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The workplace landscape is undergoing a seismic shift, challenging HR professionals like never before. By the end of 2023, the independent workforce surged to 72 million Americans (1:5) while declining employee engagement continues to cost the global economy $8.8 trillion a year. HR leaders are tasked with fostering engagement and productivity in increasingly diverse and distributed teams.

Enter Dr. Christie Smith, a voice in human-centered leadership and organizational strategy. Known as “The Humanity Expert,” Christie spent decades guiding Fortune 500 executives during her time at Apple, Deloitte, and Accenture through the complexities of modern leadership. Now, she’s the co-author of ESSENTIAL: How Distributed Teams, Generative AI, and Global Shifts are Creating a New Human-Powered Leadership (Wiley; 1/22/25), offering a new blueprint for the future of work.

In ESSENTIAL, Smith and co-author Kelly Monahan (Upwork) reveal that our future success depends on one key element — putting humanity back at the heart of organization. Their extensive research shows that human-centered leadership isn’t just a “nice-to-have,” it’s ESSENTIAL for driving innovation, increasing engagement, and sustaining growth in an age of AI and distributed teams. 

The episode takes a critical look at leadership in the age of AI, questioning the romanticized notion of workplace environments as families. We dissect the balance between long-term goals and immediate financial pressures, especially in profit-driven businesses. As the buzz around generative AI grows, we stress the importance of understanding its real-world applications and the analytical skills required to leverage it—highlighting that AI is a tool, not the ultimate solution.

We conclude by addressing the urgent need to redesign work for enhanced flexibility and predictability, emphasizing the shift toward holistic work-life integration. With generational attitudes shifting, we explore how aligning leadership models with the desires for autonomy in the workplace is crucial for talent retention. Our conversation wraps up on a heartfelt note, expressing gratitude for the meaningful connections made through the podcast and the passion that fuels our content creation.

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Rebel HR is a podcast for HR professionals and leaders of people who are ready to make some disruption in the world of work. Please connect to continue the conversation!

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