The Modern People Leader: Forward-Thinking HR

Pat Wadors, CHRO at Intuitive, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about how to find and amplify the golden nuggets of your culture, the three layers of a great employee experience, why you need to “touch the elephant”, and what kids’ stories can teach us about leadership.---- 🔗 Request a demo of ChartHop.🔗 Download the State of Teams 2025 Report from Atlassian.🔗 Buy your ticket for MPL Live San Francisco.🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.---- (05:48) Pat’s 18-Month Update: New Role, Book Launch, and Life Shift(13:55) What is Intuitive? The Da Vinci System & MedTech Innovation(18:34) How It Works: Da Vinci, AI Feedback & Remote Surgeries(21:02) Culture Work: Merging Two Cultures & The Player-Coach Model(25:20) Us vs. Them: Culture Nuance, Middleware & Global Complexity(28:51) Finding the Golden Nuggets: How to Identify Cultural Truths(31:28) Mapping Culture: From Aspirational Values to Operational Change(33:41) Origin Story & Its Role in Company Culture(35:08) Becoming an Archaeologist: Crafting a Cohesive Narrative(38:49) How to Make Culture Measurable: The CEO Buy-In(41:04) Building MPL Culture: Rigor, Humor, and Platform Principles(45:00) Touch the Elephant: Bias, Context & Emotional Intelligence(46:51) Why Pat Wrote the Book: Fables, Storytelling & Self-Awareness(51:45) Pat’s Book Picks: Mulan, Goldilocks & the Lessons Behind Them(58:16) The Bat Phone: Parenting Advice & Living Your Values---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

Jessica Zwaan, a People Ops expert and author of 'Built for People,' shares her journey into the innovative world of PeopleOps as a Product. She reveals the origins of this game-changing framework and discusses how a pivotal blog post inspired her book. Jessica dives into the challenges and achievements of launching MPL Build, a collaboration aimed at enhancing team methodologies. She highlights shifts in perceptions about PeopleOps and explores the growing adoption of agile practices in the U.S., setting the stage for the future of HR.

In this installment, Shane Koller, Chief People Officer at Ancestry, shares his innovative journey of running HR like a product team. He discusses the critical connection between employee experiences and organizational goals, emphasizing how storytelling enhances engagement. Shane highlights the importance of a shareholder mindset within HR and the need for CEO alignment to transform traditional practices. He also dives into metrics for measuring success and the lessons learned from 'fail fast' moments in the HR landscape.

Michele Bousquet, Chief People Officer at Strava, shares her inspiring journey from temp worker to HR leader. She discusses the significance of authenticity and empathy in leadership, emphasizing a human-centered approach to HR. Michele advocates for simplifying HR practices and making data-driven decisions that prioritize people. She also highlights the power of community-building through Employee Resource Groups and the importance of handling tough situations with honesty and compassion.

Michael Walsh, CEO of Cariloop, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We discussed the caregiving challenges facing employees today, how companies can better support working caregivers, and the data-backed insights from Cariloop’s Top Needs Report.---- 🔗 Download Cariloop’s 2025 Employee Caregiver Top Needs Report.---- (7:20) How Michael's personal experience with caregiving sparked the idea for Cariloop(19:37) Why employers need to rethink caregiving support(27:43) Why caregiving stigma persists at work(38:46)  The top caregiving challenges right now(55:50) Making the business case for caregiver support(01:01:22) Rapid Fire Questions(01:04:13) One Word or Phrase Close---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

Linda Aiello (CPO, DraftKings), Carmel Galvin (CPO, Klaviyo), and Stacey Richey (Global VP, People, Smartcat), joined us for MPL Live in Boston, Massachusetts.We talked about the current state of HR, how roles are shifting with AI, and how they’re moving beyond traditional engagement metrics.---- 🔗 Get Atlassian’s free guide to AI-powered knowledge management🔗 Request a demo of Workleap using this link and get 10% off of your first year 🔗 Request a demo of ChartHop. Let them know we sent you.---- (09:44) Guest introductions (10:49) State of HR & navigating today's challenges (16:33) How roles have shifted due to economic changes & AI (Stacey) (21:34) Balancing AI with human factors (Linda)(25:12) Advice for HR leaders starting with AI (25:54) Employee engagement realities (Linda) (30:07) Linking engagement to performance outcomes (Carmel) (32:14) Implications of productivity expectations with AI (Stacey) (35:06) Culture and embracing AI tools (Stephen) (46:26 ) Effective AI change management (Stacey) (49:41) Managing stress and resilience (Linda & Stacey) (56:23) Networking advice for job seekers (Carmel)(1:00:14) Revisiting employee engagement (Stephen) (1:04:29) Defining employee engagement (Linda, Stacey, Carmel)( 1:09:24) Employee listening & HR as a product team (Carmel) (1:12:33) Key employee engagement metrics & insights (Linda)(1:17:28) Moving beyond traditional engagement surveys (Linda & Carmel) (1:22:07) Observational methods to measure engagement (Carmel & Stacey)---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

