DeRetta Rhodes
EVP/Chief Culture Officer
Atlanta Braves
Episode 275
Beyond Imposter Syndrome: Forge Your Unbreakable Path Through Adversity
Current chapter: Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built By PeopleMarch 17, 2025 · 15:20
Thesis
“Personal and professional growth is achieved through navigating challenges with resilience, cultivating strong support networks, and actively empowering others, while consistently recognizing and demonstrating the inherent value of the HR profession.”
Show notes
Two professors told DeRetta Rhodes she didn't seem committed to her doctoral program. It took her seven years to finish it. That particular combination — being told no, and proceeding anyway — is probably the single clearest window into how she thinks about leadership development.
As EVP and Chief Culture Officer at the Atlanta Braves, DeRetta has built a career across PepsiCo, Turner Broadcasting, EY, and Liberty Media that spans restaurant operations to sports entertainment. Her book, Courage of Voice, captures the thesis of her professional journey: your story is not your own, and the obligation to share it — especially when it involves navigating imposter syndrome, microaggressions, and rooms where your presence is treated as surprising — is how you create the conditions for others to follow. Her framework for managing imposter syndrome is specific and actionable: build a board of mentors and supporters who can hold space for you when you can't hold it for yourself. And develop the discipline to evaluate your reactions before you have them.
Her HR operational excellence blueprint — client engagement, team collaboration, flawless execution — is equally concrete. She learned it in organizations where expectations were explicit and standards were high, and has passed it deliberately to every team she's led since. Her parting message to HR professionals is one the function needs to hear more often: know your value. What we do has been needed for years upon end. Act like it.
What you'll learn:
- How to build a personal "board of supporters" to navigate imposter syndrome and professional adversity
- The emotional intelligence discipline of evaluating your reaction before having it — especially in high-stakes rooms
- Why "your story is not your own" and how that frames an obligation to share it with others
- DeRetta's three-pillar HR operational excellence blueprint: client engagement, team collaboration, execution
- Why growth happens in the hard places — not the comfortable ones — and how to orient toward difficulty
- What leading culture in a sports organization demands that corporate HR doesn't
This episode is in partnership with Transform. Check out their community here.
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What you'll take away
- 1Cultivate a robust 'board of mentors and supporters' to effectively combat imposter syndrome and navigate professional hurdles.
- 2Practice emotional intelligence by consciously evaluating the impact of your words and reactions before engaging, fostering more thoughtful interactions.
- 3Embrace difficult professional experiences as primary catalysts for significant personal and career growth.
- 4Prioritize empowering other professionals, particularly women and racial minorities, by providing essential development opportunities and encouragement.
- 5Implement a clear blueprint for HR operational excellence, emphasizing consistent client engagement, robust team collaboration, and flawless execution.
What most organizations get wrong
- •Your growth will not come from easy places; it is cultivated in the hard and difficult situations.
- •Everyone has a story to tell, and it's important to share it, challenging the notion that only select individuals should publish their narratives.
In DeRetta's words
“I went back to get my doctorate because it was really important for me to have credibility when I sit in the room.”
Highlights the personal drive for professional credibility beyond mere titles and formal education.
“you can have a reaction, but you need to think about what that reaction is going to be before you do it.”
Emphasizes the critical importance of thoughtful response over impulsive reaction in leadership roles.
“Your growth is going to come from the hard places. Your growth is going to come from those things that are difficult.”
Challenges the common belief that personal and professional development is a comfortable or straightforward process.
“your story is not your own. So you really need to be able to share that.”
Encourages individuals to share their experiences as a powerful means of empowering and inspiring others.
“I was able to see that as a blueprint and have been very intentional about passing that along for all of the teams that I support and in the organizations that I'm a part of.”
Demonstrates a structured and intentional approach to developing high-performing HR teams through clear expectations and a repeatable framework.
“understand and know your value. What we do as HR professionals is so needed and it is needed and it has been needed for years upon end.”
A powerful affirmation for HR professionals, highlighting the critical and enduring impact of their work.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Employees' financial well-being concerns (per sponsor intro).
- •Individuals, particularly women and minorities, experiencing imposter syndrome and microaggressions in professional settings.
- •Lack of supportive networks or discouragement from superiors hindering professional and academic pursuits.
- •The challenge of establishing clear expectations and operational consistency within HR teams.
- •The emotional toll and need for self-care for HR professionals who constantly absorb organizational challenges ('empty your vessel').
In this episode
Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built by People
You share a little bit about your career journey
WSJD Live: My Career Journey
Sharetta Rhodes says professors expressed doubt about her ability to complete her doctorate
Sharetta Rhodes on Perseverance
How have microaggressions and direct challenges influenced your experience with imposter syndrome
In the Elevator With Impersonation
You address comments suggesting women should be content with their progress
On Women's Support
How has your background in baseball and broadcasting influenced your perspective on HR management
Courage of Voice: Uniting HR Teams
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
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