The People Dividend Episode 025: “Lead Like a Human” in HR and Beyond
Adam Weber

“‘Lead like a human’ is the concept that you can lead as your true authentic self,” explains Adam Weber, a prominent figure in the HR and leadership space. This week, he joins Mike Horne to discuss the core principles of his book, “Lead Like a Human,” which advocates for authentic leadership and the creation of vibrant, high-performance cultures. Adam emphasizes the importance of “centeredness” in leadership, which involves maintaining practices such as gratitude, self-reflection, and physical well-being to stay grounded amidst the pressures of leadership roles.

They tackle the burnout epidemic plaguing HR leaders, with 98% reportedly experiencing some form of burnout. Adam attributes this to the increasing responsibilities of HR roles without a corresponding increase in resources or autonomy. He suggests that HR leaders often shoulder too much and allow urgent issues to overshadow strategic planning. To combat this, Adam advises HR professionals to invest in proactive measures, particularly in manager training, to reduce the reactive nature of their work.

Adam envisions a future where AI eliminates much of the administrative burden in HR, allowing professionals to focus more on people operations. He is particularly interested in how AI can help evaluate and redefine roles within organizations, facilitate internal mobility, and enhance talent acquisition processes.

This episode of The People Dividend encourages leaders to pause and reflect before making decisions, to cultivate learning outside of their immediate job responsibilities, and to be genuinely present with their teams. By recognizing and nurturing the potential in others, leaders can create a more inclusive and dynamic work environment.

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Quotes
“How you show up, how you inspire people, how you create clarity, and how you create safety for others—these are the foundations that create cultures that are innovative, motivated, and achieve great things, that people tell stories about for the rest of their careers.” (04:12 | Adam Weber)
“What are the practices you put in place in your life that allow you to show up in a calm and steady way, that create consistent responses from your team, and help you face challenges with perspective? It’s concepts like that, I think, that really help separate some of the best leaders from the rest.” (10:00 | Adam Weber)
“What great leaders do is they see potential in others and instead of trying to take it all for themselves, they figure out ways to unlock that potential in other people and that is such a gift to give to another person, to sit with them, to see what they’re great at, to help them see it themselves, and then to watch them thrive. It’s a really beautiful thing to do for someone else. (35:12 | Adam Weber)

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