Best LEADx Podcasts (2024)

1
What Being A CPO Looks Like At A Small Company with the CPO of Aperian 18:57

9M ago18:57

18:57

The CPO of Aperian, Addie Johnsen talks about what it's like to be CPO at a 65-employee organization. We discuss: how she uses the smaller company size to personally coach every leader. how she indexes company values team by team her book recommendations for HR professionals Enjoy! ☕️ 🎧By Kevin Kruse

1
RANT: My Problem with the Kirkpatrick Model 7:51

9M ago7:51

7:51

I break down my problem with the Kirkpatrick model and what you should do about it!By Kevin Kruse

1
L&D’s Transformation From Order Taker To Trusted Learning Advisor with the CLO of BDO Canada 19:49

9M ago19:49

19:49

If L&D wants to evolve from "order-taking" into a strategic entity, a significant mindset and behavior shift is required. In comes Dr. Keith Keating, author of The Trusted Learning Advisor and CLO at BDO Canada. He covers: 1. The most common stumbling block L&D professionals run into as they adopt a strategic mindset. 2. How to leap over this stumb…

1
How Consensus Cloud Solutions Scales And Sustains A Thriving Hybrid Culture, with CPO Lynn Johnson 30:00

10M ago30:00

30:00

In this interview, CPO of Consensus Cloud Solutions, Lynn Johnson, explains how she scales and sustains company culture to 600 hybrid and remote employees. A few highlights include: 1. How she sustains culture with "an iron fist but a velvet glove." 2. How despite being a 600-employee company, she scales executive coaching to all of her first-line …

1
The Secret To Great Leadership? Develop Your Aspiring Leaders with The Aerospace Corp's CPO 46:47

10M ago46:47

46:47

In this episode, we sit down with Heather Laychak, the CPO at The Aerospace Corporation. She covers everything from her best-in-class approach to aspiring leadership programs to an industry-shifting diversity initiative and her top three book recommendations. Key topics include: The Aspirational Manager Program: How and why Heather and her team tak…

1
RANT: Why Bot Coaches Don't Work (And What Works Better) 5:19

10M ago5:19

5:19

Five years ago, I wrote a check for $1 million to launch an AI-powered coach using IBM Watson. We then created the world’s first executive coach bot (long before Chat GPT). And it DID NOT work. Here’s why: Even though the leaders liked the tool… The BUYERS—CPOs, CHROs, CLOs—DID NOT. The issue was this: Occasionally the bot would make a mistake. And…

1
A Scrappy And Highly Practical Approach To Develop Frontline Leaders with Collective Health's CPO 34:05

10M ago34:05

34:05

Abbie Buck, CPO of Collective Health, breaks down her scrappy approach to leadership dev. This one's full of creative and stealable ideas! Key Topics Covered: Her scrappy approach to develop frontline leaders: Abbie designed and delivered in-house development programs and recorded them for future use. Cultivating a customer-centric culture: The com…

1
Why Leadership Development Is The Key To Scaling Culture with Symphony's CPO 35:40

10M ago35:40

35:40

In this conversation with Courtney Panik, CPO of Symphony, we cover: How she helped Symphony scale its culture as it grew from a startup to a scale-up How Symphony's flat organizational structure and an open-door policy foster accessibility and trust. The role of people managers as "culture carriers" at Symphony. Leadership Development Tactics: Pan…

1
How A Personalized Approach Solved For Attrition with SugarCRM's CHRO 22:39

11M ago22:39

22:39

This episode explores the innovative way the CHRO of SugarCRM reduced employee turnover from 23% to 9% after joining the company. In addition to reducing turnover, CHRO Shana Sweeney shares: How she cultivates a unique company culture: She unveils the core values that make SugarCRM’s culture stand out, including the transformative "Yes, if" approac…

1
Drive Employee Engagement By Building A Culture Of Caring with One Medical's CPO 29:21

11M ago29:21

29:21

LEADx and Gallup research on employee experience shows that “your manager cares” is now a top five driver of employee engagement. One great example of “caring” in action is at One Medical, where “manager care” is a top-scoring item on their engagement survey year over year. To learn more, I had the chance to meet with CPO Christine Morehead. Here a…

