dialogic encounters into rational and emotional types. Rational encounters typically involve formal, structured exchanges where breaches in integrity are addressed through organizational systems. Emotional encounters, in contrast, bring personal reactions and feelings into the conversation, highlighting the importance of authenticity and emotional intelligence in leadership.
Throughout the episode, Mike emphasizes the critical nature of language in corporate dialogue. He discusses how common phrases in business communication can inadvertently obscure underlying issues, and stresses the importance of leaders being mindful of their language to ensure that it promotes transparency and genuine understanding.
Reflecting on how conversations around integrity are conducted in the workplace, Mike urges leaders to consider how they can encourage open discussions about integrity in their daily interactions. He suggests that approaching these discussions with bravery, sincerity, and a mindset of love and gratitude can lead to more positive and impactful outcomes.
The episode concludes with Mike encouraging listeners to embrace opportunities to bring more authenticity to their interactions with bosses and co-workers, thereby nurturing a culture of integrity. He reminds listeners of the power they hold in shaping the organizational environment through their everyday conversations and actions.
Quotes:
"Without integrity, you really can't lead, and without leading, you can't expect people to follow you." (4:16 | Mike Horne)
"What do we do to make dialogic encounters better? I think it starts with being brave. It starts with standing up for what you believe is right without considering the costs and to be sincere about it." (12:11 | Mike Horne)
Episode 124: Authentic Change with Mike Horne: A Five Season Reflection
Tuesday, January 16, 2024 • Duration 14:36
In the 124th episode of the Authentic Change Podcast, host Mike Horn takes a moment to reflect on the podcast's journey, celebrating its evolution over five seasons. This special episode delves into the podcast's heart - providing leaders and coaches with fresh, authentic perspectives, particularly for those striving to make a difference but grappling with challenges.
Mike acknowledges the common quest among leaders for growth and the hurdles in finding the right paths and resources. The podcast's dedication to exploring authentic leadership is highlighted, featuring a rich array of experts who shed light on this vital aspect of leadership and personal development.
With a history spanning over 31 months and encompassing more than 120 episodes, the podcast has become a haven for both new and returning listeners seeking guidance and inspiration. Mike looks back at the podcast's initial mission to empower culture leaders in creating dynamic and thriving workplace environments.
Throughout its five seasons, the podcast has ventured into diverse themes, with a spotlight on leadership development and the practice of authentic leadership. The array of guests, including academics and industry practitioners, reflects Mike's own path as an organization development practitioner and enriches the podcast with varied perspectives.
Leadership development and diversity, equity, and inclusion have emerged as recurring and pivotal themes. Their relevance to today's organizational and executive development landscapes is underscored, highlighting their alignment with Mike's current focus areas.
Feedback from listeners paints the podcast as a treasure trove of knowledge, akin to "coaching in a box," and applauds the diverse range of thought leaders featured. This appreciation fuels Mike's enthusiasm for continued engagement and collaboration with listeners.
The episode also unveils the next chapter for the podcast, transitioning to a new focus: "The People Dividend." Mike shares his excitement for this upcoming series and his vision for the podcast's future, aiming to continue it for many more seasons. Expanding the podcast's reach, a YouTube channel echoing the podcast's content has been launched, offering listeners another avenue to engage with these invaluable leadership insights.
Episode 123: Harnessing Authentic Leadership: Unleashing the Power of People in Organizations
Tuesday, January 9, 2024 • Duration 15:41
Reflecting on Leadership and Change: A Journey Through 121 Episodes. In this special episode of the Authentic Change Podcast, host Mike Horne takes listeners on a retrospective journey through the past 121 episodes recorded over five seasons. He starts by reiterating the podcast's mission to provide fresh perspectives on living and leading authentically, addressing the common challenges leaders face in their quest for growth and impact.
Mike then navigates through the five main themes that have surfaced throughout the podcast:
2. Workplace Culture and Employee Well-being: In episodes such as "Humanizing the Workplace" and "Slowing the Great Resignation," the focus shifts to creating positive, inclusive work environments. Mike discusses how these aspects are key in enhancing employee morale and productivity while addressing burnout and fostering workplace joy.
3. Transformation and Change Management: Reflecting on episodes like "Organization Development and Culture Change" and "Continuity and Change," Mike emphasizes the delicate balance between maintaining continuity and managing change, stressing the need for honesty and transparency in these processes.
4. Personal Development and Self-realization: Episodes such as "Discover Your Authentic Creative Self" and "" delve into personal growth and self-awareness. Mike highlights how understanding and leveraging personal strengths can lead to more effective leadership and personal fulfillment.
Episode 122: Authentic Leadership in Action - Embracing Diversity, Enhancing Communication, and Encouraging Development
Tuesday, January 2, 2024 • Duration 11:36
Reflecting on Season 5, host Mike Horne revisits three core themes that shaped the season's narrative: diversity and inclusion, effective communication and conflict resolution, and personal and professional development. He handpicks listener's favorite episodes within each theme, spotlighting their unique contributions to the leadership discourse.
