What Tesla Taught One HR Leader About Courage, Power, and Agency

Why are so many HR leaders experiencing “what just happened?” moments at work - and what does it really take to respond to authoritarian leadership with courage instead of fear? That’s the question Kristen Kavanaugh , Leadership Strategist, former Head of DEI and Talent Management at Tesla, explores in this episode of the Digital HR Leaders podcast. In this episode, host David Green sits down with Kristen to unpack what happens when fear quietly becomes the operating system inside organisations, why authoritarian leadership styles are becoming increasingly normalised, and how HR leaders can reclaim their agency in environments shaped by power, pressure, and public leadership behaviour. Tune in and learn: Why fear-based leadership creates short-term gains but long-term damage Why HR leaders often underestimate the agency they actually have How Kristen’s Agency Loop framework helps leaders navigate tension, misalignment, and difficult decisions What courageous leadership looks like as AI reshapes roles, skills, and power at work Why HR has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape a more humane future of work This episode is sponsored by Worklytics. Worklytics helps leaders understand how work actually happens with data-driven insights into collaboration, productivity and AI adoption. By analysing real work patterns - from meetings to tool usage - they empower teams to work = Learn more at worklytics.co/ai Link to resources: Courage over Fear: Harness the Power of Agency to Lead in Uncertain Times Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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What Tesla Taught One HR Leader About Courage, Power, and Agency is an episode from Digital HR Leaders with David Green by Stefan Kesic.

This episode is 44:31 long.

This episode was published on Jan 20, 2026.

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