People Managing People

If you’ve noticed that effort stopped being a differentiator, this episode will explain exactly what shifted — and what actually drives value in modern work. Lena Thompson, a leadership consultant with a systems analysis background, argues that the era where hustle and logic alone produced breakthroughs is over. AI can outpace us on sheer processing — but it cannot manage emotional energy, and that’s where the real work of leadership now lives.We dig into what emotional energy actually is (it’s not soft feel‑good fluff — it literally shapes brain function), why unprocessed emotions create cognitive blockages, how leaders can regulate emotional energy to improve decisions under pressure, and practical tools you can use today. This is an episode about leading from within, not just doing more — because the quality of your energy determines the quality of your impact.Related Links:Join the People Managing People CommunitySubscribe to the newsletter to get our latest articles and podcastsConnect with Lena on LinkedInSupport the show

Tim Fisher, Head of AI at Black & White Zebra, explores the pivotal role of HR in AI adoption, challenging the stereotype of HR as merely compliance enforcers. He highlights that AI transformation is fundamentally a human change issue, not just a tech rollout. Fisher emphasizes the crucial need for HR to be involved from the start, urging organizations to address the significant gaps between HR and tech leaders. He discusses practical challenges companies face, the importance of leadership alignment, and the necessity for ongoing transformation in order to succeed by 2026.

You can count system uptime down to six decimal places and predict when a machine will fail — but when it comes to your employees, you’re flying blind. You track turnover, burnout rates, engagement scores — but those are all lagging indicators, the wreckage after the crash. You’ve no real idea what’s happening beneath the surface: who’s sliding into despair, clutching exhaustion, or on the edge of burnout. If you wait until the metrics hit “bad,” it’s already too late.Today’s guest, John Moore, pulls back the curtain: “state of mind” isn’t fuzzy, academic fluff — it’s the most predictive risk factor you've been ignoring. And if you treat your workforce like a homogeneous mass, you’ll keep missing the parts that matter: the micro‑cultures. Because what actually shapes behavior is not enterprise‑wide culture slogans, but the day‑to‑day dynamic between a manager and their team.Related Links:Join the People Managing People CommunitySubscribe to the newsletter to get our latest articles and podcastsConnect with John on LinkedInCheck out Mental Fitness IQSupport the show

Most leaders are waiting for a perfect AI strategy. Meanwhile, their teams are already experimenting — just not out in the open. Charlene Li joins me to talk about the real blockers to AI adoption inside organizations, and it’s not the tech. It’s fear, control, and a lack of imagination.We unpack why chasing ROI misses the point, how cultural mindsets shape our fears, and what it really takes to build AI fluency across your team — starting with yourself. If you’re still stuck in “pilot mode,” this conversation is your wake-up call.Related Links:Join the People Managing People CommunitySubscribe to the newsletter to get our latest articles and podcastsCheck out this episode’s sponsor: Intuit QuickBooks PayrollConnect with Charlene on LinkedInCheck out Quantum Networks GroupSupport the show

Your AI tools aren’t failing because the technology is bad — they’re failing because your organisation wasn’t ready. The real issue isn’t the model. It’s the mismatch between how machines operate and how humans work. And the result? Millions sunk into tools that don’t get used, don’t earn trust, or quietly increase complexity instead of reducing it.In this conversation with David Swanagon, founder of the Machine Leadership Journal, we unpack a three-dimensional model that finally explains what’s going wrong. We explore why traditional leadership traits don’t map to AI innovation, why your CHRO needs a seat at the AI strategy table, and how the real challenge of AI is cultural, not technical. If you’ve been treating AI adoption like a tech rollout, it’s time to rethink — fast.Related Links:Join the People Managing People community forumSubscribe to the newsletter to get our latest articles and podcastsConnect with David on LinkedInCheck out Machine LeadershipSupport the show

If you’re looking for a quick how‑to on rolling out AI in your org and actually seeing adoption—not just flashy pilots—you’ll want to stick with today’s episode. Glen Cathey joins us to get real about what it takes to move from “hey, we launched a chatbot” to a workforce that defaults to AI, and why most companies trip themselves up at the starting line.We peel back the usual “let’s train everyone” playbook and instead ask: what happens when leadership doesn’t live what it preaches? How do you build habits, not just certifications? And how do you get everybody (yes, including your tenured folks) to think of AI as a real teammate instead of a toy? Expect a mix of hard truths, practical frameworks, and a few punches at our collective complacency.Related Links:Join the People Managing People community forumSubscribe to the newsletter to get our latest articles and podcastsConnect with Glen on LinkedInCheck out Randstad EnterpriseSupport the show

We’re at a tipping point. The promise of AI to amplify human judgment and creativity is here—but too many organizations are instead using it as a surveillance tool, and in doing so, they’re sending a message: “We don’t trust you.” Amy Centers walks us through what’s really at stake when leaders outsource tough decisions to algorithms, when productivity becomes presence, when brain‑states and nervous systems are treated as afterthoughts. If you’re leading people right now, this episode is your wake‑up call: you can’t just automate the work—you have to humanize it.We dig into the trust gap between organizations and workers, the erosion of judgment when AI becomes a crutch, and what a next‑generation model of work looks like when it’s built around energy cycles, meaning and human capacity—not over‑attendance and endless context‑switching.Related Links:Join the People Managing People community forumSubscribe to the newsletter to get our latest articles and podcastsCheck out this episode’s sponsor: Intuit QuickBooks PayrollConnect with Amy on LinkedInCheck out SmartWorks LabSupport the show

Roxanne Laczo, Head of People Analytics at Cloudflare, Cole Napper, VP at Lightcast, and Noelle London, CEO of Illoominus, dive into the evolving role of AI in people analytics. They discuss which tasks are safe from automation and which are at risk, emphasizing the importance of human context in strategic decisions. The trio also explores how AI can lighten workloads for smaller teams and the growing need for data literacy in HR to maintain relevance. Lastly, they highlight essential skills for future analytics professionals amidst an AI-driven landscape.

We’ve reached the point where “AI in HR” isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a mandate. But with every vendor promising a smarter, faster, more predictive future, it’s getting harder to tell the difference between innovation and smoke and mirrors. In this episode, Alana Fallis and I go deep on how to navigate the noise: What should you actually invest in? How do you build real AI readiness, not just compliance theater? And how do you make sure your “data-driven” decisions don’t quietly erode employee trust?We also tackle the people-and-technology dilemmas that HR leaders are facing right now. From scaling culture without losing soul, to drawing red lines on surveillance and privacy, to the sheer absurdity of AI-generated workplace flirtation—we’re not short on material. These aren’t hypotheticals. They’re real, messy, and urgent. Let’s get into it.Related Links:Join the People Managing People community forumSubscribe to the newsletter to get our latest articles and podcastsConnect with Alana on LinkedInCheck out Quantum MetricTalk HR to MeSupport the show

If you’re out there being told to slap AI tools onto everything and call it “digital transformation,” this episode is your reality check. I sat down with Darren Murph—yes, the remote‑work oracle behind GitLab’s all‑remote strategy—to pull back the curtain on what needs to exist before you ever type “chatbot” or “LLM integration” into your roadmap.We dug into why good documentation isn’t optional anymore, why remote‑work lessons are now directly relevant to AI adoption, and how companies who rushed ahead without building infrastructure are setting themselves up for a trust disaster. In short: if your data, your knowledge systems, your culture aren’t ready for AI, this technology is not your solution—it’s your liability.Related Links:Join the People Managing People community forumSubscribe to the newsletter to get our latest articles and podcastsConnect with Darren on LinkedInCheck out Darren’s websiteSupport the show