Under diversity and inclusion, Mike underscores the critical need for a sense of belonging in the workplace. He points to episodes 110 and 111 as key discussions highlight the need for organizations to foster environments that value diverse perspectives and backgrounds and to identify and address systemic discrimination, which are critical considerations for everyone in our audience and for all of the leaders in HR.
The focus then shifts to effective communication and conflict resolution. Episodes such as 103 and 106 are highlighted for their practical approaches to managing conflicts and enhancing communication, essential for a harmonious workplace.
In discussing personal and professional development, Mike draws attention to episodes like 104, 108 and 109. These segments delve into self-improvement, goal achievement, and aligning personal growth with career advancement, offering listeners actionable strategies for their developmental journey.
Episode 121: Mike Horne Reviews "The Unlocked Leader"
Tuesday, December 26, 2023 • Duration 21:55
"HR Leaders, are you nurturing authenticity in your teams?" This pivotal question opens the latest episode of the Authentic Change Podcast, where host Mike Horne engages HR professionals in a thought-provoking discussion on the impact of authenticity on team and organizational performance. Mike delves into the realm of authentic leadership, emphasizing its vital role in fostering environments that are not only healthy and productive, but also deeply meaningful.
In this episode, Mike brings to light the insights from Hortense Le Gentil's "The Unlocked Leader," complementing them with themes from his own publication, "Integrity by Design." He explores how Le Gentil's book beautifully underscores the significance of vulnerability, empathy, and authenticity in leadership. These qualities, Mike argues, are key to breaking free from conventional molds of leadership and unlocking the potential within teams and organizations.
Challenging HR leaders to reevaluate their leadership approaches, Mike advocates for a shift towards a culture that encourages individual authenticity. He shares his extensive experience in conflict resolution and pair coaching, illustrating how genuine, authentic connections can transform team dynamics for the better.
As the episode concludes, Mike extends an invitation to his listeners to explore further resources available on his website and welcomes feedback and suggestions for future topics. Mike also shares a preview into a content shift in Season 6 of the podcast to The People Dividend. In this shift, Mike will explore how we enrich our own lives, how we pay dividends by authentic leadership, how these dividends pay yields to our influence and our impact on teams, how they benefit our organizations and their ability to do well in the world financially, socially, and in all the ways that are important to the communities in which we live.
Quotes:
"I describe authenticity as congruency. The ability to make sure that our words and actions, and even better, our thoughts, words, and actions align." (6:15 | Mike Horne)
"I'm always reminded that innovation doesn't occur because somebody has a bright light bulb that goes off. It is often because of work in pairs, work in trios, in some small groups. And I think we underestimate that." (13:27 | Mike Horne)
Episode 120: The Innovative Business How to Boost People Performance with Jim Verquist
Tuesday, December 19, 2023 • Duration 29:47
Embracing an inclusive approach to innovation at all levels can be a game-changer for businesses. In this engaging episode of the Authentic Change Podcast, host Mike Horne is joined by Jim Verquist, an expert in business innovation and people performance, to tackle this question. Jim brings a wealth of experience from his time in Silicon Valley startups and major corporations, offering a unique perspective on the varying cultures and approaches to innovation.
Throughout their conversation, Mike and Jim challenge common misconceptions about innovation. They suggest a significant mindset shift is needed: innovation shouldn't be seen as a function limited to a specific team, but rather as a mindset that all employees can adopt. They also discuss how often the most impactful ideas can emerge from the most unexpected places, underlining the role of serendipity in the process of innovation.
So what role do managers have in nurturing an innovative environment? Jim highlights the importance of creating a space where employees can experiment and bring their ideas to life, even as they handle their regular tasks. He stresses that treating team members with respect and support, and giving them the freedom to be proactive, is vital. Jim suggests that managers should encourage employees to be both innovators and, at times, corporate rebels. He believes that everyone has the desire to make a meaningful impact and that empowering employees to act on their ideas can unlock immense talent and energy, propelling innovation within the organization.
This engaging conversation offers practical insights into the essence of innovation, the pivotal role of management in fostering it, and the importance of cultivating a workplace culture that actively supports and encourages creative thinking. It's a look into how organizations can unlock their employees' potential to drive growth and adapt to the dynamic business world.
Quotes:
"Innovation tends to be thought of as something different. In fact, in a lot of circles, it's almost a bad word." (05:02 | Jim Verquist)
"Breakthroughs are things that take people by surprise. They're ideas that everybody hates until they work." (07:11 | Jim Verquist)
Episode 119: Learn to Trust with Veronica Anderson, M.D.
Tuesday, December 12, 2023 • Duration 38:16
Can your intuition be the secret to gaining respect and fulfillment in both your career and personal life? Tune into this episode of the Authentic Change Podcast, where host Mike Horne sits down with Dr. Veronica Anderson, author of "Get the Respect You Deserve: Seven Secrets to Getting Heard in Your Job and in Your Relationship." Dr. Veronica isn't your typical guest; she's an Ivy-educated eye surgeon, a practicing psychic, a human design relationship coach, and a third-degree black belt in taekwondo. In this episode, she shares her personal story of feeling overlooked and underappreciated, despite her impressive credentials, and how this led to burnout in her ophthalmology career.
