Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer, Chevron
Search every verified Rhonda Morris interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Rhonda Morris, former Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Chevron, discussed her leadership philosophy and experiences in a podcast episode published on April 15, 2025. She stated that leaders need a deeper understanding of people than ever before and that she leads authentically, which she said has helped her break barriers. Morris noted that she was the first Black female corporate officer in Chevron's 140-year history and described the challenge of being the only woman and only person of color on many leadership teams, saying it has a negative impact on focus. She also said that after the murder of George Floyd, she wrote to her peers, all white men, stating that many employees were not okay and that she was not okay either. Morris said that her role is to remove distractions that prevent people from being their best, including toxic relationships and structures. She described leaders as having a powerful position, as they can be either a confidence builder or a confidence destroyer for their direct reports. Morris stated that the "great resignation" did not occur at Chevron, attributing this to a powerful community that keeps employees bonded. She also said she decided during the pandemic to stop emailing direct reports on weekends unless it was a crisis, and that leaders now must have conversations about feelings at work.
“I think leaders now have to have a deeper understanding of people than they've ever had before. Everyone who knows me knows that I lead authentically, and that's how I've broken barriers.”
“My job is to make sure we take away things that distract people from being their best. That covers a pretty wide territory, including toxicities in relationships and structures.”
“If we have people who are performing at their very best in their role, it's going to help our business achieve our objectives, period.”
“You are the person your direct reports go home and talk to their partner, their kids, their friends about. You control what they say about you. You can be a confidence builder or a confidence destroyer. That's a pretty powerful position to be in.”
“I was the first Black female corporate officer in the history of our company, which is over 140 years old. Being the only woman and the only person of color on many leadership teams has a negative impact on focus sometimes.”
“After George Floyd was murdered, I wrote to my peers, all white men, saying many of our employees are not okay right now because of what happened. I also said I am not okay either.”
“The great resignation didn't happen in our company. People tend to spend their entire careers with us because we have a powerful community that builds connective tissue and keeps us bonded tightly together.”
“I made a decision during the pandemic to stop emailing my direct reports on weekends unless it was a crisis, to help them have a break and time off.”
“Leaders now have to have conversations about feelings at work. People are more comfortable saying how they really are, which is a benefit of COVID.”
“If there was one master of craft I could sit with over dinner, it would be Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund. She's disciplined and has held her own in male-dominated environments.”
What does it take to lead at the highest levels—while staying true to who you are? Today's guest is Rhonda Morris, the former ...
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