Summary
What can decades of leadership at NASA teach us about developing talent, fostering innovation, and building a culture that lasts? In this episode of Built by People, host Dave sits down with Brady — former HR executive at NASA’s Johnson Space Center and current VP of HR at Space Center Houston — to explore exactly that.
Brady shares how he led the shift from a decentralized to a functionally managed HR model at NASA, his approach to mentoring and coaching programs that work in both large and small organizations, and why succession planning is as much about development as it is about readiness. He also opens up about what didn’t work in culture-building, and the lessons he’s carried forward.
Listeners will walk away with actionable strategies to strengthen leadership pipelines, implement effective coaching, and keep their teams learning and growing — whether you’re leading a 200-person nonprofit or a national space agency.
Key Takeaways
[00:45] – Brady’s 30-year NASA career and transition to Space Center Houston
[01:45] – Bringing the 70-20-10 leadership development model to a smaller organization
[03:46] – The “Yoda” mentoring program, its evolution, and lessons on reverse mentoring
[05:16] – Succession planning without pre-selection: NASA’s “succession development” approach
[07:23] – Why culture work needs intentionality — and what happens when you ignore survey data
Timestamps
Apply the 70-20-10 model to make leadership development practical and ongoing
Use mentoring and coaching to connect leaders across departments and experience levels
Focus on succession development, not just replacement, to grow internal talent pipelines
Let employee engagement data guide culture initiatives instead of relying on assumptions
Avoid generic culture workshops — work with intact teams that already share trust
Foster a learning orientation at every level to spark innovation and adaptability
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