Why the Best Executives Won’t Stay in One Function

What if the future of executive leadership is less about specialisation and more about range?For years, senior leaders have been encouraged to go deeper into a single function.But in this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, I sit down with Joshua Horenstein, Senior Vice President, Administrative Office & Corporate Secretary at Innophos, to explore a different model: the dual executive.Joshua started his career as a lawyer before moving into a broader cross-functional leadership role spanning legal, HR, facilities, regulatory and other operational responsibilities. He argues that this breadth has made him a stronger executive because it forces leaders to understand the business beyond their original area of expertise.And as AI makes specialist knowledge easier to access, that ability to operate across functions may become even more valuable.5 things you’ll learn from this episode:Why Joshua believes the traditional single-function executive model may be starting to break down, and what could replace itThe career move that took Joshua from law into HR and broader business leadership, and what it taught him about stepping outside your expertiseWhy AI could make it easier for executives to lead functions they were never formally trained in, and what still cannot be outsourced to technologyThe three leadership qualities Joshua believes will become far more important as AI changes how executives workHow taking responsibility for multiple functions can actually strengthen succession planning rather than create a leadership risk🙏 Thank you to our series partner, LeapsomeMeet Leapsome: The AI-powered HR platform that raises your talent density. By unifying core HRIS, ATS, performance reviews, and learning into a single platform, Leapsome turns deep people data into measurable employee growth.🚀 See Leapsome in action → https://hubs.li/Q04vQ-KT0⭐ Trusted by 2,000+ global innovators including Spotify, Notion, Mercedes-Benz, and Bolt.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The CHRO’s real test isn’t getting a seat at the table, it’s whether the CEO would make the decision without them.In this special episode, Lewis Brown, Jr. - MA and Josh Klein of From Here Collective join Rich Jennings, Executive Advisor to Comcast, to explore what it means for the CHRO to become the CEO’s trusted consigliere.Using The Godfather as an intentionally provocative analogy, they unpack the skills, behaviours and experiences that make an HR leader genuinely valuable at the highest level. From business fluency and fearlessness to asking better questions, building trust across the organisation and knowing how to influence decisions without needing to dominate the room, the conversation challenges the traditional boundaries of the CHRO role.For HR leaders, the biggest question is not whether you have a seat at the table. It is whether you are inside the decision-making circle before the decision is made. The episode offers a practical way to assess whether HR is operating as a functional expert, a business partner, or the strategic adviser the CEO cannot afford to make decisions without.5 things you’ll learn from this episode:The surprising reason CHROs may have more strategic access than almost any other executive, but still struggle to turn it into influenceThe characteristics that can move an HR leader from trusted functional expert to indispensable strategic adviserWhy the strongest CHROs are increasingly expected to understand far more than HR, and what that changes about the roleThe tension HR leaders must learn to hold when the CEO, the workforce and the wider business do not all want the same thingThe question that can reveal whether you are truly inside the CEO’s decision-making circle, or simply being informed after the fact🙏 Thank you to our series partner, LeapsomeMeet Leapsome: The AI-powered HR platform that raises your talent density. By unifying core HRIS, ATS, performance reviews, and learning into a single platform, Leapsome turns deep people data into measurable employee growth.🚀 See Leapsome in action → https://hubs.li/Q04vQ-KT0⭐ Trusted by 2,000+ global innovators including Spotify, Notion, Mercedes-Benz, and BoltSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

AI is moving faster than most organisations can redesign themselves, so how do you stop transformation becoming a series of disconnected technology fixes?Every leader says they want a high-performing team. But what happens when poor performance, missed standards and a lack of ownership are tolerated for too long?In the most recent HR Leaders Podcast episode, I had a fascinating conversation with Paul D. Brubaker, Vice President Human Resources at KARL STORZ North America.Paul shares what decades of leadership have taught him about building teams around trust, accountability and continuous improvement. From knowing when coaching is no longer enough to preparing HR teams for AI-driven change, he explains why great cultures are shaped by the behaviours leaders consistently reward, challenge and refuse to tolerate.5 things you’ll learn from this episode:The overlooked “trust dividend” that can remove unnecessary checking, duplication and friction from your teamThe warning sign that tells leaders they may have held onto an underperformer for too longWhy the standards you quietly tolerate can become the culture your entire team starts to acceptThe AI opportunity Paul believes could remove huge amounts of transactional HR work, and the barrier still slowing many organisations downWhy staying relevant in HR will increasingly depend on your ability to learn, adapt and build new capabilities faster than your role changes🙏 Thank you to our series partner, LeapsomeMeet Leapsome: The AI-powered HR platform that raises your talent density. By unifying core HRIS, ATS, performance reviews, and learning into a single platform, Leapsome turns deep people data into measurable employee growth.🚀 See Leapsome in action → https://hubs.li/Q04vQ-KT0⭐ Trusted by 2,000+ global innovators including Spotify, Notion, Mercedes-Benz, and Bolt.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

AI is moving faster than most organisations can redesign themselves, so how do you stop transformation becoming a series of disconnected technology fixes?In the most recent HR Leaders Podcast episode, I had an insightful conversation with Judith Wiese, Chief People and Sustainability Officer (CPSO) of Siemens AG.She explains how Siemens is rethinking its operating model, skills infrastructure and approach to AI as it becomes a more connected technology company. From simplifying the foundations underneath HR to embedding learning into everyday work, Judith shares how Siemens is preparing its people and organisation for a world where transformation never really stops.5 things you’ll learn from this episode:The three-part AI model Siemens uses to separate everyday adoption from the much harder challenge of redesigning business processesWhy one of the biggest barriers to scaling AI has nothing to do with the technology itselfThe unglamorous HR foundations Siemens believes need to be in place before personalised learning and skills strategies can really workHow Siemens is using skills data to uncover far more internal career opportunities than traditional CV matching could revealWhy Judith believes the ability to keep learning may become more valuable than much of the knowledge employees already have today🙏 Thank you to our series partner, LeapsomeMeet Leapsome: The AI-powered HR platform that raises your talent density. By unifying core HRIS, ATS, performance reviews, and learning into a single platform, Leapsome turns deep people data into measurable employee growth.🚀 See Leapsome in action → https://hubs.li/Q04vQ-KT0⭐ Trusted by 2,000+ global innovators including Spotify, Notion, Mercedes-Benz, and Bolt.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if AI isn't replacing jobs, but quietly redesigning the tasks inside them?In the most recent HR Leaders Podcast episode, I had an important conversation with Sultan Murad Saidov, Former CEO / Founder and Investor at Beamery. He explains why task intelligence could become critical to workforce planning, how AI is changing the work inside existing roles, and why deciding what gets automated should become an HR question, not just a technology question.Drawing on more than a decade of building Beamery and working at the intersection of AI, skills and workforce data, Sultan explains why skills alone are no longer enough to understand where work is heading.5 things you’ll learn from this episode:Why looking at tasks instead of job titles changes how leaders understand AI's impact on workThe research Sultan references suggesting 75% of jobs may need redesign because of AI augmentationHow digital twin teams could help leaders model workforce decisions before making themWhy reducing junior roles may create a long-term talent and career pipeline problemWhy Sultan believes HR and technology teams should jointly lead the redesign of work🙏 Thank you to our series partner, AristMeet the end-to-end AI agent for enablement that finds talent gaps, builds personalized interventions, and delivers learning directly in the flow of work → https://arist.com/resources/webinars/agent?utm_source=hr_leaders_podcast&utm_medium=sponsored&utm_campaign=hr_leaders_podcast_cr_june_2026See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Constant tech shifts and viral noise are quietly exhausting your workforce and killing critical thinking.In the latest HR Leaders Podcast episode, I spoke with Laura Maffucci, Head of HR at Globalization Partners. She explains why HR cannot rely on corporate spin, unvetted AI add-ons, or forced office returns during times of rapid change.Most organizations do not lack technology tools. They lack transparent communication, psychological safety, and a clear process for building learning agility. And even when tools are enabled, a harder question remains:Are you actually solving an operational problem, or just adding tool overload?5 things you’ll learn from this episode:The unconventional quarterly award designed to celebrate smart operational failuresThe quiet credibility trap behind performative return-to-office mandatesThe hidden data flaw