The Manager Method: How to Lead, Support, and Get Results

Sue Bethanis welcomes Ashley Herd, former Chief People Officer and General Counsel, leadership speaker, and podcast host who has trained over 250,000 managers through LinkedIn Learning and live corporate trainings. Ashley built Manager Method after leading HR and legal teams at McKinsey, Yum! Brands, and Modern Luxury. She is a top LinkedIn Learning instructor and co-host of the HR Besties podcast, a top 10 business podcast. Her book, The Manager Method: A Practical Framework to Lead, Support, and Get Results, was released February 10, 2026.

Sue and Ashley discuss several topics relevant to managers and senior leaders:

• Why managers feel unprepared to lead, even after years in the workforce
• The “Pause-Consider-Act” framework for making decisions under pressure
• Performance feedback as the number one challenge managers face
• AI adoption as a change management issue and how to support teams through uncertainty
• The shift from “defending your team” to advocating for the organization as leaders advance
• Building cross-functional relationships and understanding organizational context
• How strategic thinking requires pausing to consider impact and outcomes

The conversation provides practical guidance on leadership fundamentals that are often missing from management training. Ashley shares examples from her career, including how one leader used the Pause-Consider-Act framework to handle a difficult situation with team members who were criticizing him in private messages. Key takeaways include the importance of specific, progress-based feedback, the need for clear communication about AI expectations and guardrails, and the value of understanding how your work impacts others across the organization.