In a recent LinkedIn post, George Rogers discusses how a predawn run on the Las Vegas Strip shaped his view of the future of work. Rogers, writing about his experience at HR Tech 2026, uses the different running paces of his companions Ben Eubanks and Tanya Fish to make a case for workplace cultures that help people develop at their own pace. This article reports on Rogers’s post and analyzes the ideas he shared there.
“Different pace. Different capacity. Same commitment to showing up and growing.”
Different starting points, shared commitment
Rogers recounts that Eubanks and Fish continued running while he stopped to do pushups and watch them go farther. He presents the contrast as a reminder that people can bring different abilities and starting points while remaining committed to improvement. The anecdote gives his workplace argument a concrete frame: development, in his view, should not be measured by whether everyone progresses identically.
As Rogers notes, “Not everyone starts at the same place. Not everyone develops at the same pace.” He argues that leaders should build environments that challenge and support employees while recognizing their contributions and giving them room to reach their potential. That shifts the emphasis from a uniform performance standard to the conditions that help individuals grow.
Technology needs a people-centered culture
Rogers connects the running story to changes in HR and work, including AI, agents, skills intelligence and performance technology. He does not dismiss those tools; instead, he argues that adopting technology alone will not determine whether workers feel able to develop. Leadership, recognition, culture and learning opportunities remain central to how employees experience change.
“Technology can accelerate work. But culture, leadership, recognition, and development determine whether people feel equipped and empowered to grow.”
According to Rogers, this distinction matters as organizations introduce systems that can change how work is done. His post suggests that leaders need to pair technological progress with support for the people expected to adapt to it. In that framing, workplace technology may increase capability, but a supportive culture helps employees use that capability and build new skills.
Creating room for potential
Rogers’s central point is that leadership should focus on enabling growth rather than extracting more output. He concludes:
“The future of work isn’t about getting more out of people. It’s about creating the conditions for people to become more.”
He encourages readers to find people who challenge their pace and to build cultures that unlock potential. The post’s closing reference to returning for the extra mile keeps the message personal, but its broader argument is about organizational responsibility: employees may progress differently, and leaders can shape whether that progress is supported.
Rogers’s account offers a human-centered lens on the future of work. As he presents it, the challenge for HR leaders is not to make every worker move alike, but to provide the recognition, development and opportunity that help people move forward.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by George Rogers on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on November 5, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →