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Guest Bio
Quentin Misenheimer is the Chief People Officer at Garlock Flexible, with over 25 years of global HR experience. A U.S. Army veteran and former HR leader at Rollins, Newell Rubbermaid, and Bank of America Merchant Services, Quentin is known for his strategic approach to leadership development, organizational design, and employee engagement. His people-first philosophy blends military discipline with corporate empathy, driving performance cultures across diverse industries.
Navigating Career Transitions
After 15 years with Newell Rubbermaid, Quentin faced an abrupt career pivot when a change in company leadership led to the elimination of his role. This marked his first job search in over a decade, and he was humbled by the experience. Partnering with Challenger, Grey & Christmas, he underwent intensive interview coaching, a process that revealed how different it is to be the interviewee rather than the interviewer. The humbling yet transformative journey reshaped how he presents himself professionally and ultimately strengthened his career resilience.
Leadership Development Success at Rollins
At Rollins, Quentin helped architect the Region Manager Development Program, a standout initiative aimed at preparing future leaders across the company’s numerous brands. The program focused on core leadership competencies such as remote management, strategic thinking, and business acumen. Quentin’s succession planning process helped identify high-potential leaders who were then invited by their brand heads to participate, a gesture that added prestige and personal investment to the program.
The year-long curriculum, built collaboratively between HR business partners and the leadership development team, proved highly effective. Metrics tracked included promotion rates, leadership performance, and notably, employee retention. Many program graduates went on to assume senior roles, with one participant becoming a division president. The program’s continued success years later affirms its long-term value.
Lessons from Failed Initiatives
Not every initiative met with success. A centralized employee relations model, designed to streamline investigations and reduce field HR burden, ultimately failed due to insufficient business leader buy-in. Quentin acknowledged missteps in stakeholder engagement and onboarding execution. He had not fully solicited input from division heads early enough and delegated crucial relationship-building responsibilities to others during rollout. The experience became a powerful reminder of the need for proactive communication, collaboration, and accountability in implementing change.
Essential Skills for HR Leaders
Reflecting on two decades in HR, Quentin distilled the key attributes that define effective leadership in the field. He cited early advice from a mentor that remains central to his approach:
- Learn the business thoroughly: Understanding operations, strategy, and culture is foundational
- Build strong relationships across all functions: Mutual respect opens doors for partnership
- Approach HR as a customer service function: Listen actively, communicate clearly, and be responsive
- Practice empathy and perspective-taking: Understand the challenges others face before offering solutions
- Step up when needed: Supporting the business sometimes means operating outside traditional HR boundaries
Quentin believes credibility and trust come from being helpful, engaged, and solutions-oriented, a philosophy that continues to guide his leadership today.
Ready to Lead with Purpose?
Quentin Misenheimer’s journey offers a powerful reminder that humility, resilience, and strategic insight are key to impactful HR leadership. Whether developing future leaders or learning from failed initiatives, his story showcases how thoughtful execution and authentic relationships drive business success. Listen to the full episode for more insights. Listen here
Episode Summary
In this episode of Skilled, Quentin Misenheimer unpacks his HR journey—from being humbled in an interview to launching successful leadership programs at Rollins. He reflects on critical lessons from failure, offers tactical advice on business acumen, and shares the people-first mindset that fuels high-impact HR.
Resources
- Learn more about Quentin Misenheimer
- Connect with Growthspace
Key Takeaways
- Career pivots build resilience: Quentin’s transition after 15 years tested his humility and growth mindset
- Interviewing is a skill: Coaching helped him refine his narrative and confidence as a candidate
- Leadership development drives retention: Structured programs build stronger pipelines
- Failed initiatives offer lessons: Soliciting feedback and owning execution are key to success
- Business acumen is essential: Understanding the business enables HR to drive results
- Relationships matter: Strong partnerships enable collaboration and change
- HR is service-driven: Listening and responsiveness build trust
- Perspective shapes leadership: Empathy and contextual understanding are invaluable
- Credibility comes from action: Helping outside the traditional HR lane builds influence
Chapters
00:00 Navigating Career Transitions: Quentin reflects on losing his role and rebuilding his career through interview coaching
04:30 Leadership Development Success at Rollins: Building a year-long program with measurable promotion and retention impact
13:15 Lessons from Failed Initiatives: A central ER model fails without stakeholder buy-in and highlights the importance of communication
21:52 Essential Skills for HR Leaders: From business acumen to empathy, Quentin shares the values that shape his approach
Watch the full conversation here:
For a deeper dive into the conversation, listen to the full episode here:
