The Modern People Leader

Top 3 Moments from Our Episode with Brené Brown: 1️⃣ Every day is leg day as a leader 🦵: Brené didn’t sugarcoat the realities of leadership. She shared, "I have three to ten brutally difficult conversations a day as a leader." It’s not fear that hinders courageous leadership; it’s the armor we put on to shield ourselves from that fear. In her book Dare to Lead, she distinguishes between daring leadership and armored leadership. "We're all afraid all the time," she said, but it’s the armor that prevents bravery. Leadership, she notes, is like "every day is leg day." It’s tough, constant work requiring focus and resilience. Brené tries to stay curious and not defensive, emphasizing that leadership is about showing up to get it right, not to be right. 2️⃣ The concept of metacognition 🤯: Brené dove into the concept of metacognition, the ability to see yourself somewhat objectively and with humility. She believes meaningful conversations can't happen without this self-awareness. Brené emphasized the importance of addressing underlying feelings and assumptions in conversations. Acknowledging these internal narratives is crucial for authentic dialogue and collaboration, paving the way for genuine curiosity and understanding. 3️⃣ When arguments devolve into story versus story 💬: Brené shared a powerful lesson from her coach, Courtney Smith: "Anytime an argument devolves into story versus story—'No, here's what happened,' 'No, this was what your tone was'—there's no winning." The only irrefutable fact is how someone felt in that moment. Instead of arguing over details, Brené highlighted the importance of validating emotions, creating a path toward understanding and resolution. 🔔 Want more insights like this? Sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on the latest episodes and leadership lessons from top people leaders. #Leadership #DareToLead #BreneBrown #PeopleLeaders #HRPodcast

4 powerful moments from our episode with Melanie Rosenwasser (Chief People Officer at Dropbox): 1️⃣ Setting employees up for success in a virtual-first model: She shared how they’re setting employees up for success in their virtual-first work model. It’s not just a label—they’re actively working to make it seamless. From async-first communication to revamped perks, Dropbox is redefining remote work. 2️⃣ Writing with brevity & the “pre-read”: Melanie discussed the importance of effective communication in a remote-first environment. Dropbox uses TL;DR summaries and ensures stakeholder buy-in before decisions are finalized. Plus, they’ve adopted a “pre-read” practice to make meetings more efficient, borrowing a page from Amazon's playbook. 3️⃣ Measuring success of their virtual-first model: Melanie shared impressive stats on how Dropbox’s virtual-first model is thriving. From unlocking global talent to achieving record-high employee engagement and retention, Dropbox is proving that remote work can be a win-win for both the company and its people. 4️⃣ 3 types of in-person gatherings at Dropbox: Melanie outlined how Dropbox is making in-person gatherings count in a virtual-first world. Whether it’s strategic off-sites, cross-functional anchor weeks, or retreats focused on team bonding, Dropbox ensures every in-person moment is meaningful and impactful. 🔔 Want more insights like this? Sign up for newsletter in the comments. #HR #CPO #ChiefPeopleOfficer #PeopleLeaders #Dropbox

💡 "If we get there, we're going to be making octillions." - Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place To Work US. Michael shared his vision that the true potential of the AI revolution will only be unlocked when we fully embrace diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). He’s not just talking about trillions here; he’s talking "octillions"—a number so massive it’s got 37 zeros! Bush stressed that while some see the future of AI as a jackpot for a select few, he’s pushing for "abundance for all." He believes that by doing so, we’re not just expanding the pie—we’re making it infinitely large. He also pointed out that many companies are missing out on top talent because they’re stuck in old-school thinking. "Talent has been equally distributed throughout human beings," Bush noted. If your organization lacks diversity, you’re not just falling short on representation—you’re leaving the best talent on the table. Bush drove the point home with a sports analogy, referencing the Boston Red Sox, who waited over a decade after Jackie Robinson to integrate and kept losing until they embraced diversity. "Stupidity will make someone lose," he said. In the business world, some companies are happy making billions when they could be making trillions—all because they’re clinging to zero-sum thinking and greed. The choice is simple: do you want to have the most money in the world, or would you rather have ten times that amount and bring everyone else along too? For Bush, the path to making octillions is clear: embrace DEIB and make sure the best talent—no matter where they come from—have a seat at the table. Link to the full episode in the comments. #HR #Peopleleader #chiefpeopleofficer #DEI #DEIB

L. David Kingsley says that we've evolved through three major phases of modern HR that he likes to call HR 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0. HR 1.0: 2013-2020 Back in the day, it was all about the chase for talent. David points out that companies like Google and Meta set the scene with perks like nap pods and unlimited avocados. But calling companies 'families'? He thinks that’s a bit misleading. After all, businesses are there to deliver value. HR 2.0: Pandemic Era Then, boom, the pandemic hit. What we thought would be a brief glitch turned into a massive shift towards remote work. Kingsley notes how this change dissolved job-switching barriers and ushered in an era where employee tenures grew shorter, prioritizing talent needs. HR 3.0: Post-COVID Companies are tightening the purse strings. Employees are coming to terms with being part of a business equation rather than a family unit. Many see themselves as gig economy contributors, leveraging their skills on a contractual basis. David says the nature of work and leadership is changing. To stay competitive, he says that we need to adapt, focusing on things like quicker onboarding and productivity. How do these major phases land for you? Have we already entered HR 4.0 with genAI? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! 💬👇🏽 ____ 🔔 Get more insights like this delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up for our weekly newsletter in the comments. #HR #CHRO #Peopleleader #chiefpeopleofficer #podcast #hrpodcast

