The Change Agent's Playbook: Melissa Pepper on Transformational Leadership, Stakeholder Buy-In, and Making Change Stick

The Change Agent's Playbook: Melissa Pepper on Transformational Leadership, Stakeholder Buy-In, and Making Change Stick

In this episode of Activating Greatness, Alec McChesney sits down with Melissa Pepper, founder of Lead(h)er and former Chief Strategy Officer at Russell Construction, to explore what it really means to be a transformational change leader. Melissa breaks down her methodology for leading organizational change — from listening sessions and stakeholder buy-in to action teams, KPIs, and the three-part framework from Switch by Chip and Dan Heath that every leader needs to understand. She shares why the 20% who resist change aren't worth your energy, how to make change stick once the excitement fades, and what it means to build something that has never existed before. She also shares the story behind Leader, a mentorship organization she founded to fuel career and community engagement for women in the workforce. If you are navigating organizational transformation, building culture through change, or trying to lead teams through uncertainty, this episode delivers practical, story-driven insight from one of the Midwest's most passionate change agents.

The Business Told us To: Krista Robinson on Scaling HR at The Weitz Company

In this episode of Activating Greatness, Alec McChesney sits down with Krista Robinson, VP of HR at The Weitz Company, to explore what it really means to bet on yourself as a leader. Krista shares how she stepped into a stretch HR leadership role before she felt ready, scaled her HR team from 4 people to a fully structured, multi-functional organization, and helped position HR as a true business driver at one of the Midwest's most respected general contractors. She breaks down the mindset shift from individual contributor to executive leader, the organizational design decisions that supported rapid company growth, the power of a responsibility matrix, and why great leaders must stop hiding their humanity. If you are focused on building a high-performing HR function, developing your team, and leading with courage and clarity, this episode delivers practical and honest insight from a leader who has done the work from the ground up.

Relentless Resilience: The Leadership Mindset That Drives Performance with Maggie Reed

In this episode of Activating Greatness, Alec McChesney sits down with Maggie Reed, Vice President and Business Leader at Gilbane Building Company, to explore what it really means to lead with relentless resilience. Maggie breaks down how leaders can build resilience within themselves and their teams by embracing hard conversations, maintaining perspective under pressure, and creating environments where people feel supported to push forward. From the power of repeated communication to the importance of balancing resilience with awareness to avoid burnout, this conversation is packed with practical leadership insights for navigating high-stakes environments. If you’re a leader looking to strengthen your mindset, improve team performance, and lead through challenges with clarity and confidence, this episode delivers a powerful and actionable framework.

The Business Case for Culture: Jackie Fisher on Why Growth Starts With Your People

In this episode of Activating Greatness, Alec McChesney sits down with Jackie Fisher, Vice President of People and Culture at Juneau Construction Company, to explore how people strategy directly drives business growth. Jackie shares how she transformed HR from a compliance-focused function into a strategic engine that fuels retention, engagement, and long-term performance. From building culture through everyday micro-moments to aligning leadership around shared values and measurable outcomes, this conversation breaks down what it really takes to scale a people-first organization. If you’re a CEO, CHRO, or executive leader looking to connect culture to real business impact, this episode offers a practical and powerful blueprint for making it happen.

We Do Serious Work: Jeanne Hecht on Building Culture Without Losing the Human Element

In this episode of Activating Greatness, Alec McChesney sits down with Jeanne Hecht, CEO and Executive Chairwoman of Lexitas Pharma Services, to explore how culture becomes a true strategic value driver in high-performing organizations. Jeanne shares why building a strong, engaged culture is a “full contact sport” that requires constant attention, intentional leadership, and alignment at every level. From redefining vision into something meaningful and actionable, to measuring culture through retention, engagement, and performance metrics, this conversation breaks down how leaders can create environments where people thrive and results follow. If you’re a CEO, executive, or HR leader looking to connect culture to real business outcomes, this episode offers a practical framework for building and sustaining a culture that lasts.