The Modern People Leader: Forward-Thinking HR

209 - Little L Leaders: The Unsung Heroes (Robert H. Johnson Jr., Author & Speaker) Dec 10, 2024

Show notes

Robert H. Johnson Jr., author of Safe, Seen, Heard, and Valued and TEDx speaker, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We explored the power of "little L" leadership and how organizations can harness the potential of unsung heroes within their teams.

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Timestamps:

(09:24) Robert’s origin story and early leadership journey

(15:00) The concept of psychological safety and Robert’s book Safe, Seen, Heard, and Valued

(17:37) Robert’s TEDx talk: The Power of the Little L

(18:55) Differentiating between big L and little L leadership

(24:14) Stories of little L leaders making an impact

(27:10) Why companies should invest in little L leaders

(30:44) Three E’s framework: Education, Experience, and Exposure

(38:03) Building cultural giants vs. empowering everyday leaders

(43:07) Characteristics of a little L leader and their impact

(49:47) Living in a big L world and the shift needed

(52:55) Lessons from the pandemic and employee engagement whiplash

(56:52) Words of encouragement for little L leaders

(59:46) The Three C’s of Community: Curiosity, Commonality, Connection

(01:06:44) Rapid fire questions

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Best of MPL (Jan '24): 1,000 Days of Distributed at Atlassian (Annie Dean, VP of Team Anywhere at Atlassian) Dec 02, 2024

Show notes

This episode was originally released on 1/22/2024.

Annie Dean, VP of Team Anywhere at Atlassian, joined us on The Modern People Leader.

She shared Atlassian’s learnings after 1,000 days of distributed work: their calendar redesign experiment, the impact of in-person gatherings on team connection levels, and the ROI of real estate at Atlassian.

208 - Michelle Kay, VP of Learning & Development at Albertsons Companies Nov 19, 2024

Show notes

Michelle Kay, VP of Learning & Development at Albertsons Companies, joined us on The Modern People Leader.

We discussed the need to rethink our approach to work, whether generational gaps are real or simply a sign of being out of touch, and two major shifts on the horizon for L&D.

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Grab your ticket for MPL Live Miami on December 10th. ⁠Buy Tickets Here⁠.

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Timestamps:

(8:01) Michelle’s transition from teaching to corporate America, and her journey in L&D.

(14:10) Discussion on the need for rapid adaptation in workplace policies and practices.

(17:20) Exploring the potential shift towards a four-day work week and its implications.

(27:06) Delving into generational impacts on the workplace from Millennials to Gen Z.

(33:34) The challenges and transformations in learning and development in today's corporate environment.

(42:10) The role of generational differences in evolving workplace dynamics.

(51:37) Rapid fire questions

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207 - The Election & Microdosing on Hope: Brandon Sammut (Chief People Officer, Zapier) & Gianna Driver (Chief People Officer, Lattice) Nov 12, 2024

Show notes

Brandon Sammut, Chief People Officer at Zapier, and Gianna Driver, Chief People Officer at Lattice, joined us for an emergency pod following last week’s presidential election.

We discussed how the election results might impact the workplace over the coming months, the importance of having a sociopolitical response approach, and why we should all be microdosing on hope.

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Use code MPL-LIVE-50 to get 50% off your ticket for MPL Live Miami on December 10th. ⁠Buy Tickets Here⁠.

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206 - More Generosity & Less Chest-Pumping in HR: Frank Congui (EVP, Human Capital Strategy & Executive Partnerships at Randstad Enterprise) Nov 08, 2024

Show notes

Frank Congui, EVP at Randstad Enterprise, joined us on The Modern People Leader.

We talked about the magic of intentional gatherings, leading with generosity, and why we should be doing less chest-pumping in the HR space.

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Use code MPL-LIVE-50 to get 50% off your ticket for MPL Live Miami on December 10th. ⁠Buy Tickets Here⁠.

