Sam Simmons, Chief People and Internal Operations Officer at the LPGA, joined us on The Modern People Leader.

We talked about her transition from the San Antonio Spurs to the LPGA, 2025 HR predictions, and the LPGA People Team goals for the year.

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Timestamps:

(03:21) Sam’s journey to the LPGA

(14:47) Challenges and learnings from 2024

(17:42) Leadership goals for 2025

(21:25) Mantras for 2025

(23:26) Predictions for HR in 2025: Challenges and opportunities

(27:25) AI's role in HR: Optimizing work with tools

(29:54) Addressing key challenges in DEI and organizational change

(33:45) 2025 HR goals and Sam’s strategic planning approach

(40:33) The most critical HR goal for the LPGA in 2025

(46:16) HR tech stack considerations and streamlining processes

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This is the 2024 MPL Awards Show.

Each of us selected a winner for the four different awards:

(8:14) Award #1: The CEO Whisperer

(18:27) Award #2: The Best Hang

(24:19) Award #3: The Data Hero

(39:15) Award #4: The Innovator

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Episodes referenced:

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Brené Brown, professor, author, and podcast host, joined us on The Modern People Leader.

We discussed her experience as a leader, the concept of metacognition, and the leadership skill of creating space between stimulus and response.

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(1:35) Good news stories

(3:45) Brené’s story

(19:49) Every day is leg day as a leader

(25:47) Metacognition

(28:25) Creating the space between stimulus and response

(44:08) The challenges of implementing a four-day workweek

(47:00) Rapid fire questions exploring leadership and the future of work

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Colin Mincy, Chief People & Culture Officer at Centering Healthcare Institute, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We dove deep into his personal transformation, how his leadership style has evolved, and the tough truths HR professionals face today. Colin shared his journey of progress over perfection, emphasizing small wins, accountability, and momentum to create lasting change—both personally (losing 68 pounds and reclaiming his energy) and professionally.

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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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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.

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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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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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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(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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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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