Listen "Brady Pyle, CHRO at Space Center Houston"
Episode Synopsis
SummaryWhat can decades of leadership at NASA teach us about developing talent, fostering innovation, and building a culture that lasts? In this episode of Built by People, host Dave sits down with Brady — former HR executive at NASA’s Johnson Space Center and current VP of HR at Space Center Houston — to explore exactly that.Brady shares how he led the shift from a decentralized to a functionally managed HR model at NASA, his approach to mentoring and coaching programs that work in both large and small organizations, and why succession planning is as much about development as it is about readiness. He also opens up about what didn’t work in culture-building, and the lessons he’s carried forward.Listeners will walk away with actionable strategies to strengthen leadership pipelines, implement effective coaching, and keep their teams learning and growing — whether you’re leading a 200-person nonprofit or a national space agency.Key Takeaways[00:45] – Brady’s 30-year NASA career and transition to Space Center Houston[01:45] – Bringing the 70-20-10 leadership development model to a smaller organization[03:46] – The “Yoda” mentoring program, its evolution, and lessons on reverse mentoring[05:16] – Succession planning without pre-selection: NASA’s “succession development” approach[07:23] – Why culture work needs intentionality — and what happens when you ignore survey data[09:37] – Parting advice: keep learning, stay inclusive, and seek better ways of doing thingsTimestampsApply the 70-20-10 model to make leadership development practical and ongoingUse mentoring and coaching to connect leaders across departments and experience levelsFocus on succession development, not just replacement, to grow internal talent pipelinesLet employee engagement data guide culture initiatives instead of relying on assumptionsAvoid generic culture workshops — work with intact teams that already share trustFoster a learning orientation at every level to spark innovation and adaptabilityOur SponsorPrevi is an employer network that provides private pricing for employees. Joining the Previ network allows employees to save on necessities they already pay for, such as cell phone service and insurance. Previ saves the average employee $2,200/year. Join at no cost to the company.
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