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Member Spotlight on Barry Engelhardt, SHRM-SCP

When it comes to this year's SHRM STL Leadership Conference, what are you most excited about?
Being back in person. My time with the conference committee has  been such an amazing experience, but it’s all been online. Our keynote, Michael Bungay Stanier and our lunch keynote, Meredith Knopp are exceptional. Michael literally wrote the book on professional coaching.  

I’m also really honored we’ll be partnering with Meredith and the St. Louis Area Foodbank to hold both a digital and in-person food drive in connection with the conference. Between the recent flooding and record inflation, it’s an honor and privilege to embrace our conference theme of CommUNITY by helping friends and neighbors who are struggling.  

Overall, every speaker is exceptional. Even as an attendee, I’ll struggle to choose between sessions.

What's your favorite thing about being an HR professional?
The people. It’s the employees that I appreciate most. I’m humbled by the opportunity to focus on making their work lives a little better through continuous improvement. I know how much effect a better work life can have on an employee’s life outside of work. I hope the employees I serve can go home and show up for their families more fully because their employer shows up for them.  

In light of your military background, what's one tip you have for our members related to the hiring of veterans?
Whether I’m talking to transitioning veterans when I speak at Scott AFB or to hiring managers, my message is the same--that people are people. There are so many great individuals transitioning out of the military, but that doesn’t mean they’re all a perfect fit for every job by default. The military, with its multiple branches and countless jobs, creates countless options. This fosters different skill sets, knowledge and experiences, in and out of combat operations.  

There are defining traits—loyalty, decisiveness, sacrifice, resilience, and mission (project) completion—that are typical of military culture. The time and energy they place in leadership training is insane. But at the end of the day, you need to get to know the candidate so you can decide who they are and what they offer. I do hope that all things being equal, the veteran gets hired and performs exceptionally. But foundationally, they still have to be the right candidate, foundationally. 

You're probably the most well-read person I know when it comes to literature on leadership and our profession. What do you recommend we pick up and read right now?
Anything. There is beauty and power in the written word, regardless of the book you choose. 

The two books I most commonly recommend to anyone who wants to manage and/or grow others are The Coaching Habit by (our conference keynote) Michael Bungay Stainer and Radical Candor by Kim Scott. Relentless Solution Focus and Organize Tomorrow Today by Dr. Jason Selk have both had really powerful impacts on me. I realize it’s not as popular as Dare to Lead, but I think Atlas of the Heart is Brene Brown’s most important work and highly recommend it. And the SHRM STL Book Club is reading Work Rules by Lazslo Bock in preparation for our next meeting, which will be in early October.  

But just read. If you read 15 pages a night consistently, you’ve read a dozen or so books a year. Over time, the effort compounds…

Who are you most excited to be following on LinkedIn.
I’m fascinated by Lex Fridman & Andrew Huberman and follow them on LinkedIn/listen to their Podcasts. Toby Sinclair and Jon Macaskill have become dear friends through their exceptional posts on book summaries & mindfulness, respectively    

But locally, there are so many great thought leaders, in and out of HR. Fred Falker, Liz Haberberger, Ryan McCrea, Becki Feldmann, Marc Braun, Sarah Davidson and Julio Govreau all come to mind. Many of whom I’ve met through my participation in SHRM STL.