Know yourself as a leader with Kristen Bruner

Join us as we talk to Kristen Bruner a chief human resources officer with more than 25 years of experience. We talk about executive presence, hacks for self-care and leadership, what it means to be mission driven and how self-awareness can be the most important aspect of your leadership approach. Our episode highlights the collaborative role of HR professionals and leaders in creating cultures that align with company values, driving both engagement and accountability. With actionable insights into performance management, employee relations and organizational design, Kristen's advice is timeless for leaders looking to enhance the employee experience.

Show Notes:

(2:55) Kristen talks about being tall and how that has influenced her executive presence. She urges all leaders to get comfortable with who you are and “don't dim your lights.” We talk about creating the space for others to be the best version of themselves. Kristen shares how she creates space to encourage leaders to know themselves through continuous learning, listening and having a growth mindset.

(7:35) We discuss what motivates Kristen to keep showing up as a leader. She shares that it is the opportunity to create human organizations. "The way we are designing the work creates the best possible experience for our employees so they can go on and do great things." Kristen is currently passionate about individual self as leaders - how do we help people understand themselves more. She recognizes the need to turn this work selfward. She shares an example about reframing what achievement means for her. 

(15:22) The quest for self-care for Kristen starts with the Glucose Goddess. We talk about how this influencer has helped her find hacks she can easily follow. We turn this into a discussion of leadership hacks which Kristen shares including scheduling time, meal prep and a weekly review. Kristen warns that you should run your calendar, or your calendar will run you. We talk about how successful leaders need a system to help process information and lacking that is what often drives people to seek coaching. 

(25:28) The responsibility of leaders – we acknowledge the respect needed for the work. Kristen shares from her perspective how to stay connected to your team through consistency and stability. “It is a privilege and not a right to be a leader.” We agree that since leadership is about influencing others’ lives it should be important. Kristen brings the discussion back to self-awareness.

(33:12) Kristen shares her future travel plans and her final advice: “Be the leader that people remember and want to emulate when asked and don’t be the leader people want to be the opposite.”
 
About Kristen: Kristen Bruner serves as chief human resources officer and corporate vice president at Huron. She has more than 25 years of experience driving high-performance cultures across many industries, guiding talent management, strategic change, leadership development, and operating model design. 

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