In this episode of Build by People Leaders, Daria Rudnik speaks with Dr. Shaina Cook, Chief People Officer at Dominion Payroll, about what it really takes to build modern organizations where people and performance thrive together.

Shaina shares her nonlinear journey from science teacher to HR executive, why HR must think like a business owner, and how to move from “accidental organizations” to intentionally designed systems. She also walks through her practical AI transformation playbook — including governance, human oversight, and the three pillars guiding adoption — and tells the surprising story of how one employee built internal AI agents that saved the company hundreds of thousands of dollars.

A grounded, practical conversation for HR leaders navigating growth, AI, and real business impact.

Company website: www.dominionpayroll.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaynacooke/

Takeaways

• From science teacher to Chief People Officer — a nonlinear path that reshaped modern HR leadership.

• Why HR must think like a business owner before advocating for people.

• The 3-pillar AI playbook that turns transformation into measurable impact.

• How building a culture of innovation unlocks unexpected employee growth and engagement.

• Stop running “accidental organizations” — start designing systems where people and performance thrive.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to HR and AI Transformation

04:50 Shayna's Nonlinear Career Path

09:54 The Role of HR in Organizational Systems

14:44 AI Integration in HR

19:57 Building a Culture of AI Engagement

24:38 Advice for HR Leaders

29:30 Unexpected Outcomes of AI Implementation

In this high-impact episode, executive coach Roshan Chander breaks down why leaders and executives get stuck in invisible decision loops that quietly limit growth, authority, and performance.

Roshan explains how autopilot decision-making forms mental loops that affect leadership effectiveness, productivity, and long-term business strategy. He introduces the concept of a personal decision audit and shares practical steps leaders can take to identify patterns, build self-awareness, and move from reaction to intentional response.

Through real client stories and clear frameworks, this conversation highlights how cutting decision loops can unlock clarity, confidence, and measurable business results.

This episode is ideal for founders, executives, and professionals focused on leadership development, career growth, and better decision-making.

Key Topics Covered:

• Decision-making patterns and mental loops

• Leadership self-awareness and personal audits

• Breaking autopilot behavior

• Executive coaching insights

• Productivity and performance improvement

• Strategic thinking and career growth

Keywords: decision making, leadership, mental loops, self-awareness, personal audit, business strategy, executive coaching, productivity, decision patterns, career growth

Chapters: 00:00 Understanding Decision Loops 06:18 Identifying Personal Patterns 12:08 The Importance of Auditing Decisions 18:09 Breaking Free from Autopilot 20:27 Transformative Client Stories 22:24 Practical Steps to Cut Loops

#DecisionMaking #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #SelfAwareness #BusinessStrategy #Productivity #CareerGrowth #HighPerformance #LeadershipMindset

In this insightful episode, Dr. David Leitner explores a concept often overlooked in leadership conversations: followership. He challenges the traditional belief that leadership alone drives success and explains why followership is an active, intentional choice that plays an equally powerful role in organizational performance.

Dr. Leitner breaks down the dynamic relationship between leaders and followers, emphasizing trust, mutual vision, and shared responsibility. He explains how strategic followership strengthens teamwork, improves organizational culture, and drives performance excellence.

This conversation also addresses cultural biases that glorify leadership while undervaluing followership and highlights how choosing to be a follower can lead to personal fulfillment, professional growth, and long-term impact.

This episode is essential listening for leaders, team members, managers, and anyone interested in personal development, servant leadership, and high-performing teams.

Key Topics Covered:

• Leadership and followership dynamics

• Strategic followership in organizations

• Teamwork and organizational culture

• Mutual vision and trust building

• Servant leadership and energy management

• Personal development through followership

• Performance excellence and team effectiveness

Keywords: leadership, followership, strategy, teamwork, organizational culture, personal development, servant leadership, energy management, mutual vision, performance excellence

Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Leadership and Followership 05:05 The Dynamics of Leadership and Followership 10:07 Growing Followership in Organizations 15:01 The Importance of Followership 20:04 Cultural Perspectives on Leadership and Followership 24:54 Strategic Followership and Team Dynamics 29:57 Practical Applications of Followership 35:06 Personal Insights on Followership and Energy Management 40:07 Conclusion: The Choice of Followership

#LeadershipDevelopment #Followership #Teamwork #OrganizationalCulture #ServantLeadership #PersonalGrowth #PerformanceExcellence #StrategicLeadership #WorkplaceCulture

In this powerful episode, Pavel Kovsharov shares his inspiring business journey from a corporate executive to a successful entrepreneur in the family entertainment industry. Starting his first business at just 16, Pavel reveals how entrepreneurship became his life’s calling and what led him to leave corporate life after a pivotal vacation.

Pavel dives deep into the realities of building and scaling a family entertainment business, navigating global challenges like the pandemic and war, and leading teams through uncertainty. He highlights the critical role of company culture, leadership principles, and adaptability in long-term business success.

This conversation also explores international expansion, market analysis, brand reputation, and personal growth as essential pillars for sustainable entrepreneurship.

Whether you are a founder, aspiring entrepreneur, or business leader, this episode offers practical insights on resilience, leadership, and building businesses that last.

