Episode 143

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Published on:

10th Dec 2024

How to Become the CEO Whisperer | Robert Hargrove

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In this episode of The HR L&D Podcast, host Nick Day welcomes Robert Hargrove, visionary leader, renowned author, and founder of Masterful Coaching, to explore the transformative potential of HR leadership. Together, they dive into Robert’s groundbreaking concepts, including the role of HR leaders as “CEO Whisperers,” trusted advisors who influence executive decision-making and elevate organizational success.


Robert shares his five critical roles for HR leaders: from being talent mavens who hire exceptional individuals, to cultural architects driving organizational change, and people developers fostering master-apprentice relationships. Packed with actionable insights, this conversation highlights how HR professionals can shift from traditional practices to more strategic, forward-thinking approaches that align with business growth and innovation.


The episode also delves into practical strategies for breaking down bureaucratic barriers, building coaching cultures, and creating a vision for an impossible future. For HR professionals eager to enhance their influence and impact, Robert offers invaluable advice on financial literacy, employee advocacy, and fostering collaboration across teams. 


If you’re ready to move beyond the status quo and embrace bold ideas that can reshape the future of HR, this episode is a must-listen. Plus, discover highlights from Robert’s Masterful Coaching framework, including insights into his pioneering work with Fortune 500 leaders and global organizations. Don’t miss this empowering conversation designed to inspire HR professionals to unlock their full potential.



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Connect with Robert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roberthargrove1/


Connect with Nick Day: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickday/



Of course, if you are an HR or L&D professional listening to this podcast and you have an HR, HRIS or L&D related vacancy that you would love some specialist HR recruitment support with – please also get in touch with me! I would love to help show you what a great HR recruitment experience feels like! You can reach out to me directly at nick@jgarecruitment.com or give me a call – 01727800377.


Thanks for listening folks – I look forward to bringing you the next episode of the HR L&D Podcast real soon!



(00:00) Introduction

(01:53) Defining Human Resources

(04:14) HR Leaders as CEO Whisperers

(07:29) The Five Roles of HR Leaders

(09:59) How to Hire Exceptional Talent

(15:22) The Art of People Watching

(19:50) The Master-Apprentice Relationship 

(27:38) Shifting Mindsets: HR as Strategic Business Leaders

(31:55) Driving Cultural Change

(34:09) The Power of Org Transformation

(37:14) How to Foster Collaboration

(41:48) Taking Bold Steps in HR

(45:01) The Role of HR Champions

(49:51) Masterful Coaching Framework



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About the Podcast

The HR L&D Podcast
Leadership, recruitment, culture. Conversations with HR's best
HR gets handed the problems nobody else wants to own. The restructure, the grievance, the engagement survey that came back badly. And then gets asked why people are leaving.

I'm Nick Day. I run an HR recruitment agency, which means I spend most of my week on the phone to HR directors, HR leaders and people leaders talking about what the job is actually like rather than what's written on the job spec. This HR Podcast came out of those calls. I kept hearing things worth repeating, and nobody was repeating them.

Every week I sit down with HR leaders, chief people officers, L&D specialists and the occasional academic who has changed how I think about work and people engagement. We get into leadership, and what happens when someone brilliant at the technical side gets promoted into managing humans.

Employee engagement past the survey score. Diversity, equity and inclusion in a climate where saying those words out loud has become a decision in itself. Pay transparency, talent management, reducing bias in hiring, HR digital transformation and the HCM systems everyone is being sold. And of course we cannot forget HR AI tools and platforms that are flooding the landscape as AI in HR becomes a hot topic every people leader is keen to understand and leverage.

Wellbeing comes up constantly, and it usually turns into the same question. Who looks after the HR team.

I'm not an HR practitioner and I don't pretend to be. I'm the person who hires them, which puts me in a useful position. I get to ask the obvious question that everyone in the room already knows the answer to and nobody says.

No script and no polite version. Mostly it's the conversation you'd have with someone doing your job at a different company, if you ever got the chance to sit down with them.

If you work in HR, people management or L&D, or you're building a career in it, start by subscribing to The HR L&D Podcast. We have had guests including Stephen Covey, Alan Stein Jnr, Andrea Wareham and Dr. Thom Mayer among other HR Leaders who are shaping the future of work and leadership.

Need HR staff? I run JGA Recruitment, an HR and payroll recruitment agency. www.jgarecruitment.com or info@jgarecruitment.com

Want to be on the show? Nick@jgadigital.com

If payroll is closer to your world, I also host The Payroll Podcast, the most listened to payroll show in the world.

Topics include HR leadership, workplace culture, retention, people management, employee engagement, diversity, equity and inclusion, DEI strategy, AI for HR, AI recruitment tools, talent management, HR digital transformation, HCM, staff wellbeing, pay transparency, reducing bias, L&D and HR recruitment.

About your host

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Nick Day