The Assist: Empowering People to Drive Change | Goals & Game Changers feat. Sinead Condon
Sometimes the best leaders don't score—they set others up to win. In this episode of Goals and Game Changers, Hyperdrive CEO ...
Chief People Officer, Guidewire Software
Search every verified Sinead Condon interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Sinéad Condon, Chief People Officer at Guidewire Software, has spoken in recent appearances about the human side of organizational change and the importance of storytelling in leadership. In an April 2025 podcast, she said that when leaders feel they are "banging your head against a brick wall" during transformation, it often reflects "a fear of the unknown and a lack of education" because they have not clarified what they are trying to drive. She emphasized that empowerment requires providing people with accountability, resources, information, and authority, and that modern leaders must be skilled storytellers to articulate purpose and direction. Condon also urged listeners to ask themselves "what are we in service to" as a way to stay focused. In earlier appearances, Condon discussed operationalizing empathy and vulnerability in the workplace, arguing that organizations should prioritize authentic conversations over formal programs. She described self-advocacy as knowing one's value system and feeling empowered to make decisions, and said that diversity of thought should be intentionally designed into teams. Condon also noted that Guidewire is intentional about both equality and equity, and that the company's shift to hybrid work has created an opportunity to recruit globally and become more inclusive. She has described her own career journey, including starting her first company at age 18, and has encouraged others to seek out mentors, coaches, and sponsors.
“The most complexity happens when you really dial into what's happening on the people there, because that really and truly is where the most complexity comes from.”
“When we go into technology projects, we're all so busy thinking about the outcomes that the technology will bring, but I didn't lean in hard enough to asking the people related questions about the human impact of what we were doing.”
“Modern leadership requires storytelling; leaders must be skilled storytellers to articulate the purpose, direction, and impact that their work is having on the organization.”
“For someone to feel a sense of ownership, they need to have accountability, resources, information, and authority. Without these, empowerment is just a dirty word.”
“Empowerment is both a management responsibility and a personal initiative; you have to lead with influence and also create the space for yourself to act.”
“When leading transformation, if you feel like you're banging your head against a brick wall, often what's showing up is a fear of the unknown and a lack of education because I have not done a good job clarifying what we're trying to drive and the impact.”
“Are you listening to learn, to understand, or are you listening to win? Be a listener who's looking to learn and understand first and foremost.”
“What are we in service to? I probably ask that question 20 or 30 times a day because it's so easy to get caught up in everything and lose the plot. Holding each other accountable to not lose the plot and aligning on what we are in service to is part of the working agreement of teams.”
“Self-advocacy means first knowing your value system and what you believe in, then feeling empowered with ownership, accountability, and authority to make decisions and influence direction, supported by the necessary information to keep moving forward.”
“Stop listening to win. Winning is important, but the selfishness and arrogance often associated with winning can be harmful. We can still achieve and win by designing for it collectively and interconnectedly, prioritizing communal aspects in organizations.”
“In any ecosystem, there are varying levels of maturity and consciousness. As a leader, you must recognize these differences and create environments that allow each individual to thrive by understanding and responding to their unique needs.”
“When starting a project, co-create a working agreement by asking how we want to be as a team, what it looks like when it's working well or not, and how we show up. This helps avoid assumptions and fosters ownership and clarity.”
“Empathy and vulnerability must be operationalized and normalized in the future of work. Instead of relying on programs, we should prioritize authentic conversations that address what is most important in the moment.”
“Listening can be to win, to learn, to understand, or to no. When coaching, it's important to listen to create space and help others solve their own problems, not just to win or provide answers.”
“Agile is not just a project management methodology but a way of working focused on continuous improvement. Retrospectives should be done after everything, even in personal relationships, to learn and improve.”
Sometimes the best leaders don't score—they set others up to win. In this episode of Goals and Game Changers, Hyperdrive CEO ...
What are we in service to?” Guidewire's Chief People Officer Sinéad Condon reflects on this question at least 20 or 30 times a day ...
We sat down with our Chief People Officer, Sinéad Condon, to hear about the importance of Embracing Equity at Guidewire.
Guidewire Software's Head of People, Sinéad Condon, and Head of DEI, Brandi Riggins, chat about the opportunity to be ...
Sinéad Condon launched her first company at 18 years old – just the first big step in an impressive and winding journey. She then ...
Sign in to search the full transcript archive, filter by topic, and access every quote from Sinead Condon.
The summary and quote tags on this profile are produced with AI assistance from verified, first-person interview transcripts, then checked by our team to confirm the speaker's identity and the accuracy of every quote. See how we verify →