causing 70–80% of enterprise AI bots to give bad adviceThe three core human traits rendering static technical skills obsoleteA simple peer-led initiative driving AI adoption far better than formal trainingSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the self-doubt holding you back isn't proof of failure, but evidence of growth?In the most recent HR Leaders Podcast episode, I had an important conversation with Maharukh Dalal, founder of The Career Accelerator for Women by Maharukh Dalal. She explains how senior leaders can overcome imposter syndrome by closing the internal identity gap, reframing self-doubt into a signal of growth, and shifting self-perception to drive executive execution.Drawing on two decades of corporate leadership across finance and hospitality, Dalal explains how mindset precedes execution. This conversation offers senior HR and business leaders a clear playbook for mastering the mental side of executive performance.5 things you’ll learn from this episode:The psychological gap that stops capable leaders from taking actionA simple two-word shift that instantly turns daily dread into agency What a 1980 university experiment reveals about how people actually perceive you The advice Rafael Nadal’s coach gave him during his worst slump that applies to executives Why relying purely on willpower and discipline eventually fails even top performers🙏 Thank you to our series partner, AristMeet the end-to-end AI agent for enablement that finds talent gaps, builds personalized interventions, and delivers learning directly in the flow of work → https://arist.com/resources/webinars/agent?utm_source=hr_leaders_podcast&utm_medium=sponsored&utm_campaign=hr_leaders_podcast_cr_june_2026See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

AI could influence 90% of jobs. David Lloyd says AI literacy is still only around 38%.That gap is where many enterprise AI strategies begin to break.In the latest HR Leaders Podcast episode, I spoke with David Lloyd, SVP Platform Engineering & Chief AI Officer at Dayforce. He explains why HR cannot wait until the end of an AI transformation to address skills, trust and organisational change.Most organisations do not lack AI ideas. They lack trusted data, safe environments and a clear process for deciding which ideas deserve to scale.And even when an experiment works, a harder question remains:Can it scale from one employee to 5,000?5 things you’ll learn from this episode:Why three to six months is too long to judge an AI pilotThe three questions that decide whether an AI idea moves forwardWhat is really driving the rise of shadow AIWhy adding AI across a fragmented HR stack creates more chaosHow a three-person governance team can approve ideas in under five days🙏 Thank you to our series partner, FluideWork is changing too fast for learning to take weeks. Learn how Fluide turns skill gaps into live adaptive learning in 3 steps and see performance move by Friday. Try FLuide now → https://fluide.ai/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Why do enterprise skills programs always look great on paper, but break down the moment real work happens?In the most recent HR Leaders Podcast episode, I had an inspiring conversation with Josh Newman, VP of Skills and Talent Readiness at ServiceNow.He explains why organisations must shift away from perfectionist data collection and embrace good-enough skills capture paired with real-world talent readiness.By moving training out of LMS silos and leveraging ambient data signals alongside AI simulation playgrounds, ServiceNow tracks true human capabilities in real time while keeping human judgment at the centre of workforce strategy.5 things you'll learn from this episode:Why traditional skills-based models fail and how to move past perfectionist data gatheringHow Talent Signature captures ambient data signals from daily work to track capability growthHow SimStudio simulation playgrounds replace course completion certificates with real-time practiceThe key difference between basic AI adoption and true behaviour absorption that drives business ROIHow building psychological safety around AI tools directly boosts employee performance and sales quota attainmentSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Every company wants to become AI-native. But who is preparing the workforce for what comes next?In the most recent HR Leaders Podcast episode, I had an important conversation with Bijal Shah, CEO & Board Director at Guild.She explains why becoming AI-native is not simply a technology upgrade. It requires employers, governments and learning institutions to rethink how people gain skills, build careers and participate in the future economy.5 things you’ll learn from this episode:How organisations can make the AI-native transition without leaving their workforce behindWhy Bijal believes 95% of companies still need to make this leapWhat makes workforce transformation a collective action problemHow critical thinking, judgement and curiosity separate useful AI from “slop”Where automation creates an advantage, and where human connection must remainSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.