My Friend in HR

About My Friend in HR

Named Best Business Podcast at the 2026 Black Podcasting Awards. My Friend in HR is the mentor you call when work stops making sense. Host Njsane Courtney has spent more than two decades leading HR for global organizations, and he tells you the things HR people usually only say to each other. Why the promotion went to someone else. How raises really get decided. What to say when the offer comes in low. When it's time to stay, and when it's time to go. Every episode leaves you with something you can use at work this week. The exact words for a salary negotiation. A five-step plan for getting out from under a micromanager. How to present to executives so they don't tune out in the first minute. How to lead a team when nobody trained you to. You'll also hear from business leaders on the career moves that worked for them and the ones that didn't. If you're an employee who wants a fair shot, a new manager figuring it out as you go, or an executive who's tired of hearing what people think you want to hear, pull up a chair. Streaming in 20+ countries. New episodes, the monthly newsletter, and more at mfihr.com. Your job is meant to support your life. Your life is not meant to support your job.

Publisher

Njsane Courtney, MBA, SHRM-SCP, FCIPD

Category

business · business · education

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

10 May 2023

Latest episode

19 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

11 of 24 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   19 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Dear Executives: Stop Managing Like a Manager

   Host Emily R. Smith discusses how executive leadership skills differ from management tactics, offering insights for career advancement.

2. 

   6 Oct 2026

   Why Do We Even Have Leaders?

   Send us Fan Mail Leaders are keeping the perks and dropping the protection, and their people have noticed. In one 2026 survey, 80% of workers said they rarely or never trust leaders to put employees ahead of profit. In this one I go back to the campfire with Simon Sinek's Leaders Eat Last to ask what leadership is for. For most of human history the deal was simple. The leader got the best spot by the fire, and when danger showed up, the leader stepped forward first. Today Gallup says 51% of ...

3. 

   4 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   First-Time Manager: The Skill That Got You Promoted Won't Save You

   Host [Host Name] shares five essential tips for first-time managers, drawing on research to help them navigate new responsibilities and boost team engagement.

Inside a recent episode

Dear Executives: Stop Managing Like a Manager

Published 19 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] Be kind to your Hudson. A good leader keeps a steady voice and gives Hudson something to do. So hold that image. A leader with a new title, an old playbook, and a team that isn't sure he's got their back. Now let's talk about what's actually different. Difference number one, from tasks to strategy. As a manager, your world was this week, this month, your team's output. You could look at the work and tell whether it was good. As an executive, your world is this year, the next three years, the market, the customers, the competition, the budget, the board. You often can't look at the work and tell whether it's good because you're not close enough to it. […]

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

15 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

87 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 36 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

59

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

Contact My Friend in HR

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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