Dr. Veronica discusses the challenge many high-achieving women face in finding recognition and respect in their professional lives. She talks about the necessity for leaders to look after their physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being and the power of trusting one's intuition. She also introduces the concept of human design, a tool to help understand individual strengths and navigate the world more effectively.
The conversation then turns to intuition in decision-making and problem-solving, particularly in improving personal and professional relationships. Dr. Veronica explains that while everyone has intuition, many haven't learned to use or trust it. She shares her experiences as a medical intuitive, where she offers insights and guidance beyond what traditional Western medicine provides. Dr. Veronica highlights tools like the Kolbe Index for enhancing talent acquisition and team building by understanding cognitive abilities and natural action styles. She stresses the importance of self-understanding and understanding others to foster productive work environments.
Overall, this episode sheds light on the intersection of intuition and authenticity in professional and personal development. Dr. Veronica's unique blend of experiences and professional training provides a unique perspective on finding respect and fulfillment in life.
Quotes:
"I'm what's called a quick start, which means I'm a visionary, innovator, fire, aim, ready type person. I come up with ideas. I'm very impulsive. I am naturally intuitive in my brain and in my energy. And so being a doctor where you got to stay in the box, was boring but also just hard work for me because I wasn't in the flow of where I should be. And this is important for HR professionals to hear because you will see somebody that looks like a superstar and then they seem to crash and burn." (9:30 | Dr. Veronica Anderson)
http://www.zelinkaparsons.com/ or https://www.encoraco.com/.or https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-zelinka-parsons-3b58a52/
"So there are plenty of opportunities that we have to discuss integrity, to think about the congruency of our thoughts, words, and actions, and to honor the principles of integrity. So my recommendation is, let's seize those opportunities to bring more of who we are to what we do, to speak up to think about dialogue and to create cultures where people effectively listen, as well. Because at the end of the day, the ability to listen can have a profound impact on the behaviors that we take and that's what people will see." (14:07 | Mike Horne)
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In closing, Mike expresses profound gratitude to all the listeners and guests who have contributed to the Authentic Change Podcast's journey. He anticipates the continuation of this journey, with a renewed commitment to enhancing workplace environments and aiding leaders in fostering organizations where people thrive!
Quotes:
"We are helping people and culture leaders, whether you're an HR professional, a scientist, an engineer, a technologist, to prosper in every situation, to bring more of who you are to what you do." (2:41 | Mike Horne)
I'm full of gratitude for all of our listeners for their support, for their engagement, and the deep commitment that all of our audience and our guests have fostered on how we contribute to changing authentically, to authentic change, to building workplaces that are better for everyone. (11:31 | Mike Horne)
5. Communication and Empathy: Mike revisits discussions on the importance of empathy and open communication in leadership, as seen in episodes like "Empathy from Leadership" and "Unleash Personal Mastery." These principles are fundamental in building positive relationships and establishing strong organizational values.
Looking to the future, Mike introduces "The People Dividend," a new podcast series focusing on the human aspect of business. This series will explore talent development, employee engagement, and building organizational culture, with episodes like "Investing in People for Business Success" and "Creating a Culture of Learning and Development." He emphasizes the significance of people-centered management and leadership and looks forward to deepening these conversations in the upcoming "The People Dividend" series.
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
Mike wraps up the episode with a call to action for listeners to apply the strategies discussed and to view authentic leadership as an ongoing process of learning, introspection, and adaptation. He emphasizes the need to challenge established norms, foster inclusive environments, and prioritize continuous personal and professional development.
This episode not only encapsulates the rich insights of Season 5 but also serves as an invaluable guide for leaders and coaches seeking to deepen their understanding and practice of authentic leadership and personal growth. For listeners should visit www.mike-horne.com to sign up for Mike's newsletter and to get access to Mike's free e-books.
Links:
Diversity & Inclusion Episodes:
EP 110: Addressing Systemic Discrimination by Reframing The Problem
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
"The extent to which you are able to reflect on your leadership style is a way that you can begin to unlock your authentic self, get to know your values, and as you do, you'll begin to identify perhaps where there are conflicts in the expression of those values and what's holding you back from bringing more of who you are to what you do." (14:47 | Mike Horne)
"Before it used to be all about experience and credentials in terms of climbing a corporate ladder, and today we know it's about learning and agility that are ways of defining career success." (16:28 | Mike Horne)
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
"Every human being wants to make a difference in the world. We want to work on something that's bigger than ourselves." (23:46 | Jim Verquist)
"Your employees want to be corporate rebels. They want to be innovators. They want to make a difference in the world. So let them." (28:49 | Jim Verquist)
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
"Every illness and injury or mental problem that you're having is a signal from the universe of some kind of spiritual issue that's going on in you." (18:30 | Dr. Veronica Anderson)
"Trust, learn about your intuition and use it and follow it above everything else. It will never fail you." (36:59 | Dr. Veronica Anderson)
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
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