1
COMMUNITY: How to Design and Deliver Your Aspiring Leaders Program with the Sr. Mgr of Leader Dev at OLYMPUS 44:54

11M ago44:54

44:54

This episode is a LEAKED event from our private, members-only Community of Practice for Leadership Development Professionals. We covered how to design and deliver an aspiring leaders program with the Sr. Manager of Sales Training at OLYMPUS.By Kevin Kruse

1
The Case For Intertwining Company Culture And Product with NerdWallet's CPO 30:40

11M ago30:40

30:40

An unexpected sign of a thriving company culture is when the culture and product go hand in hand. Here are a few examples: At Headspace, a mindfulness and wellness app, company culture is fostered with guided meditations, “MINDays” devoted to letting employees unplug, and peer-to-peer gratitude. At Collectors, a collectible authentication company, …

1
The Case For Putting Your Mission At The Heart Of Your Strategy with Waymo's CPO 27:50

11M ago27:50

27:50

In the HBR article, “Put Purpose at the Core of Your Strategy,” the authors describe an intensive study that they conducted to understand the strategies high-growth companies use to drive growth. The authors were surprised to discover one strategy that kept surfacing: putting purpose at the core of your company strategy. Across my thirty plus inter…

1
An Authentic Culture Is The Ultimate Moat with the CPO of Dave 27:15

11M ago27:15

27:15

"Building a real authentic culture is a moat because it's hard to replicate," said Shannon Sullivan the CPO of Dave. In this episode, Shannon shares how she built her moat at Dave. Here are a few highlights: 1. Two Ways she fosters authenticity in Dave's culture She injects all-hands meetings with 1) live interviews with customers, and 2) a highly …

1
The Secret To Great Company Culture Is ‘Less But Better’ with the CPO of Headspace 21:40

12M ago21:40

21:40

Culture isn't magic. It's the product of thoughtful effort. As Josh Bersin puts it, “To change the culture, don’t start with the culture. Start with the problem that you are trying to solve, what success looks like, and why it matters to your company.” Nowhere is this mentality more present than at Headspace, where Chief Operating Officer (COO) and…

1
The Key To A Thriving Culture? Develop Your Emerging Leaders with the CPO of DocuSign 18:02

12M ago18:02

18:02

Leadership development is the lever for a thriving culture. Gallup research indicates that 70% of engagement can be traced back to an employee’s relationship with their manager. At DocuSign, employees actively love their leaders. In fact, year after year, one of the company’s highest-scoring items on its employee engagement score is “How likely wou…

1
Think Of Your First-Line Leaders As Player-Coaches with the CPO of Box 18:10

12M ago18:10

18:10

With their deep involvement “on-the-floor” frontline managers are a lot like player-coaches. That’s how the CPO of Box Jess Swank likes to think of them. And I think it makes a lot of sense! Jess shared five critical ways she develops her frontline leaders Monthly manager power hours on timely skills A bi-weekly manager newsletter A Slack channel f…

1
How To Reverse-Engineer Highly Impactful Leadership with the CPO of CEI 23:23

1y ago23:23

23:23

At Cupertino Electric Inc. (CEI), the company grew so fast that they’ve found themselves at an inflection point. Now, CEI is attempting to slow down to observe its most effective leaders and determine what makes them great. To learn more, I met with CEI’s CPO Estrella Parker. A few highlights from our conversation include: 1. How she decoded the mi…

1
How An Evidence-Based Culture Can Drive Performance with the CPO of Virta Health 29:58

1y ago29:58

29:58

As I approach 40 podcast episodes with CPOs, an interesting theme has emerged: Companies that lean into quirky values stand out as especially creative and authentic environments. At Virta Health, employees operate around the value: "Evidence based." To learn more about what this looks like in action, I met with Dr. Lucia Guillory, the CPO. A couple…

1
How Leadership Development Can Reverse Turnover Quickly with the CPO of Bristlecone 33:18

1y ago33:18

33:18

Gallup research indicates that 70% of engagement can be traced back to an employee’s relationship with their manager. This just goes to show that at the heart of any thriving culture is thriving leadership. Bristlecone is no exception. When the company attrition rate grew to 27% nearly two years ago, Chief People Officer (CPO) Lisa Lesko knew she n…

