A CEO’s perspective on building high-performing, future-ready organizations.
Sponsored by Betterworks.
At our recent event, EmpowerHR 2025, I had the privilege of being surrounded by some of the most forward-thinking leaders in HR and business. What struck me wasn’t just the innovation in tech, it was the clarity around what leadership looks like in this next chapter of work.
We’re in a new era where HR is shaping change. From AI, to skills, to culture transformations, the decisions we make now will determine whether our organizations thrive or fall behind.
Here are six of the most important leadership lessons that stood out to me.
1. AI Is Not the Future — It’s the Now
I’ve been in tech for decades, and I’ve never seen a shift as fast — or as misunderstood — as generative AI. Most companies are still scrambling to figure out how to integrate it into their business. But the data is crystal clear: AI-literate employees are more productive, more positive, and more likely to stay if they are working in an AI-forward company.
Our 2025 Betterworks State of Performance Enablement report reveals that 60% of companies have no formal AI strategy, no structured training, and major adoption gaps across job levels. That’s a problem. Employees who are AI-savvy are seeing 2X higher positivity and 1.5X greater productivity. Eight out of ten high performers, who are also often the most AI-savvy, are actively looking to leave. These workers know the power of AI. They also know that companies failing to adapt will fall behind — and they’re not waiting around to see it happen.
So, what’s the next move? CEOs and HR can start by helping managers build AI fluency. Lead it from the top. I have seen firsthand how it accelerates decision-making, enhances productivity, and removes bias from performance management. We have a unique opportunity to champion AI adoption and prove its impact before top talent walks out the door.
2. Small Habits Create Lasting Change
One of the sessions that stuck with me most was Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Charles Duhigg’s keynote. He reminded us that culture doesn’t change because of slogans or strategy decks; it changes through habits.
I’ve seen how small things like regular 1:1s and real-time recognition have an outsized impact on retention, engagement, and simply creating more agile teams. The trick is consistency.
For HR leaders and executives, this is game-changing. Want to create a culture of continuous feedback? Make 1:1 conversations consistent. Employees who receive regular, structured feedback are more engaged and perform better. If you want to build a high-performance culture, don’t rely on willpower or tack them on during review season. Focus on reinforcing small, daily habits that drive long-term success.
3. Performance Management Must Evolve
Traditional performance management isn’t cutting it anymore. Annual reviews are too slow, subjective, and disconnected from the daily reality of how work gets done. We need a shift from managing performance to enabling it.
At EmpowerHR 2025, we heard from one enterprise company that made this change in a big way and it really resonated with me. They moved from inconsistent goal-setting and clunky year-end reviews to a system rooted in clarity, fairness, and regular conversations. The results? A complete transformation in how employees experience feedback, recognition, and growth.
The breakthrough came when performance conversations stopped being a once-a-year event and became a continuous, structured dialogue. With modern enablement tools, managers had in-the-moment coaching, timely nudges, and practical templates to lead meaningful check-ins.
Layer in AI and analytics, and suddenly you’ve got real-time visibility into goals, behaviors, and growth potential. No more guesswork. No more bias. Just clear, data-driven insights that elevate every conversation. By clinging to annual reviews, you’re holding your people back. This is HR’s moment to lead.
4. Trust in AI Begins with Transparency
A lot of leaders are curious about AI, but hesitant to trust it. It’s new and fast-moving. People want to know it’s fair. But here’s one of the most powerful things I took away from EmpowerHR: transparency turns skepticism into confidence.
We heard from LivePerson, which took the time to put AI to the test. Their team challenged the system with tricky inputs, including “snarky” review comments and borderline workplace language, just to see how the AI would respond. The outcome? It didn’t just pass — it impressed employees. The tool flagged problematic feedback, suggested respectful revisions, and even explained the “why” behind each correction.
That level of transparency built instant credibility. Managers weren’t being replaced, they were being supported. In fact, many who were hesitant at first eventually said they couldn’t imagine doing performance reviews without it. The real kicker? A 75% reduction in time per review — an incredible time saver for managers and employees.
If you want AI adoption to stick, start with trust. Involve your skeptics in the testing. Show your teams how the tech works and why it helps. When AI is transparent, ethical, and built for purpose, it wins hearts and minds.
5. HR and CEOs Must Align to Grow Fast
Innovation expert Val Wright shared a story about a CEO who no one dared to correct, even when he got his coffee order wrong. If no one’s willing to speak truth to power, your company can’t grow. When leaders insulate themselves from feedback, or when HR plays it safe, it creates a culture of fear, not innovation.
That’s why I rely on the people around me every single day at Betterworks to manage change, to challenge me, to speak up and, yes, to push back when I’m off course. Accountability is baked into our culture — and into the enablement philosophies I wrote about in the book I co-authored with Betterworks VP of HR Transformation Jamie Aitken, Make Work Better: How Great Bosses Lead, Give Feedback, and Empower Employees.
So if you’re in HR, don’t wait for an invitation to the table. Pull up a chair. Know your CEO’s priorities right now (not last quarter). Bring data to back your strategy. Be the one who turns big ideas into real, measurable impact. When we’re aligned, we move faster. And when we lead together, the entire company feels it.
6. The Future is Skills, Not Titles or Roles
One of the most important shifts I’ve seen — and fully believe in — is moving from role-based thinking to skills-based strategy. It’s not about what someone’s resume says. It’s about what they can actually do.
At EmpowerHR, I listened to leaders from CoreLogic and Ericsson talk about how they’re using AI to map, validate, and grow skills across their organizations. I’ve seen the difference this makes in real time. Having visibility into what people are truly capable of, at scale, is transformative. It’s how you find hidden talent, enable internal mobility, and make development and succession planning far more equitable.
It’s Time to Act
If there’s one thing I hope every HR and business leader takes away from this event, it’s this: you are not a support function. You are a growth function. And there’s no more time to wait.
Whether it’s leveling up your AI, creating a consistent feedback culture, or narrowing the skills gap at your organization, the changes we talked about at EmpowerHR 2025 aren’t just ideas, they’re a call to action.
Missed the event? You can still get the EmpowerHR 2025 on-demand replay, featuring even more key insights and takeaways from top HR leaders.
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