Podcast

Podcast Episode 22: It's About Humans, Not Resources

Elisse Lockhart · May 30, 2017

Do you ever get so caught up in achieving results at work that you forget that the people around you are real people? Even the most empathetic of us can make this mistake. This episode, Kim and Russ are joined by guest Al Guido, President of the San Francisco 49ers, to share stories and advice for putting the human back in human resources.

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In This Episode

Kim and Russ kick off the episode with a discussion of why people sometimes fail to treat their coworkers like people. Of course, this usually isn't intentional, but Kim and Russ explain how it can come about accidentally.

Al Guido, President of the San Francisco 49ers football team, joins Kim and Russ to talk about his experiences working for the Dallas Cowboys and for the San Francisco 49ers. He tells a couple of stories about Stephen Jones, son of Jerry Jones, and the lessons Al learned from watching Stephen's inspiring approach to leadership.

Leadership is not about being in charge, it’s about taking care of people who are in your charge.

Al talks about how he has incorporated the ideas of treating people like people in his own career, and how he has focused on helping people achieve their goals, even when that means leaving the organization.

Kim and Russ then answer a listener question about the concern that investing in people who want to work outside the company is a misuse of company resources. Their bottom line: help people people grow, regardless of where they'll be in the future. Even if they leave, you'll have a lasting ally.

It is your obligation as a leader to invest in your people, to put that relationship at the core of your job.

The Candor Checklist

The episode ends, as always, with specific tips you can put into practice right away. Try these out to make sure you're treating people like people:

Tip 1: Read the people, not the room.

Tip 2: Start meetings by telling a funny story from the weekend.

Tip 3: Be available.

Listen to the episode for all the details on these tips.

Facebook Live Event 6/2

Don't miss our Facebook Live event this Friday, June 2nd at 12pm Pacific / 3pm Eastern! Head over to the Candor Facebook page to join us as we discuss the episode, share some stories, and answer your questions! See you there!

Related Resources

Dig into more stories and advice about focusing on humans, not resources:

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FAQs

Why do managers accidentally stop treating coworkers like real people?

It usually isn't intentional. When leaders get laser-focused on hitting results, they can slip into thinking of the people around them as instruments for achieving those results rather than as full human beings with their own lives and goals. Kim Scott and Russ Laraway discuss how this happens gradually and unconsciously — even among empathetic leaders — and why building habits that keep the human element front and center is so important.

What does 'leadership is about taking care of the people in your charge' mean in practice?

This framing, highlighted by Al Guido in the episode, shifts the leader's role from authority figure to caretaker. In practice it means actively investing in your direct reports' growth, understanding their personal goals, and making their wellbeing a core part of your job — not a nice-to-have. It's a mindset that puts relationships at the center of leadership rather than treating people as interchangeable resources.

Should I invest in employees who want to leave or work somewhere else eventually?

Yes — Kim and Russ argue it is your obligation as a leader to invest in your people regardless of their long-term plans. Helping someone grow, even if they eventually leave, turns them into a lasting ally and reflects genuine care. Treating investment in people as 'wasted' when they leave misses the point: the relationship and the growth matter more than whether the person stays forever.

What are the quick, actionable tips from the Candor Checklist in this episode?

The episode closes with three practical tips for treating people like people:

Read the people, not the room — pay attention to individual humans, not just the collective mood.
Start meetings by telling a funny story from the weekend — it signals that you see your colleagues as whole people outside of work.
Be available — showing up and being accessible is a simple but powerful way to demonstrate you care.

What can leaders learn from Al Guido's experience with the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys?

Al Guido shares stories about Stephen Jones and the leadership culture he observed at both organizations. The key lesson is that great leaders model a genuine concern for the people around them — not just for performance metrics. Watching Stephen Jones' approach to leadership taught Al how to bring that same human-centered mindset to his own career and to the teams he's led.

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