How can you take a human-first approach to skills-based learning?

Why should you have a clear business case before implementing skills-based talent initiatives?

My guest on this episode is Christina Norris-Watts, Head of Assessment & People Practices at Johnson & Johnson

During our conversation Christina and I discuss:

• Why Christina says transitioning to a skills-based organization is like eating your brussels sprouts.
• The strategic approach Johnson & Johnson took to implement skills-based talent initiatives across the organization.
• How the J&J Credo shaped their distinctive “human-first” strategy for creating personalized learning and development paths.
• The way J&J's innovative learning platform successfully integrates the three E's: Experience, Exposure, and Education.
• Advice for HR leaders beginning their skills journey including where to start and challenges to avoid.

Connecting with Christina:

Connect with Christina Norris-Watts on LinkedIn

Episode Sponsor:

Next-Gen HR Accelerator - Learn more about this best-in-class leadership development program for next-gen HR leaders

Elevate 2025 - Learn more about this once a year, 3-week virtual program focused on taking your strategic capabilities and business impact to the next level with 16 interactive sessions led by 18 HR thought 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 build a fit for purpose company?

Why should you get comfortable asking for help?

My guest on this episode is Lisa Chang, EVP & Chief People Officer, The Coca-Cola Company

During our conversation Lisa and I discuss:

• How asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but rather sign of strength.
• Why HR leaders must focus on creating value through talent and organizational capabilities.
• How Coca-Cola is embracing a “Head, Heart, Hand” strategy to optimize and deploy AI technologies.
• Why HR functions need to embrace the manta of “progress over perfection.”
• The concept of people sustainability and its importance for long-term organizational success.

Connecting with Lisa:

Connect with Lisa Chang on LinkedIn

Episode Sponsor:

Next-Gen HR Accelerator - Learn more about this best-in-class leadership development program for next-gen HR leaders

Elevate 2025 - Learn more about this once a year, 3-week virtual program focused on taking your strategic capabilities and business impact to the next level with 16 interactive sessions led by 18 HR thought 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 help leaders recognize and overcome their blind spots?

What is a "signature voice” and why it is important in developing executive presence?

My guest on this episode is Muriel Wilkins, CEO Advisor & Executive Coach, Host of HBR podcast - Coaching Real Leaders, Founder Paravis Partners

During our conversation Muriel and I discuss:

• The biggest challenges highly successful executives face including scaling their leadership and becoming victims of their own past success.
• Why understanding both context and desired outcomes is critical when coaching leaders.
• Key insights from her book "Own the Room" and how developing a "signature voice" is essential for establishing your leadership presence.
• Why leadership presence isn't an innate quality as many believe, but rather a skill that can be deliberately cultivated.
• Practical advice for HR leaders on building credibility and delivering tough feedback effectively to senior executives.

Connecting with Muriel:

Connect with Muriel Wilkins on LinkedIn

Learn more about Muriel’s firm, Paravis Partners

Pre-Order her newest book, Leadership Unblocked: Break Through the Beliefs That Limit Your Potential.

Episode Sponsor & Resources:

Next-Gen HR Accelerator - Learn more about this best-in-class leadership development program for next-gen HR leaders

Elevate 2025 - Learn more about this once a year, 3-week virtual program focused on taking your strategic capabilities and business impact to the next level with 16 interactive sessions led by 18 HR thought 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 establish credibility and build trusting relationships in your first 90 days?

What separates HR leaders who secure board seats from those who don't?

My guest on this episode is Marcia Avedon, 3X CHRO, Board Director, Human Capital Expert, and Executive Coach

During our conversation Marcia and I discuss:

• Why great leaders spot potential in others before they see it in themselves.
• How the role of the CHRO has evolved from to be seen as strategic business partner and valued board member.
• Practical strategies for HR leaders to position themselves for board opportunities.
• Why effective communication is the cornerstone of successful organizational transformation.
• How new CHROs can establish credibility and build meaningful relationships in their first 90 days

Connecting with Marcia:

Connect with Marcia Avedon on LinkedIn

Episode Sponsors & Resources:

Next-Gen HR Accelerator - Learn more about this best-in-class leadership development program for next-gen HR leaders

Elevate 2025 - Learn more about this once a year, 3-week virtual program focused on taking your strategic capabilities and business impact to the next level with 16 interactive sessions led by 18 HR thought 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 do you get certain in an uncertain world?

Why is seeking out variance in your life the key to personal and professional growth?

My guest on this episode is the one and only Dave Ulrich, Professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan and a partner at The RBL Group

In our conversation, Dave opens up about his personal journey and shares insights that have guided his influential career as we discuss...

• How his parents' values shaped his view that work is an opportunity, not a burden
• Why a pivotal college course redirected him from law to a groundbreaking career in HR
• The importance of building on existing knowledge rather than reinventing HR concepts
• His personal motto "the best is yet to come" and how it drives continuous learning
• Why embracing variance in thinking leads to personal growth and innovation in HR practices

Connecting with Dave:

Connect with Dave Ulrich on LinkedIn

Sign up for Dave’s LinkedIn newsletter here

Episode Sponsor:

Next-Gen HR Accelerator - Learn more about this best-in-class leadership development program for next-gen HR leaders

Elevate 2025 - Learn more about this a flexible 3-week virtual program focused on taking your strategic capabilities and business impact to the next level with 16 interactive sessions led by 18 HR thought 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.

