Ron, Deb and guest Lori Grubs
As this episode begins, Ron introduces Lori Grubs as one of the few HR professionals he deeply trusts—a powerful endorsement for a guest whose career has been built around leadership development and cultural transformation. Lori shares how she discovered her passion for industrial-organizational psychology in college and committed to making workplaces better environments where people can truly thrive. Over her 40-year career, she’s stayed grounded in a strong sense of purpose—a key takeaway for anyone interested in personal growth, leadership training programs, or driving positive change within organizations.
Lori explains how her approach to transforming company culture centers on experimentation and strategic risk-taking. Whether she's launching new initiatives or addressing long-standing workplace challenges, Lori frames her ideas as pilots or tests—minimizing resistance and maximizing learning. This mindset is foundational in any effective leadership training program, encouraging adaptability and innovation among teams.
One of Lori’s most innovative leadership strategies involved making employee engagement scores public on job postings—a bold move that drove organizational accountability and transparency. This approach empowered managers to take ownership of team engagement and highlighted how leadership development efforts must involve both top-down and bottom-up alignment for lasting company culture change.
Throughout the episode, Lori emphasizes a powerful leadership principle: truly believing in your people. Drawing from her time at Hewitt Associates, she shares how trust, support, and removing barriers to employee performance helped her lead a major client turnaround. Her story illustrates how human-centered leadership training goes beyond frameworks—it’s about fostering environments where individuals can grow, contribute, and lead.
Lori and Ron discuss the role of curmudgeons—those often resistant to change—in transforming company culture. Lori shares how, instead of sidelining them, she engaged directly with skeptics to understand their concerns. By doing so, she turned potential obstacles into allies, proving that even the most resistant voices can become champions of positive culture change when approached with empathy and strategy.
As the episode wraps up, Lori reflects on her fulfilling career and how she now continues her mission through executive coaching—helping emerging and experienced leaders deepen their self-awareness and impact. Her journey serves as a guide for anyone invested in leadership development programs, company culture transformation, or building purpose-driven teams.
This episode offers powerful insights for HR professionals, team leaders, and executives alike. Whether you're designing a leadership training program, navigating resistance, or trying to cultivate a healthier workplace culture, Lori’s wisdom provides a roadmap for building organizations where people and performance thrive together.
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