High Point University

Johnny C. Taylor, Jr. is the Human Capital Expert in Residence at High Point University (HPU). He mentors students and shares his expertise in the human resources field with the HPU community.

Human Capital Expert in Residence

SHRM

With nearly 340,000 members in 180 countries, SHRM touches the lives of more than 362 million workers and their families globally.

President and CEO

XPO Logistics, Inc.

Fortune 500 XPO Logistics (NYSE: XPO) freight transportation company that primarily provides less-than-truckload and truck brokerage services in 18 countries with over 100,000 employees.

Lead Independent Director

Guild Education

Guild Education is a private company headquartered in Denver, Colorado that is employed by Fortune 1000 companies to manage their education assistance benefits.

Board Member

iCIMS

iCIMS, a private company headquartered in New Jersey, is the Talent Cloud company that empowers organizations to attract, engage, hire, and advance the talent that builds a winning workforce.

Thurgood Marshall College Fund

Chief Executive -- general oversight of this national organization that represents and advocates on behalf of the country's 47 public Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs).

President & CEO

Chief executive responsible for creating, building, and launching this first ever "Identity Search" engine, Rushmore Drive.

Group Chief Executive Officer

Chief Human Resource Officer of the IAC portfolio of companies, which included Ticketmaster, Home Shopping Network/HSN, Match.com, LendingTree.com, Ask.com, Citysearch.com, and Shoebuy.com.

SVP, Human Resources

McGuireWoods LLP

Litigation Partner and founder of firm's Human Resources/HR consulting practice.

Partner & President of HR Consulting Group

Compass Group North America

Oversaw 50-person full-service Legal and Risk Management departments.

EVP, General Counsel

Paramount Pictures

Senior executive overseeing the Legal, Risk Management, and Human Resources departments for the theme park and live entertainment division.

General Counsel & Senior Vice President of Human Resources -- Paramount Live Entertainment Group

Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, is President and Chief Executive Officer of SHRM. With nearly 340,000 members in 180 countries, SHRM impacts the lives of more than 362 million workers and their families globally.
 
As a global leader on the future of employment, culture, and leadership, Mr. Taylor is a sought-after voice on all matters affecting work, workers, and the workplace. Recognized as one of the “300 Most Influential Executives in Corporate America” for 2024 by 𝘚𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘺 Magazine, on the “Virginia 500: Power List” by 𝘝𝘪𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘢 𝘉𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, and as one of the “Most Influential People Shaping Public Policy” in our nation’s capital by 𝘞𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘯 Magazine, Mr. Taylor is frequently asked to testify before Congress on critical workforce issues and authors the weekly 𝘜𝘚𝘈 Today column, "Ask HR."

Mr. Taylor's career spans more than 20 years as a lawyer, human resources executive, and CEO in both the not-for-profit and for-profit spaces. He has held senior and chief executive roles at IAC/InteractiveCorp, Viacom's Paramount Pictures, Blockbuster Entertainment Group, the McGuireWoods law firm, and Compass Group USA. Most recently, Mr. Taylor was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
 
He is the author of the national bestseller, 𝘙𝘌𝘚𝘌𝘛: 𝘈 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳’𝘴 𝘎𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘜𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘭, which immediately upon its release in September 2021, was in the top three of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘑𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭’𝘴 list of best-selling hardcover business books.
 
Mr. Taylor is a member of the United Way Worldwide Board of Trustees and serves on the corporate boards of XPO Logistics (NYSE: XPO), Flores HR, and Guild Education. He previously served on the White House American Workforce Policy Advisory Board and as chairman of the President's Advisory Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities during the Trump Administration. 

Women Business Collaborative (WBC) named Mr. Taylor as one of its 2023 Trailblazers in Gender Equity and Diversity for his work to achieve equal position, pay, and power for all women in business. In 2020, he received the Distinguished Executive of the Year Award from the Academy of Management, and he was named 2021 ALA Professional Society CEO of the Year by 𝘊𝘌𝘖 𝘜𝘱𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦.
 
He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources and is licensed to practice law in Florida, Illinois, and Washington, D.C.

The longer I lead, the clearer this becomes:
Experience doesn’t guarantee growth, learning does. 

And the people who learn fastest are almost always the ones willing to look like beginners again. They don’t tie their identity to being the expert in every room. They tie it to staying sharp. 

Humility keeps them open. Curiosity keeps them moving. 
In today’s workplace, this combination outperforms raw intelligence every time.

Credit: Dr. Brigette Hyacinth

Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP

President & CEO, SHRM, F500 Board Director

Great leadership is reflected in actions.

