Ask a business leader about their HR partners and you’ll hear, “They don’t understand us.” Ask an HR leader about their business partners, and you’ll hear, “They don’t listen to us.”

This disconnect is not just a communication breakdown – it’s a systemic dysfunction that keeps the greatest engine of a company (its people) sputtering.

The Great Leadership Disconnect reveals that transforming HR from a perceived support act into an indispensable commercial force is the responsibility of both business and HR leaders. It diagnoses the dysfunctions that keep HR and business leadership disconnected and challenges conventional thinking with commercial, clear and grounded solutions drawn from behavioral science and real-life leadership dilemmas.

The old model of HR as a siloed support function is no longer relevant. HR can be – must be – a leadership amplifier and a business driver, focusing on commercial impact, employee value and the space where impact, performance and people meet.

Serkan Deveci is a senior leader at Google with a rare blend of leadership experience in global Sales and strategic HR. Having operated on both sides of the executive table, he offers a unique perspective on aligning talent with business outcomes. A recognized keynote speaker, his work is grounded in his PhD research.

‘The Great Leadership Disconnect offers a bold and inspiring call to reimagine how business and HR lead together. Serkan’s voice is uniquely compelling – rooted in real commercial experience, strengthened by deep people insight, and enriched by a global lens. Few leaders can speak to this divide with such clarity and conviction. This book not only diagnoses the disconnect; it shows how organisations can rise above it and unlock their full human potential.’ — Berna Oztinaz CHRO of Genel Energy, EAPM President (European Association of People Management), and WFPMA Board Member (World Federation of People Management Associations)

‘Managing large teams and revenue is an intense, high-stakes challenge. Serkan Deveci leads with a rare, human-first empathy and masters the gap between commercial strategy and HR. That is a total game- changer for my leadership. His dual mastery of business management and people operations is invaluable. This book perfectly captures Serkan’s unique ability to drive massive results while staying authentically human. It’s an essential read for any leader navigating high-pressure growth.’ — David Benson Vice-President of Sales, Definely

‘Having followed Serkan Deveci’s work for more than 15 years, I can attest that his book is an indispensable guide for any leader looking to drive genuine business impact through human resources. He masterfully illuminates the critical, often- overlooked connection between strategic HR and executive business leadership. His insightful approach provides a necessary roadmap for turning talent strategy into a decisive competitive advantage. This book is a must-read for those ready to elevate HR from a support function to a vital engine for growth.’ — Emer Kennedy Founder, MindCanopy

‘Although HR and business/commercial teams must work together to be successful, it’s rare to find someone like Serkan who thrived so effortlessly in both environments. I was lucky enough to experience Serkan move from a commercial role to a HR business partner and in doing so bring unique insights and the kind of constructive challenge only someone with a broad mindset matched with a deep gritty understanding of business mechanics can master. I can’t think of anyone better to make the case for deeper integration and understanding between those two worlds.’ — Fionnuala Meehan Board Member

‘A Unique Voice Bridging HR and Business Strategy: I’ve had the privilege of knowing Serkan throughout his remarkable career journey, watching him master both the business and human resources sides of organizations. This unique dual perspective makes his new book particularly valuable – it’s not theoretical advice from someone who’s only observed from one angle, but practical wisdom from someone who’s actually lived in both worlds. This fantastic book distills years of hands- on experience into actionable insights. I highly recommend this book to leaders who understand that the future belongs to organizations where human resources and business strategy work as one.’ — José Luis Pulpón Director General, Making Science Spain

‘For too long, HR and Business leadership have spoken different languages. Serkan Deveci speaks both fluently. By combining his highly successful sales leadership experience at Google with his HR expertise and PhD in Psychology, Serkan provides a practical, dual-lens framework for building a high-impact partnership. This book cuts through the theory to show exactly how to align people growth and revenue growth. A timely and vital contribution to the field of modern leadership.’ — Oisín Ó Mír Senior Director, EMEA Global SMB & Acquisition, LinkedIn Talent Solutions

‘With sharp insights and unflinching honesty, The Great Leadership Disconnect cuts through outdated assumptions about HR and exposes the systemic flaws behind broken people strategies. It offers a grounded, compelling blueprint for leaders who want to design cultures, talent practices, and organizations that truly deliver business impact.’ — Stefano Pichiecchio Global Talent Leader, Microsoft

Prologue: The Leadership Disconnect

Part 1: The System

Chapter 1: The Architectural Flaw: How the System Feeds the HR-Business Disconnect:

Chapter 2: The Disconnected HR: When the Function Ignores Itself

Chapter 3: The Unopened Toolbox: When HR Solutions Miss the Business Need

Part 2: The Mindset

Chapter 4: The Commercial Disconnect: How Strategy Without Context Fails

Chapter 5: The Mic Pass: Redefining Shared Accountability

Chapter 6: Competing Realities: The Disconnect When Leaders Fail to Agree on the Facts

Part 3: Impact

Chapter 7: The Authority

Chapter 8.The Accountability

Chapter 9.The Agility

Chapter 10.The Allyship

Epilogue

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Notes

Index

FORMAT / ISBN / PUBLICATION DATE / RRP

Paperback / 9781788609937 / October 20, 2026 / £19.99

Hardback / 9781788609920 / October 20, 2026 / £29.99

Audiobook / 9781805761013 / October 20, 2026 / £19.99

Ebook / 9781788609944 / October 19, 2026 / £9.99

Paperback and eBook Bundle / £22.49

Serkan Deveci

Serkan Deveci is a senior leader at Google with two decades of global experience, leveraging a rare and solid combination of leadership roles in both global Sales and strategic HR to drive business success. His career has provided him with a unique perspective, as he hasn’t just observed the disconnect between business imperatives and people leadership; he has operated with distinction on both sides of that executive table.

This dual experience (carrying a P&L and shaping commercial strategy in Sales; guiding workforce planning and defining culture as an HR leader) has given him a deep, firsthand understanding of what it truly takes to align talent with tangible business outcomes. Having led complex, large-scale businesses and substantial sales teams, he brings a commercial acumen to the world of people strategy. His global experience spans EMEA, APAC, the US, and LATAM, giving him a broad view of how these dynamics play out in different cultural and market contexts.

Serkan is a globally recognized keynote speaker, delivering engaging talks on the Future of Work, Leadership Effectiveness, Employee Engagement, and AI in HR. His academic background, including a BA in Economics from Galatasaray University, an MSc in Neuroscience and Psychology from King’s College London, and his current PhD research in Psychology at Warwick University, on leadership and its effects on organizational outcomes, provides a robust, evidence-based foundation for his work.

Serkan has successfully bridged the gap he seeks to close for others. He writes as a practitioner (of both sides — Business Leadership and HR Leadership), who has lived the challenges and developed the solutions he now offers to a new generation of leaders.