We live in a creator economy.
Social media and technology have given people an easy way to market themselves, build their personal brands, and share their expertise with others.
In this current economy, content is king. The word of Human Resources is no exception!
Researchers and experts on the frontier of organizational and management science use social media platforms to share their research and findings. HR and people leaders of some of the most prominent organizations also use these platforms to voice their opinions.
That said, at Applauz, we like to surround ourselves with the most influential people and voices in the industry. By so doing, we can stay informed of what's going on in the world of work.
We've selected some of our top people to follow in the industry, each offering expertise in a specific area of research or specialization. The goal is to help other HR and management professionals learn something new, challenge the status quo, and get inspired.
We hope you enjoy this list and learn something new from each new follow!
9 Thought Leaders Who Will Inspire Your HR and Management Strategies
Adam Grant
Adam Grant is at the top of the list, as he is by far one of the most popular, with over 4 million followers.
Grant is an organizational psychologist, professor at Wharton University, and #1 New York Times bestselling author. Grant has established himself as an authority in the psychology of management, motivation and meaning. He has also been recognized as one of Fortune Magazine’s ten most influential management thinkers. Grant is also a TED speaker and host of a TED podcast called Worklife. You can also subscribe to his newsletter, where he shares essential industry insights every month.
What you can expect: Grant is a great follow for any leader, HR professional, or manager. He consistently puts out fresh new content and ideas daily. He offers inspirational ideas and actionable practices to help leaders and management professionals create motivating and happy workplaces for their people. And because Grant is an academic, he also shares more rigorous and up-to-date psychological studies on important areas of management research like employee well-being and remote work.
Alexis Zahner
A company's success depends on its managers. As the director of Management Mindfulness, Alexis Zahber believes that mindfulness can build empathetic leadership and, therefore, drive higher-performing teams. As a mindfulness expert, she provides companies with mindfulness, self-awareness and empathy programs to develop their managers, leading to happier and healthier workplaces.
What you can expect: Alexis Zahner is very active on Linkedin and frequently posts about leadership, mindfulness, burnout, and other critical management-related ideas. Her ideas are often presented in a fun, easy-to-read infographic. Zahner is a great follow for any management or HR professionals who wish to understand how mindfulness can make you a more effective and impactful leader.
Paul White
Dr. Paul White is an organizational psychologist and one of the leading experts in appreciation and recognition in the workplace. As such, his research is often featured in Applauz's blog. We even wrote a summary of his two most popular books The Vibrant Workplace and The 5 Languages of Appreciation. White's research helps HR leaders and managers understand why many recognition programs fail to meet their full potential. And most importantly, what employees truly need from their employers to feel valued and appreciated.
What you can expect: Much of White's writing is focused on the topics of building strong workplace cultures and the psychology of appreciation at work. It is a great resource for HR professionals who are interested in introducing recognition or appreciation programs in their organizations. He regularly publishes new articles from his blog Appreciation at Work where he shares his fascinating research findings.
Jennifer Moss
Jennifer Moss is a journalist and expert on workplace burnout. She is the author of two books, Unlocking Happiness at Work and The Burnout Epidemic. You may recognize her name from an article she published in Harvard Business Review titled Beyond Burned Out. It is an honest and thought-provoking article. It describes the burnout epidemic, explains the underlying causes, and suggests strategies employers can use to support their employees.
What you can expect: Jennifer Moss is a great person to follow if you’re interested in staying up to date on the latest ideas and research related to workplace wellness, burnout, and stress. Her ideas and tips will help managers and HR professionals develop their knowledge and strategies to combat stress and burnout. You can also sign up for her newsletter on her website, where she shares research and insights to help organizations and individuals support well-being and healthier and happier workplaces.
Scott Dust
Scott Dust is a Professor of Management at Miami University. His area of specialization and research is on leadership, leader-follower relationships, power, and influence. He helps organizations by providing scientific insights, helping them to build more effective work environments. His writings and ideas have been featured in publications including Fast Company and Psychology Today. Our most recent blog post, which explores the topic of employee happiness, discusses one of his popular articles: This is the new battleground in the fight to retain employees.
