Most leaders still see HR as compliance. But what if it's actually the engine for people alignment, trust, and culture?

In this episode, Natalie Goulding joins Aaron Lee for a conversation that exposes the hidden gaps between leadership, HR, and company culture and how to close them. Drawing on real client stories and lived experience, Natalie challenges the idea that a policy, a ping pong table, or a once-a-year performance review can fix your engagement or turnover issues.

They unpack what’s broken in the way most companies approach HR, and what to build instead.

If your people systems haven’t evolved alongside your business strategy, this episode will give you fresh language, diagnostic questions, and one bold move to realign your team for the future of work.

Resources Mentioned

HR Pulse Check PDF

A quick diagnostic for leadership teams to assess the health and clarity of their people systems.

➝ [Download PDF]

Book: Love as a Business Strategy by Mohammad Anwar (SoftWay)

A real-world case study of culture transformation through trust, humility, and people-first leadership.

➝ [Get the Book!]

Key Quotes

“Most companies say they want to fix turnover, but they don’t want to hear the real reason why it’s happening.”

“Your employee handbook might be compliance-driven, but it reflects your operating system — whether you mean it to or not.”

“If you're still using a system designed for the business you were five years ago, you're probably losing great people today.”

Episode Outline

• 00:00 – Welcome + a reflection on Rishikesh, wellness, and first gear
• 01:52 – HR isn't about people problems — it’s about alignment
• 03:36 – The real turnover problem: most companies don’t know why
• 04:44 – The cost of “doing nothing” with employee feedback
• 05:38 – Glassdoor, perception, and why perfection isn’t the goal
• 07:30 – What most companies get wrong about performance management
• 10:38 – The problem with outdated review cycles and check-the-box culture
• 13:59 – Where HR conversations usually begin: handbooks, audits, and policies
• 15:52 – From handbooks to behavior: why policy won’t fix accountability
• 17:47 – The rise of values-driven employee handbooks
• 18:19 – Authenticity, engagement, and showing up without the mask
• 21:40 – Psychological safety and letting people bring their full voice
• 23:20 – Repackaging broken systems: SoftWay’s story
• 25:02 – Where leaders get stuck: building people systems for who they were, not who they’re becoming
• 25:48 – One bold step: Start with clarity — what are your people actually doing?