Suzan Morno
former CHRO
Latham
Episode 102
People Over Process: The human element is your ultimate business advantage.
Current chapter: Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built By PeopleJuly 18, 2025 · 10:01
Thesis
“People, not strategy or systems, are the ultimate drivers of organizational success and transformation. HR's power lies in driving business strategy by focusing on the human element.”
Show notes
Suzan Morno Wade started in finance. She moved to HR and spent 30+ years at Fortune 500 companies including Xerox and GE, eventually serving on public company boards. Her thesis hasn't changed: "Strategy doesn't lead. People do."
In this conversation, she covers four topics that don't often appear in the same episode — and each one is worth its own conference panel. First: the outsized gap in women's healthcare within most corporate benefits structures, which she argues is both a moral and business failure, particularly as it relates to perimenopause and menopause support. Second: middle managers, who she describes as the critical translation layer between executive strategy and frontline execution — a layer most organizations consistently underinvest in. Third: the persistent and, she argues, unfair perception that CHROs lack business acumen, and what it actually takes to earn a board seat from an HR background. Fourth: executive compensation structures and how to advocate for linking them to HR function outcomes.
Her parting thought is the thread tying it all together: "You can buy all the systems in the world, put all the roadmaps together, but trust, clarity, courage are the things that we need to move things forward." It's the most HR-native insight you'll hear — and the most business-relevant.
- Why corporate healthcare models are built for men — and the business cost of ignoring women's life-stage needs
- Why middle managers are the strategy-execution bottleneck — and how to fix it
- The "business acumen" myth: what CHROs actually need to compete for board seats
- How to advocate for executive compensation changes tied to HR outcomes
- Why trust, clarity, and courage are the real operating system of organizational change
This episode is brought to you by Previ — an employer network that saves employees thousands on the necessities they already pay for, at no cost to the company.
What you'll take away
- 1Organizations must strategically invest in and empower middle managers, who are crucial for translating top-level strategy into actionable guidance for the broader workforce.
- 2Prioritizing women's unique healthcare needs, including peri/menopause support, has a profound positive impact on business outcomes and employee well-being.
- 3CHROs seeking board positions must actively demonstrate deep business acumen and a broad organizational perspective to challenge perceptions of limited strategic contribution.
- 4Effective advocacy for HR function compensation changes begins by proactively demonstrating the measurable value and unique skill sets that HR professionals bring to the organization.
- 5Successful change and strategy execution hinge on fostering trust, clarity, and courage within the workforce, recognizing that people drive progress, not just systems or roadmaps.
What most organizations get wrong
- •Suzan pushes back on the perception that CHROs lack business acumen or a broad organizational view, asserting that many possess deep understanding and can make significant impact on boards.
In Suzan's words
“I'm passionate about the power of HR to be a business strategy driver, not just about support”
This quote encapsulates her core belief about the strategic importance of HR beyond administrative functions.
“today we need to put more focus on addressing all of our constituents and understanding the impact that they can have on the workplace and the workforce. When you think about women who have such unique experiences...”
This highlights the critical need for inclusive healthcare models that acknowledge diverse employee needs.
“organizations need to invest in supporting supporting middle managers because of the unique role that they have in setting direction and guidance of the larger workforce.”
She emphasizes the often-overlooked but crucial role of middle management in operationalizing strategy.
“One of the major obstacles that CHROs face is not being seen as having business acumen.”
This identifies a key challenge for HR leaders aiming for broader executive and board roles.
“Strategy doesn't lead, people do. You can buy all the systems in the world, put all the roadmaps together, but trust, clarity, courage are the things that we need to move things forward.”
This is her parting advice, stressing the human element as paramount for successful execution.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Organizations often operate with a healthcare model primarily centered around men, neglecting the unique medical and life-stage needs of women (e.g., peri-menopause, childcare), leading to an 'outsized impact' on women's workplace experience and overall business health.
- •Middle managers frequently become a 'bottleneck' in organizations, failing to fully grasp or effectively disseminate strategic messages from leadership to the frontline workforce, thereby impeding successful transformation initiatives.
- •CHROs encounter significant obstacles in securing board seats due to a persistent perception that they lack sufficient business acumen and a broad organizational view, limiting their strategic influence.
- •HR functions struggle to advocate effectively for executive compensation that reflects their value and specialized skills, often because their contributions are not adequately understood or appreciated by other leaders.
In this episode
Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built by People
Suzanne Warner Wade is the CHRO of Xerox
In the Elevator With Suzanne Wade
You identified significant gap in women's healthcare within the workplace
Top Healthcare Executives on Women's Healthcare
Suzanne Miller: Organizations need to invest in supporting supporting middle managers
Empowering Middle Managers
Suzanne says CHROs face obstacles in preparing for board seats
In preparing CHROs for board seats
When advocating for executive compensation changes linked to HR functions, what were the critical factors
Susan, Advocating Compensation Changes Linked to HR Functions
Suzanne Miller: Strategy doesn't lead, people do
Building a Built By People
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
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