How does the combination of pressure and power impact a leader’s behavior?

What can HR leaders do to help their managers to be better bosses?

My guest on this episode is Sabina Nawaz, Executive Coach and author, “You're the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need)”

During our conversation Sabina and I discuss:

• Why pressure, not power alone, makes leaders behave poorly and what leaders can do about it
• Simple ways to set healthy work limits even when bosses expect too much
• Why communication breakdowns happen and practical ways to fix them
• How the "shut up exercise" helps leaders listen more and talk less, leading to better team results
• Why the skills that got you promoted might be seen differently once you're in a leadership role

Connecting with Sabina:

Connect with Sabina Nawaz on LinkedIn

Learn more about her book: You're the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need)

Episode Sponsor:

Next-Gen HR Accelerator - Learn more about this best-in-class leadership development program for next-gen HR leaders

Elevate 2025 - Learn more about this a flexible 3-week virtual program focused on taking your strategic capabilities and business impact to the next level with 16 interactive sessions led by 18 HR thought 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.

How do we want our leaders, our organizations, and HR to be augmented by AI?

Why is generative AI an historic opportunity for HR leaders to shape the future of work and leadership?

My guests on this episode are Bob Johansen, Distinguished Fellow at Institute for the Future (IFTF), Gabe Cervantes, Director, Scalable Foresight, IFTF, and Jeremy Kirshbaum, CEO, Handshake, a generative AI consultancy who go deep into their new book, Leaders Make the Future: 10 New Skills to Humanize Leadership with Generative AI”

During our conversation Bob, Gabe, and Jeremy and I discuss:

• How "future-backed thinking" helps leaders craft bold 10-year visions for their organizations.
• The shift from a VUCA world (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) to a BANI future (Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, Incomprehensible), and its implications for leaders.
• What early aviation's breakthroughs can teach us about managing AI innovation today and tomorrow.
• The rise of "smart mobs and agentic swarms" and how these new team structures will blend AI and human talent at scale.
• How HR can shape an AI-enabled workplace that keeps humans at the center.

Connecting with Bob, Gabe and Jeremy:

Connect with Bob Johansen on LinkedIn

Connect with Gabe Cervantes on LinkedIn

Connect with Jeremy Kirshbaum on LinkedIn

Learn more about “Leaders Make the Future: 10 New Skills to Humanize Leadership with Generative AI”

Episode Sponsor:

Next-Gen HR Accelerator - Learn more about this best-in-class leadership development program for next-gen HR leaders

Elevate 2025 - Learn more about this a flexible 3-week virtual program focused on taking your strategic capabilities and business impact to the next level with 16 interactive sessions led by 18 HR thought 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.

How can you embrace an Agile HR mindset?

Why is Agile HR a better approach to delivering value than our traditional methodologies?

My guest on this episode is Riina Hellström, Founder, Agile HR Community

During our conversation Riina and I discuss:

• How Agile HR can revolutionizing HR's approach to value delivery
• How small-scale pilots before full rollouts leads to better HR solutions that actually stick.
• Why cross-functional teams are the secret sauce for transforming everything from onboarding to performance management.
• How co-creating HR programs with employees dramatically boosts both buy-in and results.
• How HR can shift from traditional metrics to product-focused KPIs that showcase real impact.

Connecting with Riina:

Connect with Riina Hellström on LinkedIn

Episode Sponsor:

Next-Gen HR Accelerator - Learn more about this best-in-class leadership development program for next-gen HR leaders

Elevate 2025 - Learn more about this a flexible 3-week virtual program focused on taking your strategic capabilities and business impact to the next level with 16 interactive sessions led by 18 HR thought leaders.

How do the most effective leadership teams really make decisions?

Why do traditional approaches to team effectiveness often fail?

My guests on this episode are Wanda Wallace, Managing Partner of Leadership Forum and Darren Overfield, EVP, Coaching & Consulting at Kaiser Leadership Solutions

During our conversation Wanda, Darren and I discuss:

• Why traditional ideas about executive team effectiveness often fail in the real world.
• The surprising discovery that “cliques” and subgroups in executive teams can actually help, not hurt, team effectiveness.
• Why transparency is critical to reducing conflict and improving team dynamics.
• How effective top teams “zoom in and zoom out” to encourage collaboration and healthy debates.
• How HR leaders can guide their leaders in creating natural “hubs” that result in high-performing teams.

Connecting with Wanda & Darren:

Connect with Wanda Wallace & Darren Overfield 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.

How can you create a culture that embraces change?

Why is it critical to build leaders at levels of your organization?

My guest on this episode is Monique Herena, Chief Colleague Experience Officer at American Express.

During our conversation Monique and I discuss:

• Monique's philosophy on taking career leaps and the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone.
• Why American Express refers to their team members as colleagues and invests in improving the “colleague experience” each and every day.
• Why their framework for winning is the north star for their business strategy and culture
• How American Express is building enterprise leaders at all levels of the organization.
• Why next-gen HR leaders should embrace change and adopt a mindset of continuous learning and improvement.

Connecting with Monique:

Connect with Monique Herena 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.