Steven D. Smallwood
Fractional HR Business Partner | Leadership Consultant
Our Company
Leadership isn’t about titles — it’s about people. After more than 40 years in demanding environments, I’ve learned that when leaders grow, everything around them grows too.
I’m a Fractional HR Business Partner, Sr. HR Specialist, Frontline Leadership Coach, and Guest Speaker focused on strengthening the human side of leadership. My background includes 20 years in the U.S. Navy and 25 years at American Airlines, including 5 years working in aircraft maintenance, 9 years as a Production Supervisor in a union environment, and 11 years as a Senior HR Specialist & HRBP supporting frontline leaders and operational teams.
This unique combination of operations + HR gives me a perspective many consultants don’t have: I’ve lived both sides. I understand the pressures of the operation, the realities of union dynamics, and the challenges leaders face when balancing performance, people, and culture.
Through Leader Roots, LLC, I support organizations that want to:
• Strengthen frontline leadership capability
• Navigate employee relations with confidence
• Build trust, communication, and accountability
• Reduce stress through mindset-focused leadership
• Create healthier, people-centered cultures
Whether partnering as your Fractional HRBP, coaching leaders, or facilitating training, my mission is simple:
Help leaders lead better, not harder — with empathy, clarity, and practical tools that work.
If your team is growing, navigating change, or needs support with people and culture, I’d love to help.
Fractional HR Business Partner
One on One Consultation
Frontline Leadership Coach
My Story
Steven's Bio
Steven D. Smallwood is the founder of