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Evolving HR with Purpose: From Policy to People-Centered Progress - an Interview with Lisa Coulson, SVP and Chief Human Resources Officer at Principal Financial Group

opportunities progress purpose Jun 25, 2025

In the latest Fearless Female Leadership interview, I had the honor of sitting down with Lisa Coulson, SVP and Chief Human Resources Officer at Principal Financial Group, to explore how HR can evolve with purpose—moving from policy to people-centered progress.

Lisa’s leadership journey began with values instilled by her parents—her father, an insurance executive and team sports enthusiast, and her mother, a homemaker who created warmth and community. These early influences shaped Lisa’s love for collaboration, tradition, and working toward shared goals.

Her career path was far from linear. From starting as an underwriter to moving into HR consulting and later rising through the ranks at Principal, Lisa emphasized the importance of raising your hand for opportunities, even when they seem outside your comfort zone. A pivotal moment came when she said yes to a compensation role that leveraged her love for math and opened doors to senior leadership.

Lisa believes evolving HR requires both tec...

The #1 Progress Trap (and How to Beat It)

all in capable end game future truth out loud productivity progress Jul 18, 2019

The #1 Progress Trap
(and How to Beat It)

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I was on a call with one of my mentors, Brendon Burchard, and he was coaching the High Performance Habit "Productivity."

I felt like such an imposter, dragging my feet on a project and NOT being productive, at all. I finally said to him, "Honestly, I think there is something wrong with me cognitively. I coach this material. I am a supposed expert, but I just can’t seem to make the progress I want and that I know I deserve."

Brendon's response:

"Sheryl, do you believe in what you are doing, and are you all in?"

Ouch. The answer was no and no.

Total transparency, I was not 100% certain I could pull off what I was working towards at the time, AND I was not 100% committed to it either.

No brain injury or cognitive disability (that I know of:). Just lack of belief and commitment. So, after some soul searching, I re-evaluated and recommitted.

That’s when everything changed (... for the much better).

So, how d...

3 Easy Ways to Accelerate Progress and Get Better Quicker

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3 Easy Ways to Accelerate Progress and Get Better Quicker

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I know that you're ambitious, but sometimes our progress isn't as quick as we would like, or we feel like we're working really hard and we're not seeing the results that we want and deserve.

So I'm going to share one, what I called "tiny triumph" today. It's one little thing that you can start doing differently, and it is a tool that elite athletes use. I've been teaching this tool over the last 25 years to business leaders and other world-class performers so they can accelerate their progress and get better quicker.

I also use it myself... often!

Imagery Training

We're going to be talking about Imagery Training, which we just covered in my "live" monthly online roundtable group. Imagery Training is about creating short movie clips that help champion your results. We went deep into this topic, so members could get a really good idea how world-class performers bring what they want to life.

...

Working Hard But NOT Making Enough Progress?

accountability progress structure Feb 28, 2019

Working Hard But NOT Making Enough Progress?

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Do you ever feel like you are working EXTREMELY hard and...

1.) not making the progress you want and deserve
2.) not feeling acknowledged
3.) not able to sustain the pace

If so, you are 100% not alone.

In an effort to disrupt this cycle and make progress towards you achieving your potential in a holistic and sustainable way, we are going to kick off International Women's Day a little early. Let’s all be inspired and learn from the amazing stories, impact and courage from women past and present, so we can be our best and rise, together.

For a moment, step into the shoes of Wilma Rudolph who was one of 21 children (yes, 21!) in her family, and born 1940 in St. Bethlehem, TN. Because Wilma was born premature and inflicted with many childhood illnesses (including polio), she was told by her doctor that she would never walk again.

Her mother told her she would walk again.

Wilma chose to listen to her moth...

4 Easy Steps to Set Yourself Up for Consistent Progress

accountability commitment progress world-class Jan 04, 2019

4 Easy Steps to Set Yourself Up for Consistent Progress

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Happy New Year 2019 everyone! Here's wishing you beautiful moments, treasured memories, and all the blessings a heart can know.

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "Write it on your heart that everyday is the best day of the year." I want to pass along some easy steps to help you make progress everyday towards the goals and ambitions you want and deserve.

World-class athletes and business professionals do not achieve and maintain greatness alone, and neither can you. Accountability is one way you can set yourself up for consistent progress on your march towards your Olympics.

So how do you choose the right peer, friend, or colleague as an accountability buddy?

Well, they should be:

More experienced than you (ideally)
Have your best interests at heart
Not in competition with you in any way
Not threatened by you

It’s also important to take care of some housekeepi...