1
How Radical Candor Can Float Your Company Through Times Of Change with the CPO of Neo4j 36:20

1y ago36:20

36:20

When a company experiences rapid growth, growing pains are inevitable. Original employees find themselves in a sea of new employees. The way things are done shifts. The culture evolves. So what can a company do to ease its growing pains? One of the more creative approaches I’ve heard is at Neo4j where employees adopted a company-wide mentality of r…

1
How To Scale And Sustain A Culture Of Caring with the CPO of Seismic 23:27

1y ago23:27

23:27

A tricky challenge many companies face as they grow: The high-touch, personalized approach to culture is tough to scale. At Seismic, the company’s founder-led culture revolves around caring. So much so that many employees were former customers. Despite rapid growth to 1600 employees, Seismic has managed to hold onto its culture of caring. CPO Linda…

1
Foster Your Culture With Exponential Changes (Not Incremental) with the CPO of Denali Therapeutics 20:11

1y ago20:11

20:11

It’s not so often you get to hear from a CPO who was a company’s first hire. CPO at Denali Therapeutics, Cindy Dunkle, is exactly that. She’s done a stunning job of scaling culture on the company’s growth path to 450 employees. The biotech company injects science into its culture at every turn. Here are a few highlights from our conversation: 1. Cu…

1
Create A Culture Of Learning With “Teaching At Scale” at Alto Pharmacy 33:06

1y ago33:06

33:06

Josh Bersin wrote in the Harvard Business Review that “the single main driver of business impact is the strength of an organization’s learning culture.” But how do you go about creating one? At Alto Pharmacy, the initiatives to scale a culture of learning are uniquely creative, action-oriented, and practical. To learn more about Alto’s approach, I …

1
How to Nourish a Culture of Recognition with the CPO of Collectors 32:28

1y ago32:28

32:28

Research shows that recognition is the eighth-strongest driver of employee engagement. But how can a company go about fostering recognition at scale without being disingenuous or forced? One great example is at the company Collectors, where recognition ranges from Slack shout-outs to custom-made, collectible-style cards of the person being awarded.…

1
The Best Training Programs Are Data-Informed with the CPO of HackerOne 20:37

1y ago20:37

20:37

NEW data from McKinsey: 90% of CEOs don’t believe their people development efforts have a clear business impact. More often than not, this is because learning professionals aren’t using, measuring, or communicating their impact in a useful way. One of the simplest and most effective examples of data-informed people development that I’ve seen recent…

1
COMMUNITY: People Analytics for Dummies & Leadership Development at Penske 1:17:18

1y ago1:17:18

1:17:18

This episode is a LEAKED event from our private, members-only Community of Practice for Leadership Development Professionals. The agenda for the October session of the Leadership Development Community of Practice included: 1. Author: Mike West on his book People Analytics For Dummies 2. Case: How Penske Paves The Way To A Legendary Culture Of Learn…

1
The Ridiculous Edge Companies Gain By Doubling Down On Company Culture Early with the CPO of Syapse 26:30

1y ago26:30

26:30

Considering that 70% of employee engagement can be traced to an employee’s relationship with their manager, you might expect companies to get intentional about leadership development and company culture early on. BUT, most companies don’t do so until it’s nearly too late. Despite having just 115 employees, Syapse boasts more robust and effective le…

1
How to Scale Culture as a Rapid-Growth Start-Up with the CPO of National Resilience 21:08

1y ago21:08

21:08

One of the most effective strategies to scale and sustain culture through a time of rapid growth is to establish a values system. But, it’s a strategy to approach with caution. A weak values system is arguably worse than no system at all. To dive deep into an example of a rapid-growth startup that built out a highly effective values system, I met w…

1
How To Scale A Founder-Led Culture Through 15 Years Of Rapid Growth with Twilio's CPO 25:17

1y ago25:17

25:17

Discover how Twilio, a 15-year-old tech giant, has managed to uphold its founder-led culture through its years of expansion. If the startup spark is what you seek to retain or reignite in your organization, this episode is your blueprint! Christy Lake, the Chief People Officer at Twilio, takes us behind the scenes, revealing how Twilio has doubled …

