Why ‘Caring’ Is the #1 Takeaway from a Master’s Degree in HR
When Rod Branch, author of Week Minded: 52 Reflections on Leading and Living, finished his Master’s in Global HR Management at age 59, a friend took him out to celebrate. Over lunch, the CFO friend asked a simple question: “If you could write on the back of a matchbook what you learned in grad school, what would it be?” Branch didn’t hesitate. “Caring.” The CFO laughed. Two years of school, late nights, and tuition—and the big lesson was caring? But Branch had a powerful example ready.
The Caring Test: Your Daughter vs. a Stranger
Branch asked the CFO: “What if you could hire your daughter as your assistant? She’s right outside your office. What would you do to help her succeed?” The CFO quickly listed steps: introduce her to key people, set up her desk, create a 30-60-90 day plan, invest in her growth. Then Branch asked: “What about the accounting assistant three cubicles down? Do you know her last name? Her career goals? What she wants next?” The CFO paused. “What’s the only difference?” Branch asked. “It’s how much you care.” That caring mindset is the foundation of everything Branch does as CHRO at ARCXIS. “If you get caring right,” he says, “the rest of leadership gets a whole lot easier.”
How Caring Drives Real Business Results
This care-based approach isn’t just sentimental—it produces measurable outcomes. At ARCXIS, the company reduced its injury rate by 70% and workers’ compensation claims by 90% over the past few years. This matches research across industries: emotional intelligence (EQ) training lowers safety incidents and boosts productivity. When you train people to care, you get hard results.
The Philosophy Behind Week Minded
After returning to graduate school in his late 50s, Branch started posting vulnerable stories on LinkedIn—lessons from his career as an Arctic engineer, Washington lobbyist, and now CHRO. He soon had 20 stories, then 30, then 52. His book is structured as one story per week, each ending with a lesson and a journal prompt. “We tumble through life. We have things we’re good at and things we like. We have struggles. And the struggles teach us something,” Branch says. “I’m not nostalgic about the struggles; I’m nostalgic about what the struggles teach us.”
The Leadership Model: Heart, Head, Team, Work, Results
Branch’s leadership framework follows a clear path: heart, head, team, work, and results. Emotional intelligence is central, especially in the “Heart” stage. This part focuses on psychological safety—caring, trust, empathy, vulnerability, self-awareness, and relationship building. “We don’t explicitly label this part as emotional intelligence,” Branch explains, “but it’s certainly present throughout.”
How ARCXIS Develops Leaders in the Field
ARCXIS operates in 27 states with 800 employees, from field inspectors to MBAs. Their leadership development program is open to everyone. Here’s how it works:
- Monthly live virtual sessions—kept to 45 minutes to respect field demands
- Optional book clubs and journaling exercises
- Story-driven training using real field scenarios, mistake-sharing, and peer problem-solving
Core to their approach are Marcus Buckingham’s four questions, based on strengths research:
- What did you like about your job last week?
- What did you not like?
- What are you struggling with right now?
- What does support look like from me?
“If you ask those four questions regularly as a manager,” Branch says, “you’ll know pretty quickly if someone’s disengaged.”
AI Can’t Replace the Human Touch
ARCXIS uses AI to speed up administrative tasks, but Branch draws a firm line. He shares an example: many drivers and construction workers work alone for long hours. In Phoenix, as temperatures rise, isolation can lead to disengagement or depression. “You can get a text from AI that says, ‘Are you drinking enough water?’” Branch notes. “But it lacks the emotion and depth of a real person who has worked in a house on a hot day, calling you to check in and ask, ‘How’s the heat out there in Arizona?’” As AI improves work and reduces admin load, the need for human skills like caring and connection only grows.
Caring Is Practical, Not Just Sentimental
After his Hall of Fame career, reporters asked Peyton Manning what he learned most. “Manning didn’t say rings or trophies or even football. He said ‘relationships,’” Branch recalls. Branch feels the same way. In Week Minded and his leadership work, caring and building connections drive real results—retention, engagement, safety, and more. As Branch’s results show, when you train people to care, you often get far more than you expected.
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