Digital HR Leaders with David Green

Why are so many HR leaders experiencing “what just happened?” moments at work - and what does it really take to respond to authoritarian leadership with courage instead of fear?

That’s the question Kristen Kavanaugh, Leadership Strategist, former Head of DEI and Talent Management at Tesla, explores in this episode of the Digital HR Leaders podcast.

In this episode, host David Green sits down with Kristen to unpack what happens when fear quietly becomes the operating system inside organisations, why authoritarian leadership styles are becoming increasingly normalised, and how HR leaders can reclaim their agency in environments shaped by power, pressure, and public leadership behaviour.

Tune in and learn:
Why fear-based leadership creates short-term gains but long-term damage
Why HR leaders often underestimate the agency they actually have
How Kristen’s Agency Loop framework helps leaders navigate tension, misalignment, and difficult decisions
What courageous leadership looks like as AI reshapes roles, skills, and power at work
Why HR has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape a more humane future of work This episode is sponsored by Worklytics.

Worklytics helps leaders understand how work actually happens with data-driven insights into collaboration, productivity and AI adoption.

By analysing real work patterns - from meetings to tool usage - they empower teams to work =
Learn more at worklytics.co/ai

Link to resources:
Courage over Fear: Harness the Power of Agency to Lead in Uncertain Times
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why do organisations keep repeating the same mistakes when it comes to hybrid work - and are they now doing the same with AI?

That’s the question Brian Elliott, one of the most respected voices on the future of work, explores in this episode of the Digital HR Leaders podcast.

In this episode, host David Green sits down with Brian to unpack why the hybrid and return-to-office debate continues to create tension between leaders and employees, despite years of data and experience, and the striking parallels between how organisations handled hybrid work and how many are now approaching AI adoption.

Tune in and learn:

Why the hybrid and return-to-office debate continues to divide leaders and employees
What the evidence says about making hybrid work effective for both people and the business
The similarities between hybrid work decisions and today’s AI adoption challenges
How AI is changing entry-level roles and long-term talent pipelines
The biggest barriers organisations face when trying to change long-established ways of working
Why leadership behaviour ultimately determines whether change sticks

This episode is sponsored by Worklytics.

Worklytics helps leaders understand how work actually happens with data-driven insights into collaboration, productivity and AI adoption.
By analysing real work patterns - from meetings to tool usage - they empower teams to work =

Learn more at worklytics.co/ai

Link to resources:

Five leadership lessons for "tough" CEOs
The burnout age
The job market and AI
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we begin a new year, it’s natural to reflect on what’s changed - and what’s quietly no longer fit for purpose.

AI investment is accelerating at pace, and autonomous and semi-autonomous agents are moving from experimentation to everyday work. And yet, many organisations are still operating with leadership models, workforce structures, and planning assumptions designed for a world where humans were the only actors in the system.

In this episode of the Digital HR Leaders podcast, David Green is joined by Sandra Durth, Partner at McKinsey & Company, to explore what happens when work is no longer just human-to-human, but human-to-agent - and what that means for the future of organisations.

Drawing on McKinsey’s latest research, Sandra shares her perspective on:

How AI-human symbiosis is reshaping the very definition of work
Why traditional hierarchies and leadership models are starting to break down
What “agentic leadership” really looks like in practice
The implications for performance, management capability, and strategic workforce planning
The biggest opportunities - and the biggest risks - HR leaders need to be paying attention to right now

Links to research:
The agentic organization: Contours of the next paradigm for the AI era
Six shifts to build the agentic organization of the future

Rethink management and talent for agentic AI
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can AI fuel a people-first transformation at global scale? At UPS, the answer is a resounding yes.

While many companies view AI through the lens of automation and efficiency, UPS is taking a radically different approach: treating AI as an enabler of human growth, not a replacement for it.

In this episode of the Digital HR Leaders podcast, host David Green is joined by Danelle McCusker, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Talent, Learning and Culture at UPS, to explore how the company is redefining what workforce transformation looks like in the age of AI.

With over half a million employees and a deeply rooted culture of promotion from within, UPS faces a unique challenge: how to prepare its people for a future defined by emerging technologies - while preserving trust, purpose, and opportunity.

Join them as Danelle and David explore:

Why UPS is designing AI implementations to relieve frontline burdens and elevate the value of human work - not eliminate it.
How a pilot with Valence’s AI coach Nadia is creating access to consistent, personalised development for employees well beyond the executive tier.
The role of psychological safety and experimentation in successful AI adoption
How HR and technology teams are partnering to drive cultural and capability transformation
What other HR leaders can learn from UPS’s intentional, business-first approach to AI

Whether you're in the early stages of your AI journey or looking for practical ways to align tech with talent strategy, this conversation offers both inspiration and actionable insights from the front lines of change.
This episode is sponsored by Valence.

Imagine if every employee had a world-class coach in their pocket. That’s exactly what Valence has created with Nadia - the AI-powered coach helping Fortune 500 companies scale development, boost performance, and support leaders at every level.

Learn more at valence.co/insight222
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Performance expectations are rising - but the systems designed to support people haven’t kept up.

In this episode of the Digital HR Leaders Podcast, host David Green is joined by Parker Mitchell, CEO and Founder of Valence, to explore how AI is transforming the way organisations think about performance.

Tune is as they explore:

Why traditional performance management still feels broken
How AI coaching can support real-time performance improvement at scale
How trust, context, and timing make the difference in effective AI tools
What changes when every employee has access to a personal coach
The signals that show AI coaching is driving real performance impact
How HR leaders can start small - but smart - when exploring AI coaching

This episode is sponsored by Valence.

Imagine if every employee had a world-class coach in their pocket. That’s exactly what Valence has created with Nadia - the AI-powered coach helping Fortune 500 companies scale development, boost performance, and support leaders at every level.

Learn more at valence.co/insight222
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.