Скачать или смотреть Lessons in HR Leadership: How to Succeed as a Chief People Officer (With John Scrooby)

Welcome to episode 146 of HR Coffee Time – and the second ever video version of the podcast!

In this episode, I’m joined by John Scrooby, Chief People Officer at tech company, Masabi. John didn’t start out in HR - he moved into the CPO role after a successful tech career. Over the past 10 years, he’s built a people function that’s embedded, values-led, and trusted throughout the business.

☕ Whether you’re considering a step up into a Chief People Officer role, or simply want to lead with greater impact in your current HR position, John’s honest insights and practical advice will leave you feeling informed and inspired.

🎧 We cover:
How John became a Chief People Officer (and why he initially said no)
What surprised him most about the role
The biggest mindset shift that comes with operating at executive level
Why values-driven leadership means making tough decisions
How to influence across the business by being “invited in”
Ways to protect your mental wellbeing in a demanding role
What to focus on if you're preparing for a CPO role (hint: it’s not more qualifications)

⏱ Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
00:54 - Why this series of episodes exists
03:25 - Meet John Scrooby
03:55 - How John got his first CPO role
08:41 - What he thought HR was - vs what he discovered
10:39 - The difference between being a Head of HR or HR Director and a CPO
14:37 - Advice for HR professionals nervous about stepping up
17:20 - Why peer support matters
18:10 - Vulnerability, leadership and mental health
25:07 - How John maintains his mental wellbeing
29:43 - Skills and habits that have helped him succeed
32:15 - John’s advice for anyone who would like to be a CPO one day
36:21 - His biggest challenge as a CPO
41:24 - How to get invited in as an HR leader
44:51 - His top piece of advice for new CPOs
46:38 - Courses or qualifications - are they essential?
49:08 - Conclusion

🔗 Useful Links:
Connect with Fay on LinkedIn:
My website: https://brightskycareercoaching.co.uk/

🌟 More resources to support your career:

🎓 Inspiring HR – My accredited leadership development programme for aspiring and existing HR leaders: https://brightskycareercoaching.co.uk...

📘 The Essential HR Planner – Plan your year, stay focused, and make a bigger impact at work: https://essentialhrplanner.co.uk/

💌 Free Weekly Newsletter – Career tips, leadership ideas & podcast updates: https://brightskycareercoaching.kit.c...

📚 Book Recommendations from the Episode
(Book links are Amazon affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a small commission from Amazon if you make a purchase through them.)

HR Coffee Time’s top book recommendations to thrive in your HR/People career: https://brightskycareercoaching.co.uk...
Work Rules! by Laszlo Bock: https://amzn.to/3ZkX59L
Dare to Lead by Brené Brown: https://amzn.to/3FzmVjD

🔍 Mentioned in this episode:
People Before Strategy – Harvard Business Review article: https://hbr.org/2015/07/people-before...

University of Cambridge Judge Business School CHRO Programme: https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/executive-e...

💬 What part of John’s advice resonated most with you? Let me know in the comments – I’d love to hear your thoughts.

🔔 If you found this helpful, please like the video, subscribe to the channel, and share the episode with a colleague or friend in HR.