Episode 44: Building Executive Presence From The Inside Out (Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow in Conversation)

Welcome to the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we go behind the curtain on building high-performing organisations with honest conversations between experienced leaders.

In this episode, we take a break from the traditional guest interviews and invite you into an informal conversation between hosts, Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow. Instead of sharing the spotlight with a guest, they dive into their own lived experiences and perspectives as people leaders, exploring what leadership, culture, and authenticity look like in practice.

Why do capable, confident HR leaders sometimes become approval-seeking “yes people” around the CEO?

In this episode, Andrew and Jess examine the habits that can prevent senior HR leaders from becoming credible enterprise executives - and what it takes to move beyond responsiveness, perfectionism and flawless execution toward greater perspective, self-direction and influence.

The conversation begins with an experienced CHRO who immediately agrees to plan an executive offsite, only to realise later that they do not understand what the CEO wants from it. Andrew and Jess use this example to explore why authority can trigger a “middle school” version of an otherwise accomplished leader: someone focused on being liked, gaining recognition and proving they can deliver. They unpack three forces that can contribute to this response - real differences in power, a lifetime of learned deference and the perfectionist instinct to accept an assignment and execute it well. For HR leaders, the tension can be particularly acute: they are expected to challenge and advise the CEO while knowing that the same person influences their ratings, compensation, title and continued employment.

Andrew and Jess also reframe organisational politics as a leadership reality rather than inherently manipulative behaviour. Political awareness does not require cynicism or unethical conduct. It means recognising the stories, interests and motivations influencing how people respond. Executives may all care about the organisation while prioritising different outcomes, including mission, financial performance, efficiency or people. Instead of assuming bad intent, the hosts encourage listeners to separate assumptions from facts and consider both the story they are telling themselves and the story another stakeholder may be telling themselves.

The episode also explores the risks of codifying idealised expectations for executive teams. Clear expectations can be useful,