HR Summer School Special Session Recap
The way we work is changing fast, but not always in the ways we think.
In our recent HR Summer School Special Virtual Event, Mythbusting: 4 Lies About Work in 2026 (Click to watch on-demand, 2.5 HRCI|SHRM Credits), we brought together HR leaders, business executives, and industry experts to challenge some of the most common (and costly) misconceptions shaping today’s people strategies.
Before diving in, a sincere thank you to our partners, iSolved, HiBob, and Take Command, for supporting this conversation and helping us push the work forward for the HR community.
The 4 Lies About Work We Challenged
1. “People initiatives are soft and hard to justify.”
We reframed this narrative by focusing on driving real value with people initiatives. When aligned to business outcomes, HR strategies don’t just support performance, they accelerate it. The takeaway was clear: the future belongs to HR leaders who can connect people, data, culture, and business impact in a way executives can’t ignore. Why authenticity beats technical skill in the AI era. Watch this clip from iSolved’s CPO, Amy Mosher
2. “Benefits are just a cost center.”
In From Cost Center to HR Power Play: Make This the Year of Modern Benefits, we explored how benefits can be a strategic lever for attraction, retention, and engagement. Modern benefits aren’t about doing more, they’re about doing what matters most to employees at the right moments in their lives. A simpler, cheaper alternative defined contributions for benefits, Founder of Take Command, Jack Hooper
3. “AI is coming for HR jobs.”
In a standout session featuring Dr. Ken Matos of HiBob, we tackled how AI is reshaping the workforce and what HR truly needs to know. AI isn’t replacing HR; it’s redefining it. The organizations winning with AI are those using it to elevate decision-making, personalize employee experiences, and free HR leaders to focus on what humans do best. AI makes experienced workers more valuable
4. “Burnout is an HR problem.”
This myth sparked some of the strongest reactions. Burnout isn’t something HR can fix alone, it’s a leadership issue. Without clarity, trust, and sustainable expectations, no wellness program can compensate. Leaders set the tone, and culture follows. A HR story that proves why workplace mental health matters
A Moment That Brought It All Together
But here’s the truth. It is our responsibility.
Not just HR’s responsibility. And not just leadership’s responsibility, but together.
To stir the pot. To stir purpose. To help people see how what they do connects to why it matters.
Belonging doesn’t happen by accident. Culture doesn’t sustain itself. Purpose doesn’t magically show up in a job description.
It’s created when leaders are intentional, when we connect daily work to shared meaning, and make people feel seen, valued, and part of something bigger.
That’s how performance becomes personal. And that’s how organizations truly move forward.
Key Takeaways for HR and Business Leaders
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HR impact is strongest when ownership is shared. Culture, burnout, and purpose live at the intersection of HR and leadership—not in silos.
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Modern benefits and AI are strategic tools, not trends. When used intentionally, they create differentiation and drive real business value.
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Purpose fuels performance. Employees don’t disengage because they don’t care, they disengage when they can’t see how their work matters.
What’s Next: HR Summer School 2026
This conversation doesn’t stop here.
Join us for HR Summer School, happening June 2–4, where Ben Eubanks and I will be delivering keynote sessions and co-presenting (virtually and in person) with even deeper insights, research, and practical strategies for today’s workplace.
👉 Register now at: hrsummerschool.org
And if you’re interested in bringing Ben Eubanks and me to your next conference, leadership summit, or internal event to explore The 4 Lies About Work, reach out to our team (speakers@lhra.io). We’d love to continue the conversation with your audience.
Because the future of work won’t be shaped by myths. It will be shaped by leaders willing to challenge them, TOGETHER.
George Rogers is the Chief Strategy Officer at Lighthouse Research & Advisory. He is an author, coach, and globally renowned keynote speaker acclaimed for delivering compelling insights on cultivating purpose-driven, profitable businesses. As a leader developing inclusive and motivating workplace environments, he consistently provides transformative perspectives and guidance to organizations worldwide. Over the past two decades, he has dedicated himself to inspiring leaders and transforming workplace cultures.
In his book Champion Your Purpose, we learn that finding purpose in life looks different for everyone, and very few will find the exact common purpose that aligns the exact same. He provides a step-by-step approach to help readers identify their purpose and align it with their personal and professional goals.
His research focuses on leadership and its impact on performance, engagement, culture, mental health, inclusion, and belonging. If you ask him what led him to the HR space, he will remind you that his passion and purpose are championing people.
With over 25 years of leadership and keynote speaking experience, he has inspired, empowered, and challenged every audience —virtually and in person —to discover their purpose in the workforce, learn how to Champion Your Purpose individually, and lead the life they love.
