The more friction you have in an organization, the harder it is to move forward.

In this episode of HR Superstars, Karina Young sits down with David Hassell, CEO of 15Five, to discuss how trust, awareness, and conscious leadership can foster a culture of growth and empower teams to achieve their full potential. Drawing from the practices of conscious leadership, David explains how perception shapes behavior, why trust accelerates execution, and what HR leaders can do to strengthen the social fabric of their organizations.

Join us as we discuss:
(00:00) Meet HR Superstar: David Hassell
(06:52) HR's evolution into a strategic function
(11:13) The future of leadership and AI
(15:27) What is Conscious Leadership?
(24:36) Applying Conscious Leadership in the workplace


Resources:

For the entire interview, subscribe to HR Superstars on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube, or tune in on our website. Original podcast track produced by Entheo.

Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for HR Superstars in your favorite podcast player.

Hear Karina's thoughts on elevating your HR career by following her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karinayoung11/

Download 15Five's Manager Enablement Playbook: https://www.15five.com/resources/ebook/15fives-manager-enablement-playbook-for-hr-leaders?hsLang=en?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=2026_Podcast&utm_content=ebook

For more on maximizing employee performance, engagement, and retention, click here: https://www.15five.com/demo?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=Q2-Podcast-Ads&utm_content=Schedule-a-demo

David Hassell's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidhassell/

High performers are often seen as the ones you don't have to worry about.

But behind consistent output and quiet competence, there can be early signs of burnout and disengagement.

In this episode, Melanie Naranjo joins Karina Young to challenge how companies define top talent and why performance without support leads to retention risk.

Melanie, Chief People Officer at Ethena, shares a candid perspective on why high performers need more than praise. They need space to grow, permission to speak up, and help rewiring habits that no longer serve them.

Together, they explore how over-reliance on top talent can backfire, why traditional engagement strategies often miss the mark, and what managers can do to spot red flags before it's too late. Melanie also offers clear strategies for re-engaging high performers and building a culture where expectations, accountability, and care go hand in hand.

For HR leaders working to retain their best people, it's a compelling reminder: performance doesn't mean immunity. It means opportunity.

Join us as we discuss:

(00:00) Meet HR Superstar: Melanie Naranjo

(01:14) The hidden costs of quiet disengagement

(03:28) Rethinking what "high performer" really means

(06:26) Debunking the myth of passion and performance

(10:19) Building flexible perks that actually engage people

(12:58) Early signs your top talent is burning out

(15:19) Questions managers should ask but usually don't

(20:03) How to coach overwhelmed team members

(22:30) Why surveys won't help you retain your best people

(24:17) High performers suffer when underperformers go unchecked

(31:19) Re-engaging talent through targeted development plans

(35:25) What to do when a high performer is a jerk

(38:23) Questions every manager should ask top talent

Resources:

For the entire interview, subscribe to HR Superstars on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube, or tune in on our website. Original podcast track produced by Entheo.

Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for HR Superstars in your favorite podcast player.

Hear Karina's thoughts on elevating your HR career by following her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karinayoung11/

Download 15Five's The HR Leader's Guide to Reducing Regrettable Turnover:

https://www.15five.com/resources/ebook/guide-to-reducing-regrettable-turnover?hsLang=en?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=Q4_2025_CTA&utm_content=turnover

For more on maximizing employee performance, engagement, and retention, click here: https://www.15five.com/demo?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=Q2-Podcast-Ads&utm_content=Schedule-a-demo

Melanie Naranjo's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-naranjo/

If HR wants to evolve, doing things the same way year after year won't cut it.

Change requires bold, new strategies.

In this episode of HR Superstars, Karina Young is joined by Crystal Boysen, Chief People Officer at Sprout Social, to challenge traditional HR thinking around risk, planning, and employee value.

Crystal discusses why fear-based policies and over-engineered processes create friction instead of trust. She also shares how HR leaders can design systems that help people move faster, with more clarity and confidence. She explains why strategy often fails, not because the plan is wrong, but because organizations never change how work actually gets done.

This episode calls on HR leaders to let go of a risk-averse mindset and embrace a more adaptive, people-first approach.

Join us as we discuss:
(00:00) Meet HR Superstar: Crystal Boysen
(06:08) Creating an environment where teams feel safe enough to learn
(11:06) A different approach to planning cycles
(15:39) Why strategy is not a fixed plan
(20:08) What today's employees expect beyond pay and benefits
(38:10) Crystal's bold move for 2026

Resources:

For the entire interview, subscribe to HR Superstars on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube, or tune in on our website. Original podcast track produced by Entheo.

Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for HR Superstars in your favorite podcast player.

Hear Karina's thoughts on elevating your HR career by following her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karinayoung11/

Download 15Five's Employee Engagement Playbook:

https://www.15five.com/ebook/engage-to-excel-15fives-employee-engagement-playbook/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=Q2_2023_Podcast_CTAs&utm_content=Employee

For more on maximizing employee performance, engagement, and retention, click here: https://www.15five.com/demo?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=Q2-Podcast-Ads&utm_content=Schedule-a-demo

Crystal Boysen's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalmboysen/