Teresa Roche
CHRO
City of Fort Collins
Episode 291
The Inner Game of Leadership: Self-Insight Transforms Your Impact
Current chapter: Covering monthly expenses is the number one concern for employees in 2024
Built By PeopleFebruary 21, 2025 · 17:28
Thesis
“Self-insight and self-acceptance are foundational for leading one's life and others, enabling leaders to serve authentically and foster positive culture regardless of their position or the work environment.”
Show notes
Unveiling HR Leadership: Insights and Career Journey of Teresa Roche.
In this episode of the Built by People podcast sponsored by Previ, host Dave welcomes Teresa, an accomplished HR executive. Teresa shares her extensive career journey, highlighting significant roles at Hewlett Packard, Agilent, and her experience as a public servant.
She emphasizes the importance of self-insight for HR leaders and introduces concepts like 'leadership as a practice.' Teresa also discusses leading global teams, the impact of technology and AI on HR, and offers parting advice on self-acceptance and authenticity.
00:00 Introduction to the Built by People Podcast
00:16 Sponsor Message from Previ
00:45 Welcoming Teresa and Her Career Journey
02:49 The Importance of Self-Insight for HR Leaders
06:20 Leadership as Practice, Not Performance
08:14 Lessons from Leading a Global Remote Team
12:36 HR as Signal Generators and Culture Mantles
14:15 The Future of HR Leadership with AI and Technology
15:56 Parting Advice and Closing Remarks
What you'll take away
- 1Self-insight is crucial for effective leadership, enabling better coaching, mentoring, and openness to feedback.
- 2View leadership as a continuous practice and an approach to life, rather than a performance or a rigid position.
- 3Authentic connection and 'love' are possible in any work format, including global virtual teams, through intentional communication and adaptive planning.
- 4Leaders act as 'signal generators' whose actions, questions, and responses profoundly shape organizational culture and employee perception.
- 5Anticipate and prepare for AI as a future colleague, understanding its implications for team dynamics, organizational culture, and new ways of working.
What most organizations get wrong
- •Leadership is an approach to one's life, not merely a position held, emphasizing personal ethos over hierarchical status.
- •Leaders should reallocate energy spent on worrying about external perception ('how we're performing, how we look') towards more valuable endeavors, promoting authenticity over performance anxiety.
In Teresa's words
“Self-insight Being foundational for leading one's life is a teaching point of view.”
This quote encapsulates her core philosophy on leadership, emphasizing inner understanding.
“I think of leadership as an approach to one's life, not a position you hold.”
She challenges traditional views of leadership, decoupling it from a job title.
“I do think that those of us that are privileged and blessed to lead others I hold us to a higher standard because who we are can either cast a ray of sunshine or a dark cloud over the people that we're accountable for or those that we serve.”
This highlights the profound impact leaders have on their teams and the responsibility that comes with leadership.
“Love is possible no matter what the format.”
This speaks to the human element of leadership and its adaptability to virtual environments.
“The possibility that AI will be a colleague of ours is going to bring a whole new way of working.”
This forward-looking statement sets the stage for a significant future shift in HR and organizational structure.
“Be who you are and be that perfectly well.”
This personal mantra emphasizes authenticity and self-acceptance as key to professional and personal fulfillment.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Employees' primary concern in 2024 is covering monthly expenses, indicating a need for financial well-being support (as per sponsor).
- •Challenges of establishing deep team community and effective communication in global, virtual, and asynchronous work environments, particularly when early technology limits rich interaction.
- •Leaders expending excessive energy on managing external perceptions rather than focusing on impactful work.
- •Navigating rapid technological changes, specifically the integration of AI into the workforce and its implications for team dynamics and organizational culture.
- •The ongoing need for leaders to cultivate self-insight and adaptive practices to remain effective and agile.
In this episode
Covering monthly expenses is the number one concern for employees in 2024
Built by People
Deep, first I just have to thank you for inviting me to be on your podcast
In the Elevator With Dave Silver
Fort Collins says knowing who you are is foundational to leadership
Leadership as a Practice, Not a Subject
David Frum: I think AI will be a colleague of ours
In the Elevator With Dave Goldberg
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
Expand transcript (0 words)
Transcript is not available yet.