It’s not enough to say, “I want you to succeed.” You show it. You push your people to take risks, challenge their limits, and trust their instincts—because you know what they’re capable of, even if they don’t yet.

Thanks to Dr. Brigette Hyacinth for the insight.

Leaders face challenges every day. Talent shortages, shifting regulations, workforce expectations ... these obstacles aren’t going away.

This is why to move forward, you MUST shift your mindset. Look for lessons in the struggle and understand every challenge is an opportunity to sharpen your leadership.

We can’t afford to waste energy feeling inconvenienced. We need to use every moment to grow, improve, and lead better.

Next time things go sideways, ask yourself, “How can this make me a better leader?”

The lesson is always there.

Thanks to Rob Dance for the insight.

Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, is President and Chief Executive Officer of SHRM. With nearly 325,000 members in 165 countries, SHRM impacts the lives of more than 235 million workers and families globally.

As a global leader on the future of employment, culture and leadership, Mr. Taylor is a sought-after voice on all matters affecting work, workers, and the workplace. Recently named one of the “Most Influential People Shaping Public Policy” in our nation’s Capital by the Washingtonian Magazine, Mr.
Taylor is frequently asked to testify before Congress on critical workforce issues and authors the weekly USA Today column, “Ask HR.”
 
Mr. Taylor’s career spans over 20 years as a lawyer, human resources executive and CEO in both the not-for-profit and for-profit space. He has held senior and chief executive roles at IAC/Interactive Corp, Viacom’s Paramount Pictures, Blockbuster Entertainment Group, the McGuireWoods law firm, and
Compass Group USA. Most recently, Mr. Taylor was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

He is the author of the national bestseller, RESET: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval, which delivers a candid and forward-thinking vision for leaders to reimagine their company cultures in a time of global upheaval and presents data-driven strategies to make the necessary foundational reset of all things work. 
 
Mr. Taylor sits on several corporate boards, including as Lead Independent Director of XPO Logistics (NYSE: XPO) and as an Independent Director of Guild Education and Flores & Associates. In addition, he dedicates himself to non-profit organizations, serving as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the University of Miami and as a Trustee of the United Way Worldwide. Mr. Taylor was appointed chairman of the President’s Advisory Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and as a member of the White House American Workforce Policy Advisory Board during the Trump Administration.

The Women Business Collaborative (WBC) named Mr. Taylor as one of its 2023 Trailblazers in Gender Equity and Diversity for his work to achieve equal position, pay and power for all women in business. In 2020, he received the Distinguished Executive of the Year Award from the Academy of Management, and he was named 2021 ALA Professional Society CEO of the Year by CEO Update.
 
He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources and is licensed to practice law in Florida, Illinois and Washington, D.C.

Some of the best thinking I’ve ever heard came from people who were willing to challenge mine. Not loudly or carelessly, but with enough conviction to say, "Let’s take a closer look."

What those moments teach you is leadership entails creating the kind of space where better answers can surface. And this doesn’t happen when everyone agrees. It happens when people are confident enough to push back on ideas and secure enough to have their own ideas scrutinized.

At SHRM, we call this Challenge, Decide, Commit. The strongest decisions come when teams are willing to respectfully challenge each other's perspectives and ask the hard questions before deciding how to move forward. And once the decision is made, we commit—everyone is fully on board to overcome obstacles and see things through to execution.

If you want your organization to thrive, cultivate a team serious enough about the work to examine it from every angle. Where pushback isn’t seen as friction but as a sign people are invested in getting it right.

This is when the work gets stronger. And when the team does too.

They hit every target. Deliver the numbers. Outperform expectations.
But behind the scenes, they leave tension, turnover, and disengagement in their wake.

Some leaders justify it: “They’re too valuable to lose.” But over time, the cost of keeping them is higher than most want to admit.

Performance isn’t just individual—it’s collective. And if one person consistently damages morale or erodes trust, you have to ask: Is this person really helping the business, or just helping themselves?

Leaders set the tone not just by who they coach, but by who they tolerate.

Credit: Justin Wright

We talk a lot about culture like it’s a big, complex system ... and sometimes it is. But more often, it comes down to moments.

Recently, I learned—indirectly—someone on our team was going through a rough time at home. I didn’t know her. We’d never met. But I heard just enough to know it was serious. So I sent her flowers. Just a gesture to let her know she wasn't alone.

When she came into the office days later, she said something I’ll never forget:
“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘛𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺.”

