Inspiring the next generation of HR Leaders

How can you bring your best self to work while being strategically authentic? Why can being your authentic self backfire at work and in life? My guest on this episode is Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, International authority on talent and leadership and author of “Don't Be Yourself: Why Authenticity Is Overrated and What to Do Instead.” During our conversation Tomas and I discuss: Why being authentic is overrated  The four traps leaders fall into when they decide “just be themselves.” How reputation, not self-perception, determines career success Why you are always a work in progress and what happens when you stop evolving. Why feedback is the key to self awareness and personal growth.

How can organizations increase connection, collaboration, and performance while offering the flexibility employees desire? Why do leaders hold the key to making hybrid work more effective and impactful? My guests on this episode are Peter Cappelli and Ranya Nehmeh, co-authors of "In Praise of the Office: The Limits to Hybrid and Remote Work" During our conversation Peter, Ranya, and I discuss: Why hybrid work isn’t delivering on its promise for employees or organizations. What’s been lost in remote and hybrid workplaces - mentorship, culture, and career growth. What their research - contrary to popular belief - reveals about hybrid work and its real-world implementation. How leadership accountability is the key to making hybrid work. Clear rules and simple fixes HR can use to strengthen hybrid work.

How can you spot a bad boss before it’s too late? What can good leaders learn from bad bosses? My guest on this episode is Mita Mallick, WSJ and USA Today bestselling author of “Reimagine Inclusion and now “The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn from Bad Bosses” During our conversation Mita and I discuss: What inspired Mita to write “The Devil Emails at Midnight,” and why bad bosses are such a universal concern. The empathy Mita has developed for bad bosses, and why anyone can fall into toxic leadership behaviors. How to spot early warning signs of a bad boss or toxic culture during the interview process—and why many candidates ignore them. Mita’s advice on surviving a bad boss HR’s role in addressing bad bosses and building an inclusive culture.

How can HR leaders embrace disruption to drive innovation? Why should your organization disrupt itself to unlock new opportunities? My guest on this episode is Scott Anthony, Professor at Tuck, Senior Advisor at Innosight and author of “Epic Disruptions - 11 Innovations that Shaped the Modern World” During our conversation Scott and I discuss: The four critical questions every leader must answer about disruption: Why disruption casts three dangerous shadows: shifting power dynamics, status quo bias, and employee identity crisis - and how HR can address each one. Why organizations unintentionally accelerate technologies that threaten their own existence. Why the right strategic choices during disruption often look completely wrong at first What HR leaders can learn from Florence Nightingale

How can you increase your self-awareness and improve your ability to lead and manage others? Why does emotional intelligence matter more than technical skills for a leader's long-term success? My guest on this episode is Margaret Andrews, author of “Manage Yourself to Lead Others,” Harvard Instructor, and Founder of The MYLO Center. During our conversation Margaret and I discuss: Why understanding and managing yourself is critical to effectively leading others. Why the best leaders help others "grow and glow." The difference between "culture takers" and "culture makers," and what really shapes organizational culture. Why managing up means taking responsibility for the partnership with your manager. How the "next level of you" concept drives personal continuous growth throughout your career.

How can HR teams embrace AI to improve both productivity and quality? Why is building AI fluency critical for your career and organization? My guest on this episode is Brandon Sammut, Chief People Officer at Zapier During our conversation Brandon and I discuss: The AI fluency framework Zapier uses to evaluate both job candidates and team members. Why every role on Brandon’s People team and across Zapier is being rebuilt with AI at the core, and what this means for raising the talent bar in HR. How AI and automation are enabling Zapier’s People team to focus on more meaningful work which is driving engagement and enhancing careers Why Zapier’s focus on “Talent Density” led them to raise compensation from the 50th to the 90th percentile. Why Brandon believes AI initiatives should go beyond saving time or money and instead focus on improving the quality of outputs.

How can People Analytics shift from being a cost center to being a profit center? Why is it critical for HR leaders to transform workforce insights into concrete strategic initiatives? My guest on this episode is Cole Napper, VP Research, Innovation, & Talent Insights at Lightcast and author of People Analytics: Using Data-Driven HR and Gen AI as a Business Asset” During our conversation Cole and I discuss: How generative AI is democratizing data-driven decision making in HR. Why Cole believes more People Analytics leaders could rise to the CHRO role in the next decade. Why people analytics teams need to intentionally link their work to tangible business outcomes. Why generative AI will disrupt traditional HR operating models. Why business acumen isn't just nice to have—it's the fundamental requirement for all HR professionals including people analytics.

How can employees and bosses have honest conversations about what they want and need in their relationship? Why do employees have less than 30 days to build trust in the boss-employee relationship? My guests on this episode are with “Your Work Friends,” Francesca Ranieri, Founder & Head of Strategy, Frank & Mel Plett, Founder Cordelia Consulting. During our conversation Mel, Francesca, and I discuss: How their friendship grew into Your Work Friends—a consulting business and podcast. Why your boss relationship might matter more than your marriage. Why common myths about boss-employee relationships miss what workers and managers really want. What the "30-day cliff" is and why it matters How to create an HR strategy that results in changes employees can feel.

How does trust affect the CEO succession process? Why are CHROs often more critical than CEOs in shaping succession outcomes? My guests on this episode are Ani Huang, Senior Executive Vice President of the HR Policy Association and Anthony Nyberg, Director, Center for Executive Succession at University of South Carolina During our conversation Ani, Anthony, and I discuss: What first-time CHROs must know about CEO succession. Why trust between a CHRO, the board, and the CEO is critical for a successful succession process. How to give boards real exposure to top internal talent. How CHROs can help boards to assess internal vs. external talent objectively. Why CEO role profiles used for succession should be forward-looking and should evolve with strategy changes.

How can a four day week increase productivity while reducing burnout? Why is a four day week working so well for over 300 companies and thousands of employees? My guest on this episode is Juliet Schor, Professor at Boston College and author of “Four Days a Week.” During our conversation Juliet and I discuss: Why, despite decades of labor-saving technology, Americans are working longer hours than ever before. Why rethinking “productivity” is only part of the business case for a four-day week. How work redesign is the key to unlocking both productivity and employee wellbeing. How four-day work weeks dramatically improve retention and make organizations an employer of choice. Real-world examples of four-day work week in tech startups to large manufacturing and even restaurants.