Leaders must not only know how to manage their team, but most importantly, they must also know how to shape them into future leaders themselves. Joining Tom Dardick is Una Martone, President and CEO of Leadership Harrisburg, who takes a deep dive into the real essence and impact of servant leadership. Sharing her views on how leaders and leadership propagate in a community, Una discusses how to navigate the many challenges of the ever-evolving era of AI and automation. She also emphasizes why relationships are the highest currency every leader must preserve and the undeniable importance of authenticity in today’s fast-paced digital age.

This is the final contemplative episode of the Eye of Power podcast.

It marks the completion of a line of inquiry that has been developing over the course of this series.

The work continues elsewhere.

What does it look like when a Chief People Officer truly understands the business—not just the policies, but the work, the pressures, and the human potential of the people who run it?

In this conversation, Tom Dardick sits down with Jim Sponaugle, Chief People Officer at Utz Brands, to explore a fundamentally different approach to people strategy. Jim's is a non-traditional HR path. His experience is built from two decades in operations and P&L leadership.

Jim shares how his background in running businesses reframed his view of HR’s role: moving beyond compliance and administration to becoming a genuine driver of strategy, culture, and human potential. Together, Tom and Jim examine what happens when HR leaders deeply understand the business they serve. Jim shares how that understanding allows them to unlock performance, engagement, and fulfillment rather than simply manage risk.

Their conversation ranges from:

• The shift from fixing what’s wrong to cultivating fulfillment and engagement
• Why moving people from dissatisfaction to neutrality requires different drivers than moving them to full contribution
• How misalignment between role and strengths quietly erodes engagement—and how leaders can address it early
• Why focusing on the small portion of work that aligns with passion and strength can transform even difficult jobs
• The dignity of work, the power of mindset, and the ripple effects of individual contribution
• The importance of humility, curiosity, and lifelong learning in effective leadership

Jim also shares personal practices that support growth and openness, along with candid reflections on what it actually takes to develop people in real organizations, not in theory.

This episode will resonate with:

• Chief People Officers and HR leaders
• Executives and operators responsible for culture and performance
• Leaders interested in engagement, fulfillment, and sustainable people strategy
• Anyone thinking seriously about how organizations can support human growth at scale

This is not a conversation about perks or programs. It’s a grounded exploration of what becomes possible when people strategy is treated as a serious business discipline.