In this episode, Tommy Sim, Managing Director of Inject HR, breaks down The People Principle, a practical framework that explains how human success drives business performance. He unpacks the paradoxes of modern leadership, why logic alone fails to change behaviours, and why so many businesses stay stuck despite hiring more people, adding perks or launching new initiatives. You’ll hear a powerful case study about a fictitious company, Harbour and Finch, a business with a great reputation but exhausted founders. The story shows that leaders can work hard and try new things, but without alignment between people and business strategy, nothing changes. The business stays busy but isn’t growing. Tommy then reveals how leaders can shift from firefighting to creating progress by putting into practice the six layers of an aligned people system. The episode finishes with a short and practical reflection exercise to help you identify your highest value activities and whether these align with what your business needs. Connect with us: Tommy Sim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommysim/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/injecthr YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@injecthr Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/inject.hr/ What You’ll Learn Why leadership advice often contradicts itself• The paradoxes of empowering people while maintaining standards• Why logical solutions fail when dealing with human behaviour• The three pillars of the People Principle• How misaligned systems cause 94 percent of people problems• A step-by-step breakdown of the six drivers of human-centred business performance• A practical reflection exercise that instantly reveals where performance is leaking Key Moments1. Why Leadership Feels Confusing Tommy explains why so much leadership advice clashes, creating confusion for both new and experienced leaders. Empower people but never let standards slip. Be transparent but not too transparent. Hire slowly but move quickly. These paradoxes create noise that distracts leaders from what actually works. 2. Introducing The People Principle The People Principle centres on the idea that human success drives business success, but only when leaders know what really enables people to perform at their best. Tommy challenges the myth that people alone are a company’s greatest asset. Instead, it's the system around those people that determines success or stagnation. 3. The Harbour & Finch Case Study A fictitious architectural lighting company becomes the lens for understanding why businesses struggle even when they hire more people or add more programs. Misaligned hiring, confused leadership pathways, underperformance, and unsustainable firefighting create burnout and declining results. Incentives, pay rises and perks fail because the system itself is broken. 4. The Three Pillars of the People Principle Real success requires an integrated approach over time, not scattered initiatives.Logic alone does not shift human behaviour.Your people strategy must align to your business strategy. 5. The Six Layers of an Effective People System Tommy unpacks the six components that create long-term business performance:• Strategy • Capabilities • Structure • People • Leadership • CultureHarbour and Finch turned their business around by aligning each layer toward one strategic goal: premium design with faster turnaround. 6. Why Most People Problems Are Actually System Problems Ninety-four percent of performance issues come from the system, not the individual. Misalignment creates friction, wastes energy and forces leaders into constant firefighting. When capability aligns with strategy, growth compounds and momentum becomes sustainable. 7. A Practical Exercise on High-Value Activities Tommy guides listeners through an audit of the top four to seven tasks that truly drive performance. Leaders often spend their time doing low-value work, fixing mistakes or stepping into other roles, which drains energy and restricts growth. Identifying the gap between what you do and what you should do can transform performance quickly. Ask yourself:• Where are you trying to logic your way out of a people problem?• Which systems in your business are working against each other?• What high-value work should you be doing more of, and what’s stopping you? Connect & Subscribe If you enjoyed this episode, follow and subscribe to Lead to Grow.Please leave a five star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to help more leaders find this show. Watch the full episode on YouTube.Search: Lead to Grow with Inject and subscribe so you never miss an episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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