In this episode of On the Brink with Andi Simon, I had the pleasure of speaking with Lotus Buckner, founder and CEO of HLB Talent Solutions and author of The Joy of HR. Lotus is a dynamic leader in the human resources field with experience spanning corporate environments, startups, and everything in between. Her insights on HR's evolution and intentional leadership are essential for understanding today’s workplace.

Lotus’s path to HR began during college when she stumbled upon a management and HR concentration. After taking her first HR class, she discovered her passion and launched a career that has spanned nonprofits, healthcare, universities, and startups. Her first role at a nonprofit hospital turned into an 11-year journey where she advanced from intern to head of HR, managing significant growth and leading efforts through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her experiences have shaped her understanding of how HR functions differ across industries. From resource-heavy corporations to scrappy startups, she emphasizes how organizations require distinct approaches to people management. This adaptability is a key theme in her book.

In larger organizations, HR often revolves around specialization, with leaders focusing on well-defined roles. In contrast, startups demand versatility and a generalist mindset, with employees wearing multiple hats. Lotus embraced this shift when she transitioned to leading HR for Chowbus, a food delivery tech startup. She describes startups as spaces where creativity and adaptability are paramount, which prepared her to establish her consulting business.

During her corporate career, Lotus often encountered leaders who viewed HR as the solution to culture change. She notes, however, that true cultural shifts require the engagement of everyone in the organization, not just HR.

From Observation to Innovation,

Andi Simon, PhD

CEO | Corporate Anthropologist | Author
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