Leading With Respect

Hello everyone — This week’s Leading with Respect conversation was one I’ll remember for a long time. My guest, Irada, is not only a fellow Microsoft alum but also a true thought leader in organizational development, blending technical depth and cultural wisdom.
Originally from St. Petersburg, Russia, Irada began her career in academia before transitioning into corporate life. Over the past 20 years — including two impactful decades at Microsoft — she has worked across engineering systems and cultural activation, helping shape the company’s transformation under Satya Nadella’s leadership.
From the very start of our conversation, Irada reframed respect as something far deeper than politeness or professional courtesy.
She said something that struck me immediately: “There are 8 billion people on this planet — and 8 billion archetypes.” That insight beautifully captures the first dimension of The RESPECT Quotient™ — Recognize.
To lead with respect, we must first recognize that every person sees the world through their own lens — shaped by culture, values, and lived experience. Diversity isn’t just about demographics; it’s about the infinite uniqueness of being human.

This week’s Leading with Respect conversation brings us to SAP, where I had the pleasure of speaking with Laurel Schuler, Head of Learning Design & Development. Laurel leads a talented team of instructional and graphic designers focused on enablement and internal training across SAP. This role blends creativity, empathy, and a deep understanding of human learning.

I’m thrilled to share this week’s Leading with Respect conversation with Lacee Jacobs, a dear friend, respected peer, and someone whose work continues to shape how leaders think about dignity, respect, and humanity in the workplace.
Lacee is the CEO and Founder of The Coaching Salon, a coaching and facilitation practice she has led since 2005 — and, as she puts it, “an absolute calling.”
In our conversation, Lacee and I explored what respect really means — beyond the surface of politeness or compliance — and how it connects deeply to dignity, presence, and choice.

Hello everyone,
I’m thrilled to bring you this week’s Leading with Respect conversation with Jordan Tippett a leader I’ve admired since his time at Abilitie. Today, Jordan serves as Chief Operating Officer at Corinthian Foods, where he’s translating that same passion into daily leadership practice.
Our conversation centered on a deceptively simple yet profound question: What does respect look like at work — in real life, not theory?

Hello everyone,
I’m always excited about my guests, but this week’s conversation feels extra special. Arthur Woods is not only a longtime friend and former Googler, but also a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, co-founder of multiple HR tech ventures, and one of the most thoughtful voices on equity, inclusion, and purpose-driven leadership today.
From the moment our conversation began, Arthur’s humility and clarity reminded me why he’s had such a lasting influence in the world of work. He introduced himself simply:
“I’ve been an entrepreneur for most of my life. My work sits at the intersection of equity, human-centered design, technology, and helping people bring their best selves to work.”
That philosophy has guided much of his career — from founding equitable hiring platforms to writing his influential book Hiring for Diversity.

I’m excited to share my recent conversation with Serena Christiansona fellow professional in Learning & Development and Organizational Development. Serena is at Intel. She brings a unique blend of human-centered design, leadership insight, and even tap dance artistry into her approach to respect and growth in the workplace.
Make sure to visit her Instagram page, where she shares her passion for tap dance: https://www.instagram.com/serenataplife/.
 

In this week’s Leading With Respect conversation, I had the pleasure of speaking with Hardeep Kaur a seasoned pharma leader with 30 years of experience spanning manufacturing, transformation, and change leadership. Our discussion unpacked the interplay between respect, trust, and the adoption of change.
Watch our full conversation on YouTube and/or listen to it on your favorite podcast platform. Here are a few: Apple, Spotify and Audible.

This week, I’m excited to share a conversation with someone I’ve known and admired in the learning and development community for quite some time: Ben Sieke. Ben has spent his career helping organizations grow by investing in people. Most recently, he led the learning function at Delta Dental for six years, following leadership roles at Guitar Center and Weight Watchers. His reflections on respect, belonging, and human-to-human leadership are both practical and profound.
Watch our full conversation on YouTube and/or listen to it on your favorite podcast platform. Here are a few: Apple, Spotify and Audible.

This week, I had the honor of sitting down with Jigar Thakkar a fellow Microsoft alum whose journey embodies both innovation and leadership at scale. Jigar spent nearly two decades at Microsoft, playing pivotal roles across products from Dynamics CRM to Windows Phone, Bing, and MSN. Most notably, he served as a founding engineering leader for Microsoft Teams, helping bring one of the world’s most transformative collaboration tools to life.
 
Read the article on LinkedIn.
 
 

This week's episode of Leading With Respect features a conversation with Jess Almlie a former Vice President of Learning and a dynamic leader in the learning and development field. She is passionate about empowering L&D professionals to increase our impact by evolving from order takers to strategic business partners. With three decades of experience and a proven track record of driving strategic initiatives, Jess helps organizations solve talent challenges and improve performance.
Watch/listen to the full episode here.  Read the LinkedIn artile here.
In addition to consulting and speaking, Jess hosts the podcast, L&D Must Change, and is the author of the book, L&D Order Taker No More: Become a Strategic Business Partner, published by ATD Press.
Our conversation delved into what respect truly means in the workplace, particularly in the contexts of learning, leadership, and organizational change.