Make Consistent Progress: 4 Tips to Choose and Work with an Accountability Buddy

acceleration accountability commit control progress structure zero excuses Oct 05, 2018

Make Consistent Progress: 4 Tips to Choose and Work with an Accountability Buddy

(Scroll below to view the video)

So how do you choose the right peer, friend, or colleague as an accountability buddy?

Well, they should be:

More experienced than you (ideally)
Have your best interests at heart
Not in competition with you in any way
Not threatened by you

It’s also important to take care of some housekeeping early on. Here are four important things to discuss prior to getting started with an accountability buddy:

Be explicit about what is important to you, what you are committed to doing, and what help you are hoping for. If you ask someone and they aren’t fully on board, that’s okay. Thank them for their honesty and for co

What to Say to Yourself When You Fail

disappointed explanatory failure frustrated optimistic progress setback Jun 08, 2018

"Non-negative thinking sets the best apart from the rest."

If you're human, you will experience failure. Period.

Serena Williams experienced a huge failure in the Miami Open a couple months ago, an early exit in round 1.

Unheard of, right? Not really. She was a new mother, not back in her best shape, and it was her first tournament since the birth of her daughter.

We fail too. Maybe we lose a competition, a prospect says no, a presentation goes south, or we get rejected after a promising (so we thought) interview.

According to Dr. Martin E.P. Seligman, founding father of the new science of positive psychology, there is a power in positive thinking, but it "pales in comparison," says Seligman "to the importance of what we think after we fail." Our “non-negative” thinking sets the best apart from the rest.

Serena, packed up after the Miami Open, understood that she did not in fact fail. She needed more time to prepare. She was optimistic about her ability to come back, and vowed to...

The Real Secret for Leveraging Mental Toughness to Rock Disruption

courage creativity disruption fear mindset productivity progress recognize release strategize threat transition Mar 22, 2018

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We all face the threat of someone or something disrupting our status quo.

The mere thought of disruption can be paralyzing or it can be a secret weapon. It’s all in your mindset and what you choose to do with it.

Here’s one tip to leverage Mental Toughness to rock disruption so you can get aggressive today about planning how to rise above the rest tomorrow: Keep this in mind, and you’ll be on your way to using a tool you already have in a way that most people don’t know about.

Here’s how: Use fear to drive progress.

In order to foster creativity, productivity and courage it’s important to use this emotion to your benefit rather than to your detriment. Fear can be paralyzing or it can be a super power. It depends on your mindset, how you perceive it.

Here’s a great sequence for transitioning fear into a super power for you:

1.) Recognize a potential threat and its consequences.

2.) Release that fear by accepting it, and then thinking
...

How To Develop the Confidence to Live Your Purpose

accountability confidence positive affirmation progress purpose the one thing Dec 27, 2017

Do you ever feel purposeless?

We know finding clarity and purpose is difficult, so we’re approaching it from a different angle today: how you can develop the courageous mindset you need to develop purpose, because we believe that anyone can have world-class purpose.

I was recently interviewed by Geoff Woods, Vice President of The ONE Thing podcast and wanted to take a minute to personally share it with you.

In this episode you will learn...

What creates the gap between high achievers and everyone else.
How you can use positive affirmation to develop a more purposeful mindset.
Why you need to practice being purposeful (and how to practice deliberately).
Why you need to align yourself with an expert and put an accountability structure in place.
How you can commit to progress (instead of perfection).

Here's the link: https://www.the1thing.com/podcasts/101/

Happy Holidays and happy listening!
- Sheryl -

Let's Talk

Please schedule a FREE 15-minute consult with me if I...

2018 Hack: Get Accountable Now!

accountable dedicated focused progress uncomfortable Nov 02, 2017

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November is the new January! What I mean is, November is when to lay the foundation to have the best year ever. I am not talking about resolutions.

I am talking about forming world-class habits, so you can set yourself up for being your best in 2018. Whether it’s getting fit, earning a promotion or forming better relationships with your colleagues or family, there is one way that WILL help you move the needle now, so you can be off to the races by January:

Get Accountable!

Here are a few tips to get started that are backed by the research of Dr. Anders Ericsson, author of Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise:

Find a Teacher/Coach to Be Accountable to:
Preferably one who is an expert in whatever you would like to do. Making significant progress beyond a certain level of competency requires knowledge beyond what we can provide to ourselves. To use this (very important!) person effectively, be sure to be ready to do steps #2 and

Evolving HR with Purpose: From Policy to People-Centered Progress - an Interview with Lisa Coulson, SVP and Chief Human Resources Officer at Principal Financial Group

The #1 Progress Trap (and How to Beat It)

The #1 Progress Trap
(and How to Beat It)

3 Easy Ways to Accelerate Progress and Get Better Quicker