People and Strategy

In this episode of People + Strategy, Darnell Lee, CHRO for the Chief Administrative Officer, reveals how leading HR for the U.S. House of Representatives means mastering the art of adaptability. With shifting leadership every two years and priorities that can change overnight, Lee has built a culture grounded in agility, excellence, and trust. He shares how competency models, data-driven planning, and curiosity around AI are helping the House modernize its workforce strategy. Hear what it takes to guide organizations through constant change — balancing service, stability, and innovation in one of the most dynamic workplaces in government. 

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Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r 

In this episode of People + Strategy, Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, president and CEO of SHRM sits down with Jackson O. Lynch, founder of The Talent Sherpa to discuss workplace safety. This special episode was recorded at the SHRM Executive Network Visionaries Summit, where the duo discussed the concept of bringing your authentic self to work and why comfort is not the same thing as safety. Tune in for real world examples from the workplace, including why it’s worthwhile to forgo comfort to give employees feedback.  

For more information about the Visionaries Summit, visit https://shrm.org/enevents. 

Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr  

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Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r 

This episode is part of the November CHRO alignment series, where we talk to leaders about the executive connection. Today, Paul Theisen, founder of TAG CXO and veteran fractional CIO, unpacks what makes the CHRO–CIO partnership work. Plus, stay tuned for a trivia segment on CIO business trends. Theisen shares why the CIO and the CHRO are both customers and providers to one another — and how shared goals around people, systems, and culture can transform an organization. From AI’s rise to the push for tech fluency in HR, Theisen explains how collaboration and trust turn technology into a true driver of human potential. 

Related article: The CHRO & CIO: Reinventing Work for the AI Era: https://www.shrm.org/executive-network/insights/people-strategy/chro-cio-reinventing-work-ai-era  

SHRM study Emerging Technology Skills in HR mentioned: https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/research/emerging-technology-skills-hr  

Gartner study mentioned: https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/ai-value 

Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr  

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Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r 

This episode is part of the November CHRO alignment series, where we talk to leaders about the executive connection. Today, former Mastercard chief people officer Michael Fraccaro reveals what makes a strong relationship between a CHRO and the board. Drawing on his years leading through transformation,  Fraccaro shares how trust, openness, and regular dialogue help the board understand what’s really happening inside the organization. Plus, a trivia segment on business trends regarding the CHRO-board relationship. Fraccaro reflects on lessons from his time at Mastercard — from navigating generational shifts and AI adoption to embedding decency into leadership — and why the CHRO’s role with the board is as much about listening and learning as it is about advising. 

Related article: The CHRO & the Board: https://www.shrm.org/executive-network/insights/people-strategy/chro-board-expanding-seat-of-influence  

The Evolving Role of the CHRO in the Boardroom report mentioned: https://www.conference-board.org/publications/the-evolving-role-of-the-CHRO-in-the-boardroom      

Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr  

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Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r 

This episode of People + Strategy is part of the November CHRO alignment series, where we talk to leaders about the executive connection. Today, we’re taking you back in time to the SHRM Executive Network Visionaries Summit, where Mercedes-Benz USA CEO Adam Chamberlain and CHRO Lars Minns shared a behind the scenes look into their leadership partnership. The duo dive into how they’ve aligned a complex organization behind a clear purpose, revealing how empowering teams and nurturing wellbeing can spark unity and strengthen performance. Together, they show that when leaders connect with intention and trust, even high-stakes change can feel grounded, human, and full of forward momentum. 

Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr  

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Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r 

This episode of People + Strategy is part of the November CHRO alignment series, where we talk to leaders about the executive connection. Today, SHRM’s CHRO Jim Link and CFO Jane Hadley join us in the studio to unpack what true executive alignment looks like when people and finance leaders work as one. Plus, see how well they know each other through a game segment. Through candid conversation and a few laughs, they reveal how trust, curiosity, and data fluency help bridge dollars and decisions, creating a shared vision for growth. From budget season to incentive planning, Link and Hadley show how understanding each other’s “puzzle pieces” strengthens business performance. Their partnership models a modern C-suite where collaboration, not competition, drives both financial health and a thriving workplace culture.

Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr  

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Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r 

In this episode of People + Strategy, Felicia Robinson, CHRO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, reflects on how HR can steer organizations through change with clarity and heart. Robinson shares her approach to translating a company’s mission into meaningful employee experiences — from nurturing internal talent to weaving purpose into every role. She explores the balance between data-driven workforce planning and the human side of leadership, emphasizing adaptability, digital fluency, and dignity at work. Robinson invites CHROs to reimagine workforce strategy as a living expression of purpose, resilience, and shared success. 

Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr  

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Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r 

In this episode of People + Strategy, Claire MacIntyre, senior VP and chief people officer at Sam’s Club, explores what it means to lead through the rise of AI while keeping people at the center. She shares why today’s leaders may guide the last fully human workforce, and how HR can shape an era of “people-led, tech-powered” work. From reimagining jobs around purpose and creativity to advancing skills-based hiring, MacIntyre challenges CHROs to move beyond scarcity thinking, embrace AI as an enabler, and design workplaces where technology amplifies — not replaces — human potential. 

Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr  

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Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r 

In this episode of People + Strategy, Brian Dickens, CHRO of the University of Tennessee System, opens up about the realities of leading while caring for both aging parents and growing children. As part of the sandwich generation, Dickens explores how empathy, flexibility, and purpose-driven leadership can help organizations better support a rapidly expanding caregiving workforce. He offers insights on balancing self-care, family, and professional responsibility while challenging HR leaders to rethink culture and benefits to meet the needs of employees navigating life’s most complex seasons. 

SHRM Report: 2025 Care and Career Report  

Related Article: Caring Across Generations  

Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr  

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Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r 

In this episode of People + Strategy, hear Brad Winn’s hard-won lessons on executive influence and the messy realities of organizational politics. Winn is a professor of leadership and strategy in the Huntsman School of Business, executive MBA director at Utah State University, and senior editor of the People + Strategy Journal. Winn draws upon his time as a member of the Utah House of Representatives to offer insight into how to navigate high-stakes negotiations in both the public and private sector. Listeners will gain tips on how senior HR leaders can go beyond great ideas to move through resistance, build trust, and drive meaningful change. 

Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr  

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Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r