What you can expect: Scott Dust is a great person to follow if you’re interested in organizational psychology research related to leadership, management and group dynamics. On his website, you can sign up for his newsletter Resources for Human Capital Enthusiasts, which focuses on providing evidence-based insights and timely perspectives on trends in human capital management.
Omar L. Harris
Omar L. Harris is a bestselling author and the founder of Intent Consulting. His most recent book is titled Be a J.E.D.I. Leader, Not a Boss: Leadership in the Era of Corporate Social Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. His main area of expertise is in leadership development and diversity and inclusion. He helps organizations with leadership development and coaching services to help them unlock the full potential of their teams.
What you can expect: Harris is very active on both Linkedin and Twitter, consistently publishing fresh and insightful content that explores his area of expertise. He is a great person to follow for leaders or management professionals looking to maximize their coaching and leadership potential.
Paul Millerd
Even though Paul Millerd's Linkedin title states "not an influencer," we can't help but feel influenced by his writing and ideas. Millerd is a strategy coach, consultant, and writer. He is fascinated by work and organizations. His blog "Boundless" is full of thought-provoking, honest ideas about the topics. If you want to dive deeper to understand the real "why" behind our modern work problems like anxiety, stress, burnout, Millerd's blog is a great place to start.
What you can expect: If you are interested in exploring the future of work and innovative ideas about people management Millerd is a great person to follow. He publishes weekly articles on his Linkedin newsletter Reimagine Work which has over 80K subscribers. He is active on both Linkedin and Twitter, sharing his writing and ideas as well as other people's research and insights.
Jen Fisher
Jen Fisher is the Chief Well-Being Officer at Deloitte. She is also the work-life integration editor-at-large for Thrive Global and a host of a podcast called Workwell. She also co-authored the book, Work Better Together: How to Cultivate Strong Relationships to Maximize Well-Being and Boost Bottom Lines. Fisher is, of course, an advocate for employee wellness and mental health and is the main topic of discussion on her Linkedin page.
What you can expect: On her Linkedin page, she regularly shares interesting articles related to HR and the people management field. Her ideas and fresh perspectives will help any manager or HR professional looking to increase their knowledge about employee well-being and happiness in the workplace.
AJ Adams
AJ Adams is a speaker, trainer, and CEO of Brio Training & Consulting, which specializes in workplace wellness, resilience, and Burnout prevention. We often reference her article on our Applauz Blog when discussing the topic of wellness and burnout: Expecting Employees to Fix Themselves Won't Fix Burnout, in which she contributes to Psychology Today.
What you can expect: A contributor and authority on burnout at work and employee well-being, AJ Adams is an expert in workplace well-being. On Linkedin and Twitter, she shares articles about workplace stress, psychological safety and other related topics. Adams is a great source of tips and practical steps your business can take to better employee engagement and well-being.
Ron Friedman
We discovered award-winning psychologist Ron Friedman through Harvard Business Review, where he is a regular contributor. According to his Linkedin page, he’s “a social psychologist specializing in human motivation who left academia to become a real-world problem-solver, writer, and entrepreneur.” He is also the founder of ignite80, a learning and development company that teaches leaders science-based strategies for building high-performing teams. And the author of the recent book, Decoding Greatness: How the Best in the World Reverse Engineer Success.
What you can expect: Friedman discusses leadership, productivity, and organizational performance from a scientific perspective. His research and insights prove valuable for leaders looking to boost their skills and effectiveness or any organization looking to drive productivity.
Raghu Krishnamoorthy
Raghu Krishnamoorthy is a CHRO and author of Linkedin Newsletter The Future of Working; you can sign up directly on Linkedin. We stumbled across his newsletter on Linkedin and can’t get enough of his content. He shares thought-provoking insights on the future of work like in this article Talent is abundant- the real problem is about how we think about them! While much HR content out there repeats the same old ideas, Krishnamoorthy offers a nuanced perspective on topical issues such as employee retention and burnout.
