The People Dividend: Leadership Strategies to Unlock Employee Potential

Dr. Laura welcomes Mike Horne PhD, author of The People Dividend and an executive and organization development coach, to the show to talk about his book and why he’s drawn to making people and organizations better versions of who and what they currently are. Mike began his career in labour management relations, which led him into the world of learning and development. Mike’s driving question has always been about how he could live out his humanistic values and help people. As he says “I’m not afraid to be called a helper.”

Mike and Dr. Laura discuss organizational culture, remote and hybrid work, and the impact of helping professions. Mike describes his book, The People Dividend, as being about humanistic values as a way of creating engagement. The words he says are the most important are dignity, kindness, and respect. Dr. Laura learns how Mike guides people through growth, the impact his book is having, and how leaders can unlock the potential in people and find the best talent for the job.

“I'm working on a very big project right now on Civility in an organization for a very large health care system. And I think it's just another way that we're talking about differences in the workplace. There's all kinds of backlash around diversity, equity and inclusion. It's very difficult for me to understand that, given that we have enough research that tells us that diverse teams understanding diverse customers helps you make money.” Mike Horne, Ph.D.

About Mike Horne, Ph.D.:

Mike Horne, Ph. D., is a highly experienced global corporate human resources and organization development leader, distinguished executive coach, best-selling author, and sought-after speaker. He is dedicated to empowering aspiring leaders, executives, and teams to navigate transitions, excel in new roles, and increase their effectiveness and influence. He hosts The People Dividend Podcast, which ranks in the top 10% of all podcasts globally.

Previously, for nearly three decades, Dr. Horne held pivotal human resources and organization development roles, including the Head of Human Resources for Gilead Sciences’ Research Division, Global Leader of Talent and Development for Brocade, and Head of Organization Development for Genentech. Before these positions, he served 15 years in human resources leadership roles for Nortel Networks, Marriott International, Towers Watson, and NLRB. He is the chairperson for the graduate Human Resources and Leadership Studies programs at Golden Gate University in San Francisco.

In November 2024, Dr. Horne released The People Dividend: Leadership Strategies for Unlocking Employee Potential, which outlines the “people dividend” philosophy and identifies key areas for investment, such as building trust, encouraging motivation, ensuring open communication, retaining employees, making better decisions, and enhancing the organization’s reputation. He is also the author of Integrity by Design: Working and Living Authentically, which calls readers to their higher purpose and to the aspiration to work and live authentically.

Resources:

Website: Mike-Horne.com

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Instagram
Youtube
Podcast: The People Dividend Podcast

“The People Dividend” by Mike Horne

The Immunity to Change method by Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey

“The Science of Change” by Richard E. Boyatzis

“supercommunicators” by Charles Duhigg

Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live

For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations: 

Canada Career Counselling

Synthesis Psychology