Listen "199 - OKRs, Pancake Sprints, & The Power of a 30-60-90 Day Plan: Vanessa Monsequeira (VP of People, Gorilla)"
Episode Synopsis
Vanessa Monsequeira, VP of People at Gorilla, joined us on The Modern People Leader.
We discussed Vanessa’s path to leadership, how to navigate hyper-growth in organizations, and the importance of mindset and unlearning for today’s people leaders.
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(0:02) Introduction and good news stories
(5:28) Vanessa’s career journey and lessons from hyper-growth
(10:21) The role of mindset and resilience in leadership
(14:32) Navigating fast vs. slow decision-making during hyper-growth
(18:47) Gorilla’s core business and the impact of real-time data in energy utilities
(27:53) The challenges of scaling people operations in a tech company
(32:30) Identifying and addressing blind spots in HR leadership
(40:48) The role of unlearning and relearning in leadership transitions
(46:31) OKRs and the process of aligning with business goals
(49:06) Advice for people leaders navigating today’s tough job market
(57:42) Rapid fire questions and career advice
(1:02:17) One word close
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💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn
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We discussed Vanessa’s path to leadership, how to navigate hyper-growth in organizations, and the importance of mindset and unlearning for today’s people leaders.
----
(0:02) Introduction and good news stories
(5:28) Vanessa’s career journey and lessons from hyper-growth
(10:21) The role of mindset and resilience in leadership
(14:32) Navigating fast vs. slow decision-making during hyper-growth
(18:47) Gorilla’s core business and the impact of real-time data in energy utilities
(27:53) The challenges of scaling people operations in a tech company
(32:30) Identifying and addressing blind spots in HR leadership
(40:48) The role of unlearning and relearning in leadership transitions
(46:31) OKRs and the process of aligning with business goals
(49:06) Advice for people leaders navigating today’s tough job market
(57:42) Rapid fire questions and career advice
(1:02:17) One word close
----
📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps
💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn
😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn
😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn
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