Phil Gilbert is best known for leading IBM’s 21st-century transformation as their General Manager of Design. The transformation became the subject of a Harvard Business School case study, the documentary film The Loop, and feature articles in the New York Times and Fortune Magazine. He is the author of Irresistible Change: A Blueprint for Earning Buy-In and Breakout Success (Amazon, Bookshop)*.

We’ve all been through mandated change initiatives more times than we can count. But what if change wasn’t a mandate, but an offer – or even an invitation? In this conversation, Phil and I explore how to make change irresistible.

• Change should be regarded as a high-value-add product.
• Don’t mandate change. Offer change.
• Your goal is sustained cultural adoption, not improving immediate competency.
• Start small, but cover all your bases on a reduced scale. Make a great cupcake instead of a mediocre wedding cake.
• People buy brands, not products. Branding change allows you to define the values and message that goes with it.

• Irresistible Change: A Blueprint for Earning Buy-In and Breakout Success by Phil Gilbert (Amazon, Bookshop)*

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• Engaging People Through Change, with Cassandra Worthy (episode 571)
• Where Senior Leaders Can Better Support Middle Managers, with Emily Field (episode 650)
• How to Lead Organizational Change, with Michael Bungay Stanier (episode 740)

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Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative journalist and the author of The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better. He is a winner of the National Academies of Sciences, National Journalism, and George Polk awards. He writes for The New Yorker and other publications and is the author of Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection (Amazon, Bookshop)*.

A lot of us grew up in a world where most of our relationships started in person. That means many of us are beautifully equipped for a world that no longer exists. In this conversation, Charles and I discuss how to get better at connecting in a remote-first world.

• When the telephone first became popular, people had to learn how to communicate with it. We’re at a similar inflection point with digital communication.
• We all have three kinds of conversations: (1) What’s this really about? (practical/decision-making), (2) How do we feel? (emotional), and (3) Who are we? (identity).
• Many of us tend to default to practical/decision-making conversations online and miss conversations about emotion and identity.
• Ask questions that invite an emotional or identity response. Instead of, “Where do you live?” consider a shift like, “What do you love about where you live?”
• Notice when people bring elements into a conversation that aren’t related to the topic. These clues, especially online, can point to entry points for emotional connection.
• Supercommunicators pay just a bit more attention to how people communicate than the rest of us. A slight shift can make a big difference.

• Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg (Amazon, Bookshop)*

Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).

• The Way to Get People Talking, with Andrew Warner (episode 560)
• How to Lead Engaging Meetings, with Jess Britt (episode 721)
• How to Show Up Authentically in Tough Situations, with Andrew Brodsky (episode 727)

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JP Elliott has decades of experience as a Talent and HR executive at companies like DICK’S Sporting Goods, McAfee, and Lenovo. He’s seen the challenges HR professionals face in growing their careers and increasing their impact. He is the host of the Future of HR podcast and on a mission to help HR professionals increase their business impact and accelerate their careers.

Leadership looks a little different if you head up a support role: human resources, IT, marketing, or finance. Often, we hear the term “business partner” used to describe what these leaders should be aiming for. In this conversation, JP and I explore how to shift from simply a “business partner” to a value creator.

• You’re not just an HR leader. You’re a business leader with HR expertise.
• Think like a CEO even if you’re in HR. Do this to be moving beyond an execution-only mindset.
• Design talent strategies based on the future, not on the past.
• Build systems that reward outcomes, not bureaucracy.
• Build talent strategies that differentiate your business.
• Forecast leadership needs 3-5 years out and build a pipeline for critical roles.

Four questions that CEOs are asking:

1. Are we focused on the right strategic imperatives?
2. Are we operating effectively and efficiently?
3. Are we optimizing our business model to create competitive advantage?
4. Do we have a plan for sustainable and profitable growth?

• Future of HR podcast by JP Elliott

Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).

• How to Start Managing Up, with Tom Henschel (episode 433)
• How to Solve the Toughest Problems, with Wendy Smith (episode 612)
• The Mindset to Help Your Organization Grow, with Tiffani Bova (episode 633)

Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.