How do you become the kind of leader people genuinely want to follow?

In this episode of HR Unlocked, Lisa Oakley sits down with Laurent Sylvestre to explore leadership, trust, human dynamics, executive development, and what it really takes to lead well. 

Laurent challenges the traditional view of HR and People & Culture, emphasising that leaders ultimately own people and culture, while People & Culture professionals help create the conditions for people to thrive. 

The conversation explores the importance of knowing your people, having meaningful conversations about skills and aspirations, and aligning individual potential with business outcomes. 

A key theme is congruence — understanding who you are, the leader you want to become, and whether the organisation you work for aligns with your values and ambitions. 

Laurent also shares his three levels of leadership: leading self, leading others, and leading the enterprise, alongside insights on high-performing teams, trust, executive wellbeing, CEO pressures, and navigating change with greater agency. 

What You’ll Learn 

• Why Laurent once declared “HR is dead” and what he meant
• Why People & Culture is about impact, not labels 
• What it means for HR to act as a curator * Why leaders need to truly know their people 
• How talent reviews can become dynamic and commercially useful 
• Why employee aspirations should connect to business outcomes 
• How Laurent’s experiences shaped his interest in human dynamics 
• The difference between HR process and what happens “under the waterline” 
• Why authenticity and congruence matter in leadership * Why difficult experiences can strengthen leadership capability 
• How to assess whether a role or organisation is right for you 
• Why diversity matters in high-performing leadership teams 
• The importance of leading self before leading others 
• How leading self, others, and the enterprise connect 

Key Takeaways

• The future of HR is not about changing the label. It is about increasing its impact on people, leadership, culture, and business outcomes.
• Leaders own people and culture. People & Culture professionals help curate the environment in which both can thrive.
• Knowing your people means understanding aspirations, capabilities, potential, and what matters to them — not just performance. 
• Talent conversations should be ongoing and linked to organisational outcomes rather than happening once a year.
• Sustainable leadership requires alignment between who you are, how you lead, and the organisation you work within.
• Career success on paper does not automatically equal fulfilment. Before pursuing a bigger role, leaders should ask what they are actually trying to achieve. You cannot lead others well without first understanding yourself. Leading the enterprise requires self-leadership and genuine followership.
• High-performing teams need clear definitions of performance, strong individual contribution, disciplined behaviours, and trust.
• Professional intimacy helps maintain trust when performance dips because people will not always be perfectly credible or reliable.
• Many executive team problems are not individual capability issues, but problems with how people work together. CEOs are increasingly focused on boards, executive team effectiveness, staying connected to the organisation, and their own wellbeing. 

About Laurent Sylvestre

Laurent Sylvestre is a leadership and human dynamics specialist, CEO, and founder who works with executives, senior leaders, and leadership teams.

His career spans Human Resources, People & Culture, executive leadership, and organisational development across Europe and Asia Pacific.

His work focuses on self-leadership, team dynamics, trust, organisational culture, and high performance.

After a long corporate career, Laurent moved into entrepreneurship to align his work more closely with his purpose and strengths. He works particularly with CEOs, managing directors, executive teams, and senior leaders. 

Why This Episode Matters

Leadership expectations continue to grow as leaders navigate changing markets, board pressure, complex teams, technology, employee expectations, and uncertainty. 

This episode brings leadership back to the individual, exploring identity, purpose, trust, relationships, and the kind of leader we want to become. Laurent also challenges HR and People & Culture professionals to look beyond processes and understand the human dynamics behind performance, conflict, trust, and change. 

Whether you’re an HR professional, executive, business owner, senior leader, or considering your next career move, this conversation offers practical insights for leading yourself, strengthening relationships, and helping people and organisations perform at their best. 

Resources & Links 

• Laurent Sylvestre: https://laurentsylvestre.com
• Connect with Laurent Sylvestre on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurentsylvestre/