Future of HR

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 bossHR’s role in addressing bad bosses and building an inclusive culture. Connecting with MitaConnect with Mita on LinkedIn or learn more about her at Mita’s websiteBuy and read “The Devil Emails at Midnight”Episode Sponsor: Next-Gen HR Accelerator - Learn more about this best-in-class leadership development program for next-gen HR leadersHR 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 leaders embrace disruption to drive innovation?Why should your organization disrupt itself?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 firstWhat HR leaders can learn from Florence NightingaleConnecting with ScottConnect with Scott on LinkedInBuy and read “Epic Disruptions”Episode Sponsor: Next-Gen HR Accelerator - Learn more about this best-in-class leadership development program for next-gen HR leadersHR 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 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.Connecting with MargaretConnect with Margaret on LinkedInLearn more about The MYLO CenterEpisode Sponsor: Next-Gen HR Accelerator - Learn more about this best-in-class leadership development program for next-gen HR leadersHR 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 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 ZapierDuring 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 careersWhy 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.Connecting with BrandonConnect with Brandon on LinkedInLearn more about Zapier’s AI Fluency framework Episode Sponsor: Next-Gen HR Accelerator - Learn more about this best-in-class leadership development program for next-gen HR leadersHR 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.

Join Cole Napper, VP Research, Innovation, & Talent Insights at Lightcast and author of a pivotal book on People Analytics, as he dives into transforming HR from a cost center into a profit center. He discusses how generative AI is revolutionizing decision-making in HR and the need for business acumen among HR professionals. Cole envisions an era where more analytics leaders ascend to CHRO roles, emphasizing the importance of linking workforce insights to tangible business outcomes and adapting to new technologies.

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 mattersHow to create an HR strategy that results in changes employees can feel. Connecting with Francesca Ranieri & Mel Plett Connect with Francesca on LinkedInConnect with Mel on LinkedInLearn more about Reciprocal Work or listen to Your Work Friends podcast Episode Sponsor: Next-Gen HR Accelerator - Learn more about this best-in-class leadership development program for next-gen HR leadersHR 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 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 CarolinaDuring 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.Connecting with Ani Huang & Anthony Nyberg: Connect with Ani Huang on LinkedInConnect with Anthony Nyberg on LinkedInDownload the CEO Succession: 10 Pitfalls Boards Must Avoid—and the CHRO Practices That HelpEpisode Sponsor: Next-Gen HR Accelerator - Learn more about this best-in-class leadership development program for next-gen HR leadersHR 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 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.Connecting with Juliet: Connect with Juliet Schor on LinkedInEpisode Sponsor: Next-Gen HR Accelerator - Learn more about this best-in-class leadership development program for next-gen HR leadersHR 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 do you unlock the power of employee experience?Why is a people-first mindset so critical in modernizing HR?My guest on this episode is Assil Omar, VP, People Experience, AbbVie.During our conversation Assil and I discuss:Why we should embrace new opportunities as a way to reinvent ourselves and our careers.How AbbVie maintains a unique culture of purpose, performance, and careWhy HR practitioners must become students of both human motivation and organizational transformation to drive real impact.Why it’s important to start with the employee experience first when designing systems.Her advice to HR leaders who want to start a people experience teamConnecting with Assil: Connect with Assil Omar on LinkedInEpisode Sponsor: Next-Gen HR Accelerator - Learn more about this best-in-class leadership development program for next-gen HR leadersHR 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 differentiating talent result in real business impact?Why is asking the right questions in workforce analytics so critical? My guest on this episode is Mark Huselid, Distinguished Professor of Workforce Analytics at Northeastern UniversityDuring our conversation Mark and I discuss:Why most companies do not treat people data as rigorously as financial data—and why they should.The evolution from “critical roles” to “strategic work,” and why success now depends on pinpointing the specific work, not just the job titles, that drive results.Why most organizations over-invest in senior leaders and under-invest in developing early and middle career talentHow HR and people analytics teams can bridge the gap with business leaders to ask better questions, not just provide more data.Why AI and workplace data will offer powerful insights—but also introduce risks like bias and outdated assumptions.Connecting with Mark: Connect with Mark Huselid on LinkedInEpisode Sponsor: Next-Gen HR Accelerator - Learn more about this best-in-class leadership development program for next-gen HR leadersHR 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.