Shlomit Gruman-Navot joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about her evolution as a people leader and how Miro is making AI learning a priority for employees. ---- 🔗Join Atlassian’s webinar on March 12th and learn how AI is transforming knowledge management🔗Request a demo of ChartHop. Let them know we sent you.---- 5:00 - Her career journey: from IBM to SAP, Alpha Bank, OLX, and Miro11:32 - The shift from monoculture workplaces to truly global teams19:13 - Roadshows in Siberia, unique cultural experiences & leadership takeaways26:47 - How HR leaders can embrace AI without fear32:00 - The importance of adaptability & learning new skills in a fast-changing world42:27 - Why AI is changing work—and why HR must lead the way53:23 - What AI means for job roles, skills development & human interaction---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

Brandon Carson, Chief Learning Officer at Docebo, joined us on The Modern People Leader.We talked about the one thing holding companies back from adopting AI faster, why AI makes learning “scaled to one”, and why the future of work isn’t about replacing humans - it’s about amplifying them.---- 🔗 Get Atlassian’s free guide to AI-powered knowledge management🔗 Request a demo of ChartHop. Let them know we sent you.🔗 Last chance to buy tickets for MPL Live Boston---- (07:49) Brandon’s career journey: From Delta, Walmart, and Starbucks to Docebo(14:30) Learning is the oxygen of the enterprise(16:10) What the next 10 years of AI in the workplace will look like(20:48) Why companies aren’t moving fast enough with AI adoption(28:04) The biggest challenge: Outdated infrastructure & data debt(30:42) AI’s impact: 40% of global working hours could be transformed(33:57) The next wave of corporate learning – embedding AI into workflows(38:37) Scaling learning from thousands to one personalized experience(44:29) Who will win and lose in this AI transformation?(50:03) Companies that prioritize humanity in work will thrive(52:38) AI literacy vs. fluency – How HR can bridge the gap(56:55) What AI tools Brandon is already using to clone himself(01:00:01) Will our AI bots be podcasting for us in the future?(01:04:20) Advice for new L&D professionals: Understand AI’s role in learning(01:05:32) Who should we have on next? (01:07:49) One-word close: Onward, Set the Table, Catch Up---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

Crystal Boysen, Chief People Officer at Sprout Social, joined us for a deep dive into People Debt. We discussed what it is, how to identify it, and specific areas where Sprout Social is focusing its efforts to address it.---- 🔗 Go grab your ticket for Transform 2025🔗 Get Atlassian’s free guide to AI-powered knowledge management🔗 Sign up for our upcoming webinar with ChartHop🔗 Buy tickets for MPL Live Boston---- (08:41) From Vimeo to Sprout Social: Why Crystal made the move(11:50) What is People Debt and why does it slow down HR?(14:22) Fixing HR inefficiencies at Sprout Social(28:37) Why Sprout Social paused their engagement surveys(38:19) Redefining performance management (and why most companies do it wrong)(42:44) Automating reviews & removing manager bias in ratings(43:12) Pay-for-performance: The future of compensation at Sprout(46:22) Agile HR: How Sprout redesigned its HR org structure(50:15) Why HRBPs are evolving into Strategic Business Coaches(52:08) The power of cross-functional squads in HR(55:03)  Rapid Fire Questions---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), and many more.

Brian Elliott, a leading expert on flexible work, joined us on the show.We talked about whether or not remote work is actually dead (looked at the actual data), the questions to ask when your CEO pushes for a RTO, and why a return to office won’t fix bad management.---- 🔗 Sign up for our upcoming webinar with ChartHop🔗 Get Atlassian’s free guide to AI-powered knowledge management🔗 Buy tickets for MPL Live Boston🔗 Sign up for Brian's newsletter: Work Forward---- (07:36) How Brian became a leading voice on the future of work(13:39) The origins of Slack’s Future Forum and key findings(14:56) The media vs. reality: Is remote work really dead?(17:14) CEOs pushing RTO: Data-driven decision or gut feeling?(19:02) The role of real estate, stealth layoffs, and productivity concerns(23:27) The trust factor: Why some leaders struggle with hybrid models(26:35) Politics and workplace decisions: The hidden forces at play(28:34) The shift from central business districts to neighborhood economies(30:37) The future of work isn’t fully remote or in-office—it’s flexible(34:12) How HR leaders can push back on RTO mandates(38:19) The contradiction: CEOs demanding AI innovation while enforcing RTO(41:50) Performance management in a hybrid world: Why tracking outcomes matters(47:33) How leading companies successfully implement flexible work policies(49:30) The impact of return-to-office policies on women in the workforce(54:23) What cities will look like in a remote-first future(57:57) Five years from now: What will the workplace look like?(01:01:43) The economic realities of remote work and city tax structures---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), and many more.