Future of HR

How can workforce readiness become mission readiness?
Why is a people strategy not the same thing as a business strategy?

My guest on this episode is Kathleen McCarthy, EVP and Chief Human Resources Officer, SAIC

During our conversation Kathleen and I discuss the following:

Why a people strategy is not a business strategy
Why "progress over perfection" beats waiting for the perfect plan
How CHROs are shifting from business partners to enterprise capability builders
Why workforce readiness is a moving target, not a fixed destination
Why you can't hire your way out of the readiness gap

Connecting with Kathleen:
Connect with Kathleen on LinkedIn

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 think and communicate like an executive?

Why is your strategy only as good as your ability to communicate it?

My guest on this episode is Vicky Zhao, Founder, School of Human Intellect and Speaking With Frameworks.

During our conversation Vicky and I discuss the following:

Why the clearest idea, not the best idea, is the one that wins
How the GPS framework (Goal, Problem, Solution) elevates your point of view
Why the hardest shift is moving from a doer mindset to a leader mindset
Why you should put the bottom line up front, using the pyramid principle
Why giving yourself permission to contribute is the first step to showing up like an executive

Connecting with Vicky:
Connect with Vicky on LinkedIn
Subscribe to Vicky’s YouTube channel
Learn more about Vicky’s course, Speaking With Frameworks


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 use data to drive change?

Why is being “data driven” no longer a nice to have, but rather an expectation for HR leaders

My guest on this episode is Sebastian Wernicke, author of “Data Inspired”

During our conversation Sebastian and I discuss the following:

How the best data work starts by trying to prove yourself wrong
Why HR leaders must become critical consumers of data
How to start with the business problem, not the available data
Why data-inspired organizations rest on three foundations: data literacy, a digital mindset, and a data culture

Connecting with Sebastian:
Connect with Sebastian on LinkedIn
Learn more about Sebastian’s new book, Data Inspired

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.

Why should HR think of themselves as the business instead of supporting the business?

How can AI amplify human potential and performance?

My guest on this episode is Vicki Walia, Chief People and Experience Officer at Prudential Financial

During our conversation Vicki and I discuss the following:

Why HR leaders need to see themselves as part of the business, not partners to it.
How AI can amplify human potential and performance.
How Vicki thinks about the AI "time dividend” and who should get the benefit.
Why a high performance culture starts at the individual level.
Why clarity, tools, and candid feedback are the three ingredients teams need.

Connecting with Vicki:
Connect with Vicki on LinkedIn

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 the power of the pause make you an even more effective HR leader?

Why do HR leaders need to have a point of view and the courage to share it?

My guest on this episode is Michael Fraccaro, Former CPO at Mastercard, Senior Advisor at Egon Zehnder

During our conversation Michael and I discuss the following:

Why your credibility as a CHRO is built on your understanding of the business, not HR
How the power of the pause transforms decision quality
Why culture is a leadership behavior, not a program
How courage, not technical knowledge is the real differentiator for HR leaders who want to move from good to great
Why the CHRO pipeline challenge is less about technical skills and more about mindset, grit, and learning agility

Connecting with Michael:
Connect with Michael on LinkedIn

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.