Who Owns the People? Navigating the HR–Leader Tension

Episode notes

Leaders are busy running the business — but leading people is part of the business. So why does that so often fall through the cracks? Kent talks with Jill Gosnell, Corporate Training & Development Manager at Field Aerospace, about the real tension between what HR expects leaders to do and what leaders are actually equipped to handle. Guest: Jill Gosnell has spent her career across corporate L&D, state government, global consulting — and a decade running her own bakery. That hands-on business experience shapes how she thinks about leadership development and the demands on leaders' time. In this episode: 02:39 — Jill's career path: from data entry to bakery owner to L&D leader 07:41 — The HR vs. leader tension: who's really responsible for developing people? 09:29 — The bakery analogy: how do leaders prioritize when everything feels urgent? 13:32 — Why leaders hand difficult conversations back to HR — and what to do instead 15:22 — Clarity vs. micromanagement: what's the actual difference?