Carolina Terrazas
VP of Talent Management & Development
Schneider Electric
Episode 31
Embrace Discomfort: The Only Way to True Growth and Adaptive Leadership
Current chapter: Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built By PeopleOctober 9, 2025 · 14:09
Thesis
“True professional and personal growth stems from embracing discomfort and uncertainty, relying on resilience and a 'figure it out' mindset rather than waiting until one feels fully ready. Leadership, similarly, is about fostering environments where people can grow through trust and empathy, continuously adapting and unlearning in a dynamic world.”
Show notes
Summary
In this episode of the Built by People Podcast, Carolina Terrazas shares her inspiring journey in HR, discussing the pivotal moments that shaped her career. From being unexpectedly thrust into a leadership role to navigating international moves, Carolina emphasizes the importance of courage, resilience, and adaptability in personal and professional growth. She highlights transformative HR initiatives and the significance of understanding unique company cultures while adapting leadership practices. Ultimately, Carolina encourages listeners to embrace curiosity and the ability to unlearn in a rapidly changing world.
Takeaways
- Carolina's career in HR began unexpectedly but became a passion.
- A key mentor saw potential in Carolina that she didn't see in herself.
- Growth occurs when we are trusted to rise to the occasion.
- Courage involves moving forward despite fear.
- Transitions in her career taught Carolina resilience and empathy.
- Preparation for change is less about knowledge and more about confidence.
- Meaningful HR changes can have lasting impacts on employees.
- Adapting practices to fit unique company cultures is crucial.
- Curiosity and adaptability are essential in today's fast-paced world.
- The ability to unlearn and relearn is vital for success.
Chapters
00:00 Carolina's Journey in HR
03:37 The Impact of Trust and Leadership
05:26 Navigating Career Transitions
07:35 Driving Change in Organizations
11:53 Adapting and Evolving in a Changing World
What you'll take away
- 1Growth occurs most significantly when individuals are challenged and trusted to rise to an occasion, even if they don't feel fully prepared.
- 2Courage in leadership and personal life is demonstrated by moving forward despite fear, as discomfort often signals areas of significant growth.
- 3Effective HR initiatives should not be 'copy-pasted' but rather used as inspiration, then adapted and built collaboratively with the team to fit the unique culture and needs of a new organization.
- 4Strategic workforce planning combined with talent risk assessments is crucial for navigating major industry transformations and identifying future skill gaps.
- 5In a rapidly changing world, the ability to unlearn, evolve, stay open, and relearn is paramount for continued success and impact.
What most organizations get wrong
- •The idea that HR initiatives can be directly 'copy-pasted' from one company to another, emphasizing instead the need for adaptation and co-creation based on unique organizational needs and culture.
In Carolina's words
“growth happens when we're trusted to rise to the occasion, not when we feel ready. And that leadership is about not having all the answers, but rather developing the empathy, the listening skills, and creating an environment where people matter.”
This quote encapsulates her philosophy on leadership and personal growth, stressing trust and empathy over readiness.
“courage is not the absence of fear, is choosing to move forward despite the fear.”
This highlights her perspective on overcoming significant personal and professional challenges, particularly through international career moves.
“it's all about the mindset. There's not enough preparation you can do in terms of learning about the place or the thing... For me, it was always working on building the confidence in myself that I could figure anything that comes my way out.”
This emphasizes the importance of an adaptable mindset and self-confidence for navigating career uncertainties and new environments.
“I don't believe in copy-paste because I think every company is unique. Every culture is unique. The needs are unique... What has worked for me is, as I said, use it as inspiration, but then start with listening and understanding what the needs are and building solutions along with the rest of the team.”
This provides a strong, practical counter-argument against generic solutions in HR, advocating for tailored, collaborative approaches.
“what I've learned is that what is most important is the ability to unlearn, to evolve, to stay open, and to relearn. And I think that is something we need today more than ever before.”
This offers forward-looking advice on continuous learning and adaptability as essential skills for navigating a dynamic global landscape.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Helping employees navigate uncertainty and resistance during major organizational transformations, such as the shift from internal combustion to electrification in the automotive industry.
- •Rebuilding personal and professional credibility, networks, and self-confidence when making significant career changes, especially through international relocation.
- •Identifying critical roles and assessing talent/skill gaps effectively to enable strategic workforce planning during periods of rapid change and expansion.
- •The temptation and ineffectiveness of applying 'off-the-shelf' HR solutions without tailoring them to the unique culture and specific needs of an organization.
- •Ensuring employees and leaders remain curious and adaptable in a VUCA world with rapid advancements like AI, requiring a continuous cycle of unlearning and relearning.
In this episode
Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built by People
Carolina Terrazas shares a little bit about her career journey
Carolina Terrazas on Her Career Journey
Carolina talks about a key person who influenced her career
What Motivated and Inspired You?
Carolina, can you tell us about a moment in your career where something was on line
What Moment in Your Career Were You Most Uncomfortable?
Most people would struggle to make the decision to move their family to another country
How to Prepare for a Career Change or Moving to a Country
Carolina, what's one of the most meaningful changes that you've made as HR leader
What's the Most Significant Change You've Made as an HR Leader
Use something that has worked in the past as inspiration to bring into new space
Can You Copy-Pea From Your Company's Culture?
Carolina says staying curious and adaptable is crucial in today's world
Carolina Pellon on Becoming More Creative in Your Career
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
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