Key Topics Covered:

• Entrepreneurship and early business mindset

• Transition from corporate executive to entrepreneur

• Building and scaling a family entertainment business

• Overcoming business challenges and global crises

• Leadership principles and company culture

• International expansion and market adaptability

• Brand building and long-term personal growth

Keywords: entrepreneurship, business journey, family entertainment, company culture, leadership principles, international expansion, overcoming challenges, personal growth, market analysis, adaptability

Chapters: 00:00 Pavel’s Entrepreneurial Journey Begins 07:33 Building a Family Entertainment Empire 11:08 Overcoming Challenges in Business 15:56 Expanding Internationally 23:52 Creating a Positive Company Culture 30:26 Leadership Principles and Lessons 35:54 Adapting to Change in a Dynamic World

#Entrepreneurship #BusinessJourney #FamilyEntertainment #LeadershipDevelopment #CompanyCulture #InternationalBusiness #StartupLife #BusinessGrowth #PersonalDevelopment #FounderStories

In this episode, Sebastian Gerhardt, founder of Flee, shares his entrepreneurial journey and deep insights into improving developer experience in modern software organizations. He explains why developer productivity cannot be measured by output alone and how organizational structure, team culture, and feedback systems play a critical role in engineering success.

The conversation explores how CTOs and engineering leaders can identify friction points, foster open communication, and build high performing teams, especially in remote and distributed work environments. Sebastian Gerhardt also shares practical advice for adapting engineering management practices to the future of work.

Key Topics Covered

• Developer experience and productivity in software teams

• Why output based metrics fail engineering teams

• Team culture and psychological safety

• Feedback systems and survey driven insights

• Organizational structure and engineering management

• Remote work and the future of software development

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastiangerhardt/

helloflea.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/helloflea

#DeveloperExperience #EngineeringLeadership #CTO #SoftwareDevelopment #TeamCulture #RemoteWork #EngineeringManagement #Productivity #FutureOfWork

In this powerful episode, Davidson Oturu shares hard-earned insights from years of working with startups and first-time CEOs. He breaks down why having a great idea is not enough to run a successful business and highlights the most common mistakes new CEOs make in execution, operations, and financial management.

David emphasizes the importance of understanding core business principles, building a leadership team with complementary skills, and defining company culture from day one. He also explores the critical relationship between CEOs and boards, the importance of aligning vision with stakeholder expectations, and why leadership must be treated as a continuous learning journey.

This episode is essential listening for founders, first-time CEOs, and startup leaders aiming to build sustainable, high-performing companies.

Key Topics Covered

• Common mistakes made by first-time CEOs

• Why ideas alone do not build successful businesses

• Business strategy and execution fundamentals

• Team building and leadership composition

• Company culture and long-term success

• CEO and board alignment

• Leadership development in startups

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidsonoturu/

#StartupAdvice #FirstTimeCEO #LeadershipDevelopment #CompanyCulture #StartupSuccess #BusinessStrategy #VentureCapital #Entrepreneurship #FounderLeadership

In this insightful episode, Simon Mulder shares his journey from software engineering to becoming a global HR leader. He explores how leadership styles evolve across large corporations and fast growing scale-ups, the real challenges behind mergers and acquisitions, and why many organizations struggle with integration and alignment.

Simon Mulder also draws powerful parallels between parenting and leadership, emphasizing transparency, adaptability, and long-term thinking. From corporate culture to continuous learning and strategic decision-making, this conversation offers practical insights for leaders navigating the future of work.

Key Topics Covered

• HR leadership and organizational development

• Corporate culture in scale-ups vs large enterprises

• Leadership styles across growth stages

• Mergers and acquisitions challenges

• Parenting principles applied to leadership

• Continuous learning and future-ready organizations

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonmulder/?originalSubdomain=nl

#HRLeadership #CorporateCulture #FutureOfWork #LeadershipDevelopment #ScaleUps #MergersAndAcquisitions #OrganizationalDevelopment #ContinuousLearning #StrategicLeadership #PeopleLeadership

In this episode, Veiko Valkiainen explores the concept of self-managed organizations and how they are reshaping leadership, decision-making, and workplace culture. The conversation breaks down the principles of self-management, the role of Holacracy, and why clear role boundaries are critical for success.

We dive deep into decentralized decision-making, team dynamics, and the challenges organizations face when shifting away from traditional hierarchies. Veiko also shares why autonomy and empowerment are becoming essential skills for the modern workforce and how organizations can adapt responsibly.

This episode is a must-listen for leaders, founders, HR professionals, and anyone curious about organizational design and the future of work.

Key Topics Covered

• What self-managed organizations really mean
• How authority is distributed across roles
• The fundamentals of Holacracy
• Decision-making without traditional hierarchy
• Team alignment and resolving tensions
• Risks and challenges of self-management
• Empowerment, autonomy, and workplace culture
• Preparing organizations for the future of work

Key Takeaways

• Self-managed organizations distribute authority among role holders
• Clear role boundaries are essential for effective self-management
• Holacracy is a structured model for radical decentralization
• Decision-making happens at the role level, not the top
• Tensions are addressed through structured meetings
• Autonomy requires high ownership and accountability
• Empowerment is central to the future of work
• Resistance to change is a common challenge
• Meaningful contribution is replacing rigid job titles
• Strong team dynamics fuel collaboration and independence

Chapters

00:00 Exploring Self-Managed Organizations

04:42 Understanding Self-Management

08:06 Practical Applications of Self-Management

11:28 Holacracy: A Model for Self-Management

19:45 Decision-Making in Self-Managed Organizations

25:19 Team Dynamics in Self-Management

32:46 Challenges and Risks of Self-Management

36:36 Preparing for the Future of Work

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/veiko-valkiainen/

#FutureOfWork #SelfManagement #Holacracy #LeadershipDevelopment #OrganizationalDesign #WorkplaceCulture #TeamEmpowerment #DecentralizedLeadership #ModernWorkplace #PeopleFirst