Hosts Jess Hilton and Ralph Tribe are joined by esteemed guest Kevin Green, Chief People Officer at First Group PLC and author of Competitive People Strategy, for a profound discussion on transforming the HR function.

Kevin argues that 80% of HR functions fail to add strategic value because they follow fads and trends rather than linking their activity directly to the core business drivers. This episode provides the practical tools needed to transform HR from a cost center into a core investment, detailing key principles from his book.

Key Takeaways & Timestamps:

• 04:07 - The HR Paradox: Why 80% of HR functions don't add strategic value and continue doing what they've always done, despite massive external pressure.
• 06:48 - Differentiate or Fail: The fundamental flaw in HR is not understanding how to differentiate and compete, leading to a focus on "nice things" instead of high-impact activity.
• 12:15 - HR Strategy as Hypothesis: How to define HR strategy by prioritizing projects that directly quantify value to customers, NPS, or profitability.
• 18:27 - Minimum Lovable Product (MLP): The vital shift from striving for perfection to embracing 80/20—getting a minimum viable product into the business fast, iterating, and learning.
• 22:43 - The Storytelling Deficit: Why HR leaders often fail to get a seat at the table due to a lack of commercial storytelling and the inability to articulate ROI.
• 32:05 - Self-Regulation and Leadership: The crucial connection between a leader's ability to regulate their own anxiety and creating psychological safety for their teams.
• 48:30 - The Strategy Map Solution: Kevin explains the central concept of his book: a clear diagram showing the causation between people activity, people outcomes, and financial performance.
• 55:10 - ESG and HR Fusion: Why HR must seize the ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) agenda as a strategic new component, and how companies backing away from D&I proves they were never serious.

In this episode, Ralph Tribe welcomes two icons of executive coaching and leadership development, Kathleen Saxton (Founder &CEO of Psyched Ventures) and Dom Loehnis (Founder of The Unlock Partnership), for a powerful conversation on leading when there is no steady state.

In an environment that is increasingly brittle, anxious, non-linear, and incomprehensible (BANI), the old model of leadership is failing.

The conversation covers why the dramatic fall in CEO tenure reflects the exhausting and unpredictable nature of modern leadership. Kathleen and Dom argue that the only way to retain trust and provide stable direction in this chaotic environment is by emphasizing congruency (consistency) and committing to the internal work of "Know Thyself". Leaders must embrace a mindset of adaptability, giving direction based on "as far as the eye can see" rather than promising a strategy that will last "forever."

Timestamps:

(02:40): Mediation as a Leadership Skill

(17:50): The End of 'Steady State'

(22:20): Ego and the Fear of Becoming a Novice

(23:56): Why Leaders Are Not Using AI (and why they should)

(37:50): The Power of Congruency & Self-Work

(43:16): Giving Direction Without Promising Forever

(46:10): Final Leadership Billboard

Welcome back for Part 2 of our deep dive into the BANI framework (Brittle, Anxious, Non-linear, Incomprehensible). Hosts Jess Hilton and Ralph Tribe are once again joined by Kate Corrie, Chief People Officer at We Are Social, to explore the practical skills and cultural changes required to master this new era.

The conversation focuses on the shift from old V.U.C.A. methodologies to strategies that build psychological flexibility and learning agility in the face of continuous change.

01:28 - Clarity Over Certainty

03:46 - Psychological Flexibility

07:27 - Learning Agility vs. Expertise

10:13 - The Talent Headaches

14:11 - The New Employee Value

23:34 - AI as a Manager's Coach

28:46 - Start/Stop/Continue