How can you get real commitment, when you don’t have formal authority?

Why does real persuasion require a point of view that is loosely held?

My guest on this episode is Jay Conger, Leadership Expert and author of “The Persuasive Leader.”

During our conversation Jay and I discuss:

• Why real persuasion is about commitment, not compliance.
• Why persuasion is a campaign, not a meeting.
• How to avoid the expertise trap.
• Why the best persuaders focus on problems before solutions.
• Why credibility will matter even more in the age of AI.

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How can we stretch high-potential leaders into big new roles without setting them up to fail?

Why does every job matter in building a successful HR career?

My guest on this episode is Julie Fuller, EVP & CHRO, Zoetis

During our conversation Julie and I discuss:

• Why judgment is what separates a good HR leader from a great one
• How to make 70-20-10 work by building a culture that takes real risks on people
• Why constructive feedback can shape a leader’s career more than a strengths-based approach
• How leadership development is shifting from classroom programs to in-the-flow, team-based learning
• How CHROs can strengthen the HR pipeline by defining what good looks like and building bench depth

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How can leaders redesign work to be more meaningful, not just more efficient?

Why should HR, not IT, own your organization’s AI transformation?

My guest on this episode is Kelly Monahan, Future of Work and AI Advisor and Bestselling author of “Reclaim the Plot”

During our conversation Kelly and I discuss:

• Why people vs. business is a false choice for HR
• How leaders end up rewarding the behaviors they don’t want
• Why power erodes empathy, and how to design against it
• How sharing decision rights helps organizations move faster
• Why HR, not IT, should own AI transformation

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How can HR lead organizational design, not just support it?

Why does AI make org design more critical, not less?

My guest on this episode is Greg Kesler and Amy Kates, org design experts, authors, and practitioners.

During our conversation Greg, Amy, and I discuss:

• The difference between operating models and organization design.
• The four traits that distinguish great organization designers
• What CEOs really mean when they say the operating model isn't working.
• Why redesigning jobs for AI isn't enough to redesign the organization.
• How AI is changing where and how decisions get made.

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In this solo episode, released on the fourth anniversary of the Future of HR podcast, I make the case that removing transactional work doesn't automatically make HR more strategic.

I share the story of two HR business partners who got the same time back after a transformation, why one rose to the moment and the other didn't, and what CHROs and HR leaders must do to turn time back into real business impact.

Here are a few key takeaways from the episode:

• Why removing transactional work exposes HR's capability gap instead of solving it.
• How AI and transformation raise the bar for HR business partners, shifting the value from assembling information to judgment, influence, and courage.
• Why 30 years of building HR to execute has left many HR business partners unprepared for a more strategic role.
• Why the step most transformations miss is being clear about what's changing in the role, and what's not.
• How to test whether your transformation plan is as specific about new capabilities as it is about the work that's going away.

How does investing in people make an organization more agile and resilient?

Why is building talent a better bet than buying it, especially in the age of AI?

My guest on this episode is Alana Brandes, Chief People Officer at Guild.

During our conversation Alana and I discuss:

• Why "follow your passion" is a trap, and why should follow your energy instead.
• Why the employee journey should run "to, through, and beyond."
• How treating people well on the way out builds trust, your brand and increases boomerang hires in the future.
• Why build-versus-buy is a false choice
• How upskilling insiders beats buying AI talent from outside.

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HR Leader’s Blueprint - 18 pages of real-world advice from 100+ HR thought leaders. Simple, actionable, and proven strategies to advance your career.

Succession Planning Playbook: In this focused 1-page resource, I cut through the noise to give you the vital elements that define what “great” succession planning looks like.

How can you apply proven frameworks to increase your impact as a HR leader?

Why does understanding the human mind matter more, not less, as AI becomes more capable?

My guest on this episode is Caroline Webb, Leadership coach, bestselling author of Leadership Intelligence and How to Have a Good Day.

