Jamal Salim
Chief People Officer
American Institute of Chemical Engineers
Episode 330
Authentic HR Leadership: Embrace Conflict, Build Trust, Lead the Future
Current chapter: Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built By PeopleJanuary 27, 2025 · 11:20
Thesis
“Effective HR leadership is rooted in authentic approachability, empathetic engagement, and the courage to embrace and tactfully resolve conflict, especially as technology automates administrative functions.”
Show notes
Most HR leaders will tell you to avoid conflict. Jamal Salim was trained to run toward it. The Chief People Officer at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers entered his career through the Army, then served as a union shop steward — two environments where conflict avoidance isn't a professional style, it's a liability. That background gave him something rare in HR: the instinct and the tools to tackle difficult conversations head-on, tactfully and with genuine care for the outcome.
Jamal's approach to making HR approachable is deliberate and personal. He goes out of his way to be visible and accessible, knowing that the stigma around HR — that it's adversarial, punitive, or indifferent — is built up over years of invisible, transactional interactions. Rebuilding that trust starts in the recruiting process, before the first day on the job, and carries through every interaction where someone walks away feeling like they were heard rather than processed.
On AI, Jamal is direct: the administrative layer of HR will be automated, and that's not a threat — it's an opportunity. Organizations that shift their HR investment from transactional efficiency to employee relations, organizational development, and strategic people work will be the ones that still matter in a decade.
- What military service teaches about conflict resolution — why tactfully embracing difficult conversations is a competitive HR advantage
- Building genuine approachability — practical moves that dismantle the adversarial HR stigma
- Recruitment as relationship-building — starting the trust conversation before day one
- Balancing policy enforcement with employee advocacy — the "velvet glove and iron fist" discipline of fair HR leadership
- AI and the future of HR — why the automation of administrative work is actually an invitation to go deeper on strategy
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What you'll take away
- 1HR leaders should prioritize genuine approachability and empathetic interactions to dismantle stigmas and build trust within the organization.
- 2Veterans bring a unique and valuable skill set to HR, particularly in embracing and tactfully resolving conflict rather than avoiding it.
- 3Proactive engagement during the recruitment process helps pre-build relationships with new hires, fostering trust from day one.
- 4AI automation will soon phase out administrative HR tasks, necessitating a strategic shift towards employee relations, organizational development, and high-level HR strategy.
- 5Balancing the roles of policy enforcer and employee advocate requires fairness, objectivity, and genuine emotional investment in employees' growth and well-being.
What most organizations get wrong
- •The military taught him not to avoid conflict but to tackle it tactfully, contrasting with many HR peers who try to eliminate conflict, which is an unrealistic proposition.
In Jamal's words
“One of my biggest regrets was not having a job that translated into the civilian world. And when I got out, I worked a ton of odd jobs.”
This highlights the personal challenge of transitioning from military to civilian life without directly transferable skills, a common veteran experience.
“So I literally go out of my way to show them that I am approachable. I am rational. I am caring, empathetic, and really making that extra effort to be available and approachable to them.”
This quote directly addresses the central theme of breaking the 'unapproachable HR' stigma through conscious effort and personal attributes.
“But uniquely, when it comes to HR, the military taught me not to avoid conflict and how to tackle it in a way that is tactful and conducive to a mutual agreement or amicable solution.”
This is a key contrarian insight, highlighting a valuable and often overlooked skill veterans bring to HR: productive conflict resolution.
“I'm going to quote Thanos from The Avengers here. It's all about balance, right? You have to be able to walk that line and understand when to use a velvet glove and an iron fist.”
This memorable quote succinctly captures the delicate balance HR leaders must strike between policy enforcement and employee advocacy.
“I do think with AI automation, I absolutely see the administrative side of HR being phased out relatively soon. Which means you should be putting more of an emphasis on HR strategy, employee relations, and organizational development.”
This provides clear guidance on the future evolution of HR, emphasizing strategic human-centric roles over transactional ones due to AI.
“But the fact that you feel something is a good thing. And if you ever feel like you get to a point in your career where you feel nothing, then you've become a monster. Then you should stop.”
This powerful advice underscores the critical importance of retaining empathy and humanity even when performing difficult HR duties.
The problems this episode addresses
- •The existing stigma of HR being perceived as unapproachable or the 'bad guy' in organizations.
- •Many HR professionals tend to avoid conflict rather than embracing and resolving it constructively.
- •The challenge for HR leaders to balance policy enforcement with genuine employee advocacy and recognition.
- •The emotional toll and difficulty of performing necessary but unpleasant HR tasks, such as terminations.
- •The need for HR to pivot from administrative tasks, which are susceptible to AI automation, towards strategic, human-centric functions.
In this episode
Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built by People
And as a starting question, I always love to ask about your career journey
How a military veteran turned down a job in HR
Jamal says he tries to be approachable as chief people officer
In the Elevator With HR's Bad Guys
Jamal says the military taught him not to avoid conflict in HR
What Unique Contributions Do Veterans Bring to HR?
How do you make HR more accessible and foster trust within an organization
How to Build a Trust with HR Personnel
What advice would you give to future HR leaders about balancing the role of policy enforcer
The Role of HR in the Next 5 Years
Jamal has some advice for budding HR professionals about handling termination cases
A Human Resources Professional's Last Words
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
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