1
The Importance of Increasing Your Talent Density with Zapier's CPO 24:29

1y ago24:29

24:29

What is “talent density” and why might it be the secret to unlocking a high-performance culture? In our latest podcast episode, the CPO of Zapier, Brandon Sammut, unveils the innovative strategies they’re employing at Zapier to supercharge their talent pool and create a culture of excellence and innovation. Key Topics Covered: Growing Talent Densit…

1
What Does A Founder-Led Culture Look Like? With Omada Health's CPO 20:23

1y ago20:23

20:23

In this insightful episode, we uncover the intricacies of a founder-led culture, using Omada Health as a case study. Nancy Vitale, the Chief People Officer of Omada Health, joins us to elucidate how the company’s founders directly shape its authentic and innovative environment. We explore the tangible impacts of this leadership style on employee en…

1
Culture Is Built One Behavior at a Time with the CPO of UiPath 22:57

1y ago22:57

22:57

To foster a thriving company culture, you have to address the key behaviors underpinning your culture. In this podcast, the CPO of UiPath, Brigette McInnis-Day breaks down her approach to fostering culture. People-First Paradigm: Uncover how UiPath balances its tech innovation with a strong human-centric approach, rooting its mission in human achie…

1
Why Chaos Might Be the Missing Piece in Your Company Culture, with the CPO of Rivian 26:54

1y ago26:54

26:54

Think chaos can't be good for company culture? Think again. Helen Russell, the Chief People Officer of electric vehicle powerhouse Rivian, shares how chaos, when harnessed correctly, can spur unparalleled innovation and growth. In this podcast, discover the unique values, behaviors, and strategies that have driven Rivian from 1,000 to 16,000 employ…

1
How Culture Hinges On Behavior Change at Databricks 19:49

1y ago19:49

19:49

Culture is built on the behaviors demonstrated daily. In this episode, we unpack the role of behavior in shaping organizational culture with insights from Dr. Amy Reichanadter, Chief People Officer of Databricks, a global company revolutionizing the data space. Dr. Reichanadter’s unique blend of clinical psychology and HR expertise provides a fasci…

1
Culture Hinges on Great Hiring: Here’s How to Approach It w/ 10x Genomics' CPO 19:04

1y ago19:04

19:04

This episode covers the integral link between company culture and hiring. Learn from the enlightening journey of 10x Genomics, a life sciences pioneer with over 25 groundbreaking products under its belt. The company’s Chief People Officer, Dr. Rebecca Port, shares her unfiltered insights, explaining how 10x Genomics shapes its culture through a uni…

1
How Leadership Development Can Make Culture Thrive in Times of Rapid Growth with 1Password's CPO 22:19

1y ago22:19

22:19

Leadership is the cornerstone of any thriving culture, especially in the face of rapid growth. But how does a company maintain its essence while scaling at breakneck speed? Let's dive into the unique approach of a tech leader who has found the secret recipe—Katya Laviolette, the Chief People Officer of 1Password. Katya has been instrumental in guid…

1
How to Define and Embed Company Culture in a Way That Drives Adoption, with ForgeRock's CEO & CPO 26:56

1y ago26:56

26:56

Ever wondered why many employees resist cultural change more than any other type of organizational shift? In this interview with the CEO and CPO of ForgeRock, they share the secrets behind embedding a thriving company culture without over formalizing or bureaucratizing it. We chat with the dynamic duo from ForgeRock: Fran Rosch, the CEO, and Tschud…

1
How Exabeam's CHRO Nourishes A ‘Dedicated, Hard-Working, and Fun-Loving’ Culture 19:33

1y ago19:33

19:33

How do you create a corporate culture that breeds innovation, unity, and fun, yet encourages risk-taking without the haunting fear of mistakes? To find out, we speak with Gianna Driver, the dynamic Chief Human Resources Officer of Exabeam. Situated in the heart of the cyber security space, Exabeam not only champions security solutions but also cham…

1
COMMUNITY: Design and Deliver an Effective Hi-Potential Leadership Development Program 54:19

1y ago54:19

54:19

This episode is a LEAKED event from our private, members-only Community of Practice for Leadership Development Professionals. In the first half, Author Dr. David Burkus speaks about his book "Best Team Ever." And in the second half, our case spotlight is on Ultragenyx. The VP of Culture and Org Strategy , Bria Martin, speaks about how she put toget…

