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Welcome to Changemaker Stories from LOCAL - an ongoing series of personal interviews with leaders driving change across every industry and discipline. Because change shouldn’t mean going it alone.
This week, we had the privilege of spending time with Carson Napps, an inspiring leader in the tech industry who is deeply committed to unlocking people’s potential. During our conversation, Carson shared valuable insights on fostering trust within teams, prioritizing high-impact work, and carrying forward the wisdom of her mentors.
My roots are in manufacturing. I think that culture taught me resilience, to prioritize listening over speaking, connecting, developing relationships, and building trust. It's also where I met my husband!
Change is constant in my company and in the tech industry. I've learned to lean into it and view it as an opportunity for growth. Starting as a recruiter and growing into my role as Chief People Officer has been an incredible journey.
Surround yourself with people who lift you up. Fill your gaps with a skilled team who makes you better. I've been fortunate to work alongside incredible leaders, peers, and teammates.
Change is an opportunity to reimagine and disrupt. It’s a chance to bring to life the ideas or structures that you’ve always wanted to create and lead. That process really lights me up at the end of the day.
When leading a change, the first step is to assemble a team that leverages everyone’s strengths. Once the team is in place, we define clear goals and milestones together (and then I get out of the way).
When change is going well, my team operates independently. My goal is that they feel empowered and can ask for help when needed but know that I trust them to deliver results. Leaders don’t need to do everything themselves.
“Focus on your impact beyond the day-to-day work. How are you improving connection, culture, and community?”
One key trait that I’ve learned from past leaders is adaptability. I tailor my approach to how others prefer to receive information, make decisions, and operate. This adaptability is a skill I consistently coach my team on and work to refine in myself.
Effective change should be simple yet impactful. While I sometimes get overly passionate or tempted to overengineer, it’s important to zoom out and focus on prioritizing meaningful, high-impact work.
Changemakers that I admire are Adam Grant and Brené Brown. When I’m giving feedback, I remember the quote that “clear is kind.”
A great mentor of mine was Kathleen Edge. She was the first CHRO I ever worked for. She taught me to stop apologizing and to embrace the uncertainty of operating in the grey.
I’m passionate about empowering my team and helping them grow. Now that I’m in a senior role, I make it a priority to expose my team to opportunities and experiences I didn’t have, helping them grow and build their capabilities.
I find inspiration in the details. I admire people who are visionary yet have an eye (and the patience!) for moments that matter.
Are you a Changemaker? We want to hear from you. Let's talk.
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