I wasn’t trying to change her life. I couldn’t fix what she was facing. But this isn't always the role of a leader. Sometimes, what matters most is simply recognizing someone is carrying something heavy—and showing them, in a quiet way, they matter.

I share this not because it was extraordinary, but because it wasn’t. It was simple. And it's the part we miss.

Workplace culture doesn’t shift because of bold statements or expensive programs. It changes when people—especially those in leadership—choose to act with empathy when no one’s asking them to.

After all, what feels small to you might mean everything to someone else. And this is where culture lives. Not in the big things—but in the human ones.

Success isn't a matter of luck. It's not a personality trait. And it's not reserved for a select few.

The difference between people who talk about success and those who actually achieve it often comes down to one thing: discipline. The daily kind. This kind doesn't trend, but you can be certain it will get you results.

This quote by American businessman Wayne Huizenga sums it up:

"𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨, 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙪𝙥 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣."

It's a great reminder of what separates talk from action. Moving forward requires being intentional and keeping promises to yourself, even when motivation fades. Especially then.

Take someone like Serena Williams. Her talent is undeniable, but it wasn't talent alone responsible for her 23 Grand Slam titles. It was showing up and training on days she didn’t feel like it. Practicing one more serve, running one more drill, making one more adjustment—because she understood excellence lives in the repetition.

It’s the same principle whether you’re leading a team, building a business, or pursuing a personal goal. The scoreboard reflects the habits no one sees.

And if you want to know if you're on your way to checking off another milestone, ask yourself: What am I doing—consistently—to earn it?

Here are 8 principles to help you stay focused and bring you closer to your goals 👇🏾

Have you seen the film Hidden Figures?

It’s the true story of brilliant Black women at NASA—mathematicians who helped launch the first American into space. But when the first computer showed up, their jobs were on the line. So what did they do?

They learned the machine. Fast. They adapted—because they knew what was coming.

This is where we are now. This is our Hidden Figures moment.
AI is changing everything ... and if we want to stay relevant, we, too, have got to move fast.

Watch this video to see what this moment really means for all of us 👇🏾

If someone calls you a "personality hire," would you take it as a compliment or an insult?

The term has been tossed around to minimize people—the ones with great energy but maybe not the hard skills. To set the record straight: A "personality hire" is not someone who’s all talk and no action.

They’re the ones who show up with clarity when things get messy. The ones who steady the team, bring emotional intelligence to the table, and breathe life into a culture otherwise at risk of stagnation.

You can't train this. And you certainly can’t automate it.

Even in an era defined by AI, it's the so-called "personality hires" who lead through ambiguity. Artificial intelligence can analyze a trend. But it can't build trust across a tense leadership table. It can forecast headcount needs, but it can't coach a struggling team through a rough quarter.

So the next time you hear a colleague being labeled a "personality hire," pause. They might be the very person keeping your culture alive.

And in a workplace increasingly defined by change, they're not just a hire worth defending—they're one worth celebrating.

Constant pressure and constant change.
This is our world of work.

So how do you lead when there’s no clear path?

I sat down with Jeffrey Hayzlett to discuss what’s really going on. Talent shortages, AI, rising health care costs ... these are just the surface. The real challenge is how to adapt while maintaining culture, integrity, and a people-first mindset.

It’s time to stop waiting for certainty and start leading through the unknown.

Watch the full episode: https://shrm.co/lmljtj

Organizations don’t offer leadership roles by accident.
But this doesn’t stop people from second-guessing themselves the moment they're offered one.

Hesitation at this stage isn’t about capability. It’s about how we’ve been conditioned to approach opportunity, waiting until we feel fully ready before stepping forward.

In this week’s Ask Johnny for USA TODAY, I explain why confidence often follows responsibility, not the other way around, and offer tips on how leaders can build the confidence needed to step into the new position ... before someone else does.

Read the column 👇

Thanks to Whitney Gelrod and the FloresHR team for a great conversation on FMLA.

One of the biggest challenges I see, over and over, is confusion around what FMLA actually provides versus what employers assume it covers. Job protection and benefits continuation are critical, but they’re often misunderstood, and this misunderstanding can create real risk for both employees and employers.

Always appreciate the opportunity to talk through these issues with leaders who are focused on getting it right.

Here's a snippet of our discussion.

Recently FloresHR's Head of Growth, Whitney Gelrod, sat down with President & CEO of SHRM, Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP to tackle some of the challenges employers face in managing FMLA. 
 
HR professionals - are you clear on what FMLA covers (and doesn't cover)? Contact us today if you would like to learn more about how our team of leave professionals can help guide you to compliance.

#HR #FMLA

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