What you can expect: Krishnamoorthy’s writing focuses primarily on high-level HR strategy, ideas, and tactics. You can expect a steady stream of new content every two weeks by following him. His articles often spark interesting discussion in the comments section; it is easy to scroll through and learn something new or find another opinion leader to follow.
Francesca Gino
We discovered Harvard Business School professor Francesca Gino’s on the podcast, Hidden Brain. On the show, she talks about her new book, Rebel Talent: Why it Pays to Break the Rules in Work and Life. She also discusses how leaders can help drive innovative thinking among their teams and challenge the status quo, taking their businesses to the next level. Gino is also recognized as one of the world’s 50 most influential management thinkers by Thinkers 50.
What you can expect: After more than a decade of studying “rebel talent,” Gino offers actionable ideas and principles that any manager or leader can follow to drive more innovation and spark breakthrough ideas for their organizations. She frequently shares her research, thoughts, and other content related to organizational innovation and creativity.
Josh Bersin
Josh Bersin is an industry analyst, researcher, educator, and technology analyst covering all aspects of corporate HR, training, talent management, recruiting leadership, and workplace technology. He is the founder of the Josh Bersin Academy, a digital library of tools and resources for HR professionals to develop their skills.
What you can expect: Bersin is very active on both Linkedin and Twitter. He shares his own original content published on his website and blog. His content focuses on topical and trending issues in HR like retention, workplace wellbeing, and HR technology
Siri (Uotila) Chilazi
If your company is serious about improving diversity and inclusion and gender equality, Siri Chilazi is a great person to follow. Chilazi is a researcher in the field of diversity and inclusion. Through her research, she seeks to understand “what works to level the playing field and close gender gaps in organizations.” She also advises originations by bringing her research insights to the table.
What you can expect: Chilazi is has contributed to Harvard Business Review, her recent article titled Achieving Gender Balance at All Levels of Your Company. And by following her Linkedin page, you can stay tuned into all her recent research and articles. She also frequently shares writing and research in diversity and inclusion and gender equality.
Saurabh Nigam
With over 15 years of "setting up innovative people practices in startups" and an active Linkedin Newsletter Musings of an HR guy, Saurabh Nigam is a great person to follow for any HR professionals. Nigam's newsletter boasts almost 20K subscribers. After reading a few of his articles, it's easy to see why he has amassed many followers.
What you can expect: Nigram has extensive experience in talent acquisition and employee lifecycle management. His Linkedin content focuses on a diverse range of topics within HR. For example, he discusses compensation, employee engagement, and performance management issues from new perspectives. He's not afraid to call out what isn't working with traditional systems and proposes new ideas for improvement. A great example is a recent article, Why do compensation strategies fail to deliver on their promise?
Linda Hill
Harvard Business School professor Linda Hill is an expert on leadership, innovation, and inclusion. She is the co-author of Collective Genius: The Art and Practice of Leading Innovation and Being the Boss: The 3 Imperatives for Becoming a Great Leader. She is also the co-founder of Paradox Strategies, a consulting business helping organizations empower their leaders and grow innovation.
What you can expect: Hill has an active presence on Linkedin, regularly posting about her own work, as well as the work of other leadership and innovation experts. She is also a contributor to publications like Havard Business Review, and she shares her most recent articles. Like this one titled Drive Innovation with Better Decision-Making.
Lindsay McGregor & Neel Doshi
Lindsay McGregor and Neel Doshi are authors of the New York Times bestselling book, Primed to Perform: How to Build the Highest Performing Cultures Through the Science of Total Motivation. They are also co-founders of Vega Factor, a startup building technology to help organizations transform their cultures.
What you can expect: McGregor and Doshi are experts on human performance and frequently post about topics related to performance, culture, and motivation on their Linkedin pages — sharing their research and articles, but also those of other thought leaders and experts in the field of human performance.
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