Tom shares insights from his CHRO Impact Framework and reflects on how HR leaders can step into true enterprise leadership - shifting from a function-first to a system-first mindset and shaping the wider conditions for business performance.

Tom explores the tension HR leaders face between short-term pressures and long-term impact, and the courage and curiosity needed to navigate both. He explains why the effectiveness of the executive team is central to culture and performance, and how HR leaders are uniquely placed to act as the strategic conscience of that team.

He introduces his new framework, VETRA - vision, empathy, trust, resilience and agility - to help HR leaders elevate executive team effectiveness, strengthen relationships and foster psychological safety while keeping teams anchored in purpose.

Tom shows how every conversation is a chance for HR leaders to step beyond their function and lead in ways that make organisations stronger, wiser and more human.

Thank you to HEX Talent & Development for sponsoring this episode

HEX is a people performance consultancy dedicated to helping individuals, teams, and organisations reach their full potential.

Founded by Tom Emery, HEX isn’t just another learning provider - they offer the complete package. Their services include deep individual and team coaching, leadership development, facilitation of team events, and broader HR consultancy.

With extensive C-suite experience and years of working with CEOs and senior leaders across multiple industries, HEX’s experts bring insight, challenge, and thought leadership to every engagement.

Their CHRO Impact Framework for developing high-performing senior leaders is tried and tested, forming the foundation of Tom’s Amazon best-selling book, People People: Reach Your Full Potential as a CHRO.

Above all, HEX brings passion, challenge, and joy to all their clients. Discover more by visiting hex-development.com

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Are you looking for your next great read that inspires you and helps your work?

Each month we recommend a book that challenges, motivates and uplifts, every pick is selected to spark meaningful conversations and personal growth.

Our September Book of the Month is People People: Reach Your Full Potential as a CHRO, by Tom Emery.

It’s a refreshingly honest companion for any CHRO who’s ever wondered, “Am I truly making a difference?” Through the story of Joanna, a seasoned HR leader at a crossroads, it unpacks both the loneliness and potential of the role, guiding you through a CHRO Impact framework.

It’s not a dry leadership manual; it’s full of real-world tools you can bring straight into your leadership. If you’ve ever questioned your path, this book reminds you there’s a way forward - and it starts with purpose, courage and connection.

Head to UpliftingPeople.com to grab a copy, and we hope you enjoy this month’s Uplifting Book!

Geoff poses the bold question: what if (like going on a run or eating a healthy meal) work genuinely enhanced your life? Reflecting on the evolution of his thinking around workplace wellbeing, Geoff champions the idea that organisations must create cultures where people feel safe, energised, and able to thrive. He shares how the pandemic sparked wider recognition of HR’s role in wellbeing and how energy - fuelled by health and purpose - should sit at the heart of business strategy.

Geoff challenges the current approach to wellbeing, questioning the impact of surface-level initiatives without addressing deeper cultural and structural issues. He calls for a shift from doing wellbeing to employees, to embedding it in an organisation - in leadership, systems and everyday practices. He highlights how short-term business pressures, outdated success measures and fear in the C-suite all contribute to wellbeing being undervalued.

As a practical step, Geoff suggests integrating wellbeing into development conversations - asking how people are doing physically, mentally and emotionally. He encourages HR leaders to think beyond wellbeing and to consider colleagues’ energy - and to recognise that the energy of an organisation’s people is its most valuable asset.