289: The People Equation: Leadership in the Age of AI with Gena Pirtle

In this episode, we unpack how trust, purpose, and people-first leadership power real culture change, and how AI can scale feedback, belonging, and performance without losing the human edge.

Gena Pirtle, founder of The People Equation and former global HR leader at Cisco, shares practical insights on redesigning HR, strengthening retention, and building cross-sector talent ecosystems for the future of work.

In this conversation, we explore:

• redefining strategic HR as a true business engine
• culture as lived behavior, not policy
• trust as the foundation for transformation
• AI’s role in continuous performance and feedback
• why human skills rise in value alongside automation
• scaling personalization with tools like Belonging Intelligence
• retention through safe experimentation and ERG-led pilots
• veteran talent pipelines and workforce ecosystems
• what leaders get wrong about culture and how to fix it
• current initiatives with Great Place to Work and 4Block

Connect with Gena Pirtle on LinkedIn or visit PeopleEquationConsulting.com to learn more.