During our conversation Caroline and I discuss:

• How HR leaders can influence executive decisions without owning the decision.
• Why leaders should coach for capability, not just solve the immediate problem.
• How to create certainty when you don't have all the answers.
• How to give feedback people can actually act on
• How leaders can stay effective when the pressure builds

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Episode Sponsor:

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

HR Leader’s Blueprint - 18 pages of real-world advice from 100+ HR thought leaders. Simple, actionable, and proven strategies to advance your career.

Succession Planning Playbook: In this focused 1-page resource, I cut through the noise to give you the vital elements that define what “great” succession planning looks like.

How can you drive a high performance culture with four simple questions?

Why is great execution more valuable than strategy?

My guest on this episode is Andy De Marco, CHRO, Fujitsu, Americas Region

During our conversation Andy and I discuss:

• Why the best HR leaders focus on adding value in every interaction.
• How Fujitsu drives a high performance culture with four simple questions.
• Why execution is scarcer and more valuable than strategy.
• Why a stable strategy frees the capacity execution requires.
• What capabilities and skills best position HR leaders for the future.

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Episode Sponsor:

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

HR Leader’s Blueprint - 18 pages of real-world advice from 100+ HR thought leaders. Simple, actionable, and proven strategies to advance your career.

Succession Planning Playbook: In this focused 1-page resource, I cut through the noise to give you the vital elements that define what “great” succession planning looks like.

How can you “chase the butterflies” and take the stretch assignment that scares you?

Why do the best HR leaders learn to “porpoise” and flex between strategy and execution?

My guest on this episode is Allan Church & Janine Waclawski, Co-Founders and Managing Partners, Maestro Consulting LLC

During our conversation Allan, Janine, and I discuss:

• Why you should never say no to a job you haven’t been offered.
• How “meeting the client where they are” is the foundation of every HR relationship.
• What it means to “porpoise” flexing between strategy and execution.
• How “chasing the butterflies” unlocks your biggest growth.
• How you can learn from every boss, even the ones you don’t like.

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Episode Sponsor:

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

HR Leader’s Blueprint - 18 pages of real-world advice from 100+ HR thought leaders. Simple, actionable, and proven strategies to advance your career.

Succession Planning Playbook: In this focused 1-page resource, I cut through the noise to give you the vital elements that define what “great” succession planning looks like.

How can you build teams that have collective confidence?

Why does belief matter when it comes to building high performance teams?

My guest on this episode is André Martin, Chief Experience Officer at LEAD3R, author of Wrong Fit, Right Fit and Collective Confidence

During our conversation André and I discuss:

• Why capable executive teams play small, even when they should be playing big.
• How collective confidence drives performance, especially as complexity rises.
• How the best leaders make belief-building a daily practice.
• How early, low-stakes wins create confidence and contribution from day one.
• How high-performing teams surface problems and turn failure into learning.

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Episode Sponsor:

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

HR Leader’s Blueprint - 18 pages of real-world advice from 100+ HR thought leaders. Simple, actionable, and proven strategies to advance your career.

Succession Planning Playbook: In this focused 1-page resource, I cut through the noise to give you the vital elements that define what “great” succession planning looks like.

How can HR and Finance build the business together?

Why can't finance achieve true value creation without HR's knowledge and expertise?

My guest on this episode is Christian Wattig, Director of the Wharton FP&A Program and Founder of Inside FP&A

During our conversation Christian and I discuss:

• Why the scorekeeper mindset keeps finance and HR stuck in the back office
• How challenging assumptions helps leaders think rather than just slowing them down
• The four stages of finance maturity, from data to proactive value creation, and how the same model maps onto HR
• How to forecast humans, agents, and gig workers together, and why tokens are only about a third of AI's true cost
• Why ROI is the wrong tool for many HR programs and what to do instead

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Learn more about Christian’s programs at Inside FP&A

Episode Sponsor:

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

HR Leader’s Blueprint - 18 pages of real-world advice from 100+ HR thought leaders. Simple, actionable, and proven strategies to advance your career.

Succession Planning Playbook: In this focused 1-page resource, I cut through the noise to give you the vital elements that define what “great” succession planning looks like.