Inspiring the next generation of HR Leaders

How can you build business acumen without owning a P&L? Why is developing your business acumen within your control? My guest on this episode is Rose Velez-Smith, CHRO, DoubleVerify During our conversation Rose and I discuss: Why stepping out of HR to be in the business can be the single best thing you do for your career. How to start every executive conversation with business priorities first, then ask what talent outcomes are needed to enable them. Why talent doesn't exist separate from business strategy. How to choose your next role by evaluating who you'll become because of it. Why AI reshapes work rather than replacing it, and why in the future we will design jobs around judgment, creativity, and relationships.

How can you create an HR Business Partner Center of Excellence? Why does HR need to shift from owning programs to owning business outcomes? My guest on this episode is Christina Schelling, SVP, Human Resources - Head of Talent & HR Business Partners, Verizon During our conversation Christina and I discuss: Why naming the HRBP group a Center of Excellence gives partners community, shared goals, and focused development. How the HR business partner role is evolving to be more strategic. How Verizon defined HRBP success with four shared metrics aligned to their strategy. Why HRBPs don't need to be experts in everything, and how COE partners make them stronger. How Verizon partnered with their HR tech vendors co-create innovative AI talent solutions.

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”: 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

How can you turn HR data into insights that drive decisions? Why do leaders make decisions based on their experience and instinct, not just data? My guest on this episode is Morgan Depenbusch, Data Storytelling & Influence Expert During our conversation Morgan and I discuss: How to tell what data is interesting from what data is decision relevant Why one reason to say no can beat twenty reasons to say yes Why you should see yourself as the guide and the leader as the hero How to surface a leader's real objection before the meeting and name it first Why AI gives HR more dashboards and signals but not more influence

How can HR transform meetings into a competitive advantage? Why is the one-on-one the one meeting that leaders should never cancel? My guest on this episode is Steven Rogelberg, author of “The Surprising Science of Meetings” and “Glad We Met: The Art & Science of 1:1 Meetings” During our conversation Steven and I discuss: Why a world without meetings is worse than a world with them Why the person who called the meeting is usually the only one who thinks it went well. Why measurement is the missing piece as engagement surveys almost never ask about meetings. Why framing your agenda as questions to be answered clarifies who to invite, what success looks like, and whether you even need to meet. Why the one-on-one belongs to the employee, not the manager

How does human capital create value in private equity? What does it take to be a successful HR leader in private equity? My guest on this episode is David Cohen, Partner, Human Capital at Kelso During our conversation David and I discuss: Why the role of the human capital partner in private equity is to unlock value through people, not to run HR for the firm itself. What is takes to be successful as a CHRO in a private equity backed company. Why human capital value creation comes down to org design, the right people in the right seats, and senior team performance. How the "bullseye" model helps identify the right senior leader for a PE-backed company. Why breadth of experience matters more than titles in your 20s and 30s.

In this solo episode, I make the case that being a strategic business partner is no longer enough. I share the shift I believe is coming next, from business partner to business builder, and the three mindset shifts and behaviors that separate the two. Here are a few key takeaways from the episode: Why being a strategic business partner is no longer enough, and what the next evolution of HR asks of us. How the move from business partner to business builder is a mindset, not a job title. Why execution excellence has become the price of admission rather than the proof that HR is strategic and adding value. Why the real AI risk to HR is being bypassed, not being automated. Why making fewer, bigger bets turns HR priorities into business priorities. How choosing one big goal a year that scares you can change the course of your career.

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 an 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

How can workforce readiness become mission readiness? Why is a people strategy not the same thing as a business strategy? My guest on this episode is Kathleen McCarthy, CHRO at SAIC During our conversation Kathleen and I discuss the following: Why a people strategy is not a business strategy Why "progress over perfection" beats waiting for the perfect plan How CHROs are shifting from business partners to enterprise capability builders Why workforce readiness is a moving target, not a fixed destination Why you can't hire your way out of the readiness gap

How can you think and communicate like an executive? Why is your strategy only as good as your ability to communicate it? My guest on this episode is Vicky Zhao, Founder, School of Human Intellect and Speaking With Frameworks. During our conversation Vicky and I discuss the following: Why the clearest idea, not the best idea, is the one that wins How the GPS framework (Goal, Problem, Solution) elevates your point of view Why the hardest shift is moving from a doer mindset to a leader mindset Why you should put the bottom line up front, using the pyramid principle Why giving yourself permission to contribute is the first step to showing up like an executive