Her Story
About La Shawn
**La Shawn R. Stanton, M.S., SPHR®**, is the Founder and Executive Advisor of The Stanton Group, where she partners with CEOs, founders, boards, and executive leadership teams to strengthen organizations through strategic human resources leadership, executive coaching, and organizational effectiveness consulting. With more than 20 years of experience, she provides fractional Chief People Officer and interim CHRO services, helping organizations navigate growth, transformation, leadership transitions, and workforce challenges. Drawing on extensive executive experience across healthcare, media, technology, education, and consumer-facing industries, she aligns people, leadership, and business strategy to drive sustainable organizational success.
Before founding The Stanton Group, Stanton served as Chief People Officer for The Place for Children with Autism, where she led the organization's people strategy during a period of remarkable growth. She played a key role in expanding the organization from seven to eighteen centers across multiple locations while growing the workforce from approximately 200 to more than 525 employees. Earlier in her career, she held senior human resources leadership positions with organizations including Tribune Publishing Company, Home Chef, Kaplan Higher Education, and American Airlines. Stanton earned a Master of Science in Human Resources Management from Roosevelt University, holds the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR®) designation, and has completed executive leadership development at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.
Known for her integrity, strategic insight, and collaborative leadership style, Stanton is passionate about helping leaders build high-performing organizations where people and business objectives thrive together. She believes that understanding the business is fundamental to becoming an effective human resources leader and encourages professionals to remain curious, pursue meaningful experiences, and embrace continuous learning throughout their careers. Beyond her professional work, Stanton is actively involved in community leadership through organizations including Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and Holy Family Ministries, where she supports initiatives focused on education, leadership development, scholarships, and community empowerment. Her commitment to service, excellence, authenticity, and lasting impact continues to shape her work as a trusted executive advisor and leadership partner.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with La Shawn
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the incredible village of people who have supported and encouraged me throughout my personal and professional journey, along with my unwavering faith. My mentors, colleagues, family, and community have helped shape my growth, while my faith has provided the strength, resilience, and perspective to navigate challenges and remain focused on serving others with purpose.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I received was to learn the business before specializing in human resources. Early in my career, I was encouraged to understand operations and the day-to-day challenges employees face so I could become a more effective HR leader. That foundation has guided my entire career. I also believe in staying curious, committing to lifelong learning, and pursuing meaningful experiences rather than simply chasing job titles.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice is to stay curious and never stop learning. Focus on gaining meaningful experiences instead of pursuing titles alone. Take the time to understand how the business operates, learn its goals and challenges, and develop a strong understanding of the people you serve. That knowledge will enable you to become a trusted advisor who helps leaders and organizations achieve lasting success.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the greatest challenges facing the human resources profession is finding the right balance between embracing artificial intelligence and preserving the human skills that remain essential to effective leadership. AI is evolving rapidly and offers tremendous opportunities to improve efficiency and decision-making, but it should be used to enhance—not replace—human judgment, empathy, critical thinking, and meaningful workplace relationships.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that guide both my professional and personal life are integrity, service, excellence, continuous growth, authenticity, impact, and grace. I believe in doing the right thing even when it is difficult, using my talents to help others succeed, delivering high-quality work, continually developing my skills, remaining true to who I am, creating meaningful and lasting impact, and extending grace to both others and myself.
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