1
Scaling a Culture of Continuous Learning at HealthEdge 16:53

1y ago16:53

16:53

Ever pondered on the secret ingredient that drives a company’s thriving culture of continuous learning? Dive in as we unravel the formula at HealthEdge with Wendi Ellis, the VP of Talent and Learning at HealthEdge. HealthEdge is a game-changing healthcare SaaS enterprise. While HealthEdge seamlessly processes your medical claims behind the scenes, …

1
How Turo Scales and Sustains a Start-Up Culture (Even as It Grows from 400 to 800 Employees) 24:55

1y ago24:55

24:55

Ever wondered how a booming tech company maintains its original start-up vibe while doubling its workforce in just a year? Step inside the dynamic world of Turo with Lorie Boyd, the Chief People Officer at the largest peer-to-peer car-sharing platform. From unique cars for weekend getaways to ensuring a stellar workplace culture, Boyd sheds light o…

1
The Unique Way that Pinterest Scales and Sustains Its Culture 21:28

1y ago21:28

21:28

Dive deep into the heart of one of the world's most engaged cultures at Pinterest, where employees aren't just workers but active users of their own site. Christine Deputy, the Chief People Officer at Pinterest, pulls back the curtain to reveal the secret ingredients of Pinterest's flourishing culture. With nearly 4,000 employees globally, discover…

1
How the CPO of Toptal Scales a Thriving Culture, Even as the World’s Largest Remote Workforce 21:42

1y ago21:42

21:42

Imagine leading the world's largest fully remote workforce: 1,300 employees across 70+ countries. How would you scale such an expansive, global culture? Join us as we chat with Michelle Labbe, the Chief People Officer at Toptal. A company designed to connect businesses with the world’s top talents, Toptal has become the gold standard for remote wor…

1
How Veeva Drives a Culture of Speed on its Growth Path to 10k Employees 18:02

1y ago18:02

18:02

At the intersection of speed, technology, and life sciences, Veeva Systems is changing the way BioPharma companies operate. But how do they maintain a culture of speed with a rapidly growing team spanning 40 countries? Meet Vivian Welsh, the Chief People Officer of Veeva Systems, a company renowned for its ground-breaking software, data, and servic…

1
How HubSpot Sustains A Customer-Centric Culture Across 7k Hybrid Employees 23:53

1y ago23:53

23:53

In this episode we dive deep into the heart of HubSpot's culture! With the VP of Culture and ESG at HubSpot, Eimear Marrinan, we uncover the strategies behind scaling and sustaining a customer-centric culture to a global remote workforce. Key Topics Covered: The Essence of HubSpot's Culture: Learn about the HEART acronym (Humble, Empathetic, Adapta…

1
RANT: Outdated Vs. Modern Leadership Development 5:17

1y ago5:17

5:17

At my old companies, I sold millions of dollars worth of binders, facilitator guides, and participant kits. I was part of the OLD WAY of doing leadership development: build out binders of content (competencies, lists, models, and steps) deliver 5-day workshops schedule classes generate enrollment measure attendance and completion The old way was al…

1
RANT: The WRONG Way To Build Your Emerging Leaders Program 4:52

1y ago4:52

4:52

The number one mistake leadership development professionals make with emerging leaders programs? How they approach SELECTION. This episode details how to nail the selection process. You have to stop: - Overthinking and overcomplicating your selection process - Dumping money and resources into SELECTION - Weeding out enthusiastic applicants And you …

1
COMMUNITY: Lessons in Leadership Development from Mayo Clinic 59:12

1y ago59:12

59:12

This episode is a LEAKED event from our private, members-only Community of Practice for Leadership Development Professionals. In this episode, we first sit down with Dr. Richard Winters, who is both a practicing ER Physician and the esteemed Director of Leadership Development at Mayo Clinic. He unveils key insights from his book, "You’re the Leader…

1
How the CPO of Quizlet Fosters a Culture of Learning and Curiosity 13:40

1+ y ago13:40

13:40

In this interview the CPO of Quizlet, Stephanie Douglass, shares her extensive experience and deep insights into organizational culture. She gets into: Quizlet's Culture of Learning: Learn about the passionate and inclusive environment where every team is celebrated, and the mantra "I can't wait to learn from you" resonates. Leadership Development:…

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