Listened to Stephen Huerta and Daniel Huerta 's podcast with Brené Brown. There were some really interesting thoughts on metacognition and how to create space with stimulus and response #leadershipmindset #everydayislegday

Career advice for HR pros from 21 Chief People Officers & work experts ⬇️ 1. Try a different approach to HR (Melanie Naranjo, VP of People, Ethena) 2. Take your time (Helen Russell, Chief People Officer, HubSpot) 3. Don’t be so money-obsessed (Nick Bloom) 4. Make more mistakes (Katya Laviolette, Chief People Officer, 1Password) 5. Ask more critical questions (Hebba Youssef, Chief People Officer, Workweek) 6. Create a leadership style portfolio (David Landman, Ph.D.) 7. Treasure your relationships (Don Robertson, CHRO, Northwestern Mutual) 8. Do what you love (Vanesa Cotlar, MBA, VP of People, PolicyMe) 9. Don’t let ambition take over (Alex Seiler) 10. Stay curious (Annie Dean, VP Team Anywhere, Atlassian) 11. Failures are growth accelerants (Melanie Rosenwasser, Chief People Officer, Dropbox) 12. Do things outside of HR (Rich Jacquet, SVP People, Coursera) 13. Get a hobby (Cara Brennan Allamano) 14. Run your own race (Katie Burke, Chief People Officer & Board Member) 15. Be careful who you get advice from (Christine Song, Chief People Officer, Knix) 16. Supporting roles are ok (David Hanrahan, Chief People Officer, Flare) 17. Be bold (Katherine (Kate) C Parente) 18. It’s just work (Jim Bartolomea) 19. Trust the process (Lars Schmidt) 20. Bet on yourself (Brandon Sammut, Chief People Officer, Zapier) 21. Embrace your authenticity (Pat Wadors, Chief People Officer, UKG) All of this & way more is free for your ears on The Modern People Leader podcast --> link in the comments to sign up for our weekly newsletter. 😊 #HR #Chiefpeopleofficer #humanresources #hrpodcast #careeradvice

I was interviewed on the same podcast as Brené Brown! .... 3 years apart 🤣 It just goes to show how far The Modern People Leader has come. Not just the podcast, but the function, too. It's pretty cool to see! Kudos to Daniel Huerta and Stephen Huerta on driving the narrative!

Only 22 days until MPL Live hits Austin! We're pumped to announce one of our star speakers: Gianna Driver, Chief People Officer at Lattice. 🎥 Watch the video below for a memorable moment with Gianna from MPL earlier this year. A couple of years back, during her time at Exabeam, she was eager to explore the potential of AI in HR. She challenged her People Team to “figure out AI,” a broad directive that led to some initial stumbles. When the team reconvened a month later without much progress, Gianna recognized the need for a more structured approach. The team paused their AI efforts to regroup, and after about a year and a half, they revisited the idea with a clearer strategy. This time, they started with smaller, focused experiments, one of which was using AI to craft job descriptions. The talent team leveraged AI to proactively generate inclusive and robust job descriptions, speeding up the hiring process and impressing hiring managers with the efficiency and thoroughness AI brought to the table. 🔄 Identifying More Opportunities for AI Their early success with job descriptions motivated the leadership team to explore other areas where AI could be beneficial, particularly in tasks that were repetitive and time-consuming. This approach allowed the team to focus more on high-level, strategic work rather than getting bogged down by routine tasks. 📚 Revamping the Employee Handbook Updating the employee handbook has traditionally been a labor-intensive process. Gianna’s team introduced AI into this task, allowing the technology to provide a preliminary update, which was then refined with the necessary human touch. This not only saved time but also ensured that the handbook was up-to-date and compliant with changing laws and internal policies. 📊 Automating the Merit Process The journey didn’t stop there. Gianna’s team also looked at automating the merit process—a task involving complex data analysis and decision-making. By working with their AI-savvy product team, they developed a tool that automated many of the manual steps, embedding logic into AI-driven processes that streamlined the entire workflow. _____ 🎟️ Grab your ticket now by clicking the link in the comments. Use the code MPL-LIVE-50 to lock in your spot at a 50% discount before prices go up! #HR #MPLLive #atx #chro #chiefpeopleofficer #podcast

Hebba Youssef did a search in her community, Safe Space, to see how often "CEO" was mentioned. In just 90 days, it came up over 300 times. She says it’s because the CPO-CEO relationship can be really difficult. To illustrate, she gave us a peek into her relationship with her CEO. She said, "My CEO and I clash on some things, which is actually good—it means we have a healthy conflict based on trust and respect. A lot of startup CEOs are there because they had killer ideas, not necessarily because they're great leaders. That can make things tricky." The relationship between a CPO and CEO can be a rollercoaster. What do you and your CEO do to make sure that you're on the same page? ____ 🔔 Get more insights like this delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up for our weekly newsletter in the comments.

Watch our recent episode with Polly Barnes, Operating Partner, Talent at EQT Ventures: https://lnkd.in/gZKQURkT We talked about the qualities of high-performing founders, the emerging founder profile, and why HR leaders need to have more focus than ever right now. If you don't have time to check it out, read the highlights below. ⬇️ #HR #CHRO #ChiefPeopleOfficer #Founders #Tech #Podcast