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(0:13) Announcement: MPL Live Miami event on December 10th

(7:04) Frank’s journey from Goldman Sachs to Randstad

(9:58) Building executive communities: The beginning of the CHRO dinners

(12:08) Evolution of executive dinners and blending roles

(19:00) Intentional traditions in leadership gatherings

(24:31) Vulnerability and creating moments of connection

(28:00) The power of service and being generous in leadership

(38:30) The state of HR: Burnout, DEI challenges, and AI adoption

(42:11) Balancing optimism and skepticism in the HR industry

(47:13) Civil conversations in divisive times: Creating supportive policies

(54:03) Magic wand HR fix: Pay equity for all

(56:08) The future of work: AI and human partnership

(59:27) Rapid fire questions:

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205 - Why CHROs are rethinking their roles: Jenna Eichberg (Chief People Officer at AlertMedia) Oct 29, 2024

Show notes

Jenna Eichberg, Chief People Officer at AlertMedia, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about the state of HR, why CHROs are rethinking their roles, and AlertMedia’s leadership programs.

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Use code MPL-LIVE-50 to get 50% off your ticket for MPL Live Miami on December 10th. ⁠Buy Tickets Here⁠.

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(0:13) Announcement: MPL Live Miami event on December 10th

(5:01) Jenna’s story

(10:06) Navigating industries and career growth

(17:07) Transition to AlertMedia – finding a dream job

(29:03) The state of HR today and managing change

(32:09) The “Manager Dilemma” and leadership development

(37:55) The launch of the Emerging Leaders Program

(45:14) Executive and people team offsites: Key insights

(47:52) HR burnout and the light at the end of the tunnel

(54:47) A positive outlook for the future of HR

(59:28) Rapid fire questions

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204 - Tracy Avin (Founder, TroopHR) Oct 23, 2024

Show notes

Tracy Avin, Founder of TroopHR, joined us on The Modern People Leader.

We talked about how TroopHR was born, the importance of community in HR, the challenges HR professionals face in today’s business climate, and the need for support networks.

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Use code MPL-LIVE-50 to get 50% off your ticket for MPL Live Miami on December 10th. Buy Tickets Here.

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Timestamps:

(6:57) Tracy’s journey to founding TroopHR

(10:57) What a day in Tracy’s life looks like

(12:59) The meaning of community for HR leaders

(16:33) How the needs of the HR community have evolved

(18:36) Challenges and conflicts faced by HR professionals

(25:47) Handling difficult conversations in a professional setting

(28:44) Why boundaries are crucial in discussions

(30:06) Politicization of HR topics in the workplace

(36:00) Doing more with less: The pressures of shrinking HR teams

(42:06) HR burnout and its impact

(44:56) The influence of economic situations on HR strategy

(47:37) The importance of community in challenging times

(51:23) Open sourcing HR ideas: A positive shift post-COVID

(52:49) Rapid fire questions

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203 - The inverted org chart, CEO Alignment & the art & science of compensation: Ray Martinelli (Chief People Officer, Contentful) Oct 15, 2024

Show notes

Ray Martinelli, Chief People Officer at Contentful, joined us on The Modern People Leader.

We talked about his career journey, the art & science that goes into compensation, and aligning HR goals with business strategy.

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Timestamps:

(5:05) Ray's career story: From finance to Chief People Officer

(7:44) Why Ray joined Contentful and key takeaways

(10:32) AI’s impact on content management and HR

(12:44) The state of HR in 2024: Leadership and navigating change

(18:40) Addressing politics in the workplace and leadership responsibilities

(22:13) What Ray had to unlearn as an HR leader

(26:25) Ray’s approach to building a people strategy at Contentful

(32:09) Aligning HR strategy with CEO vision and business goals

(36:41) Ray’s vision for his first year at Contentful

(42:38) Ray’s CPO dashboard: Key metrics on engagement, rewards, and promotions

(46:39) Differentiating rewards and compensation strategies

(52:52) The importance of transparent conversations in performance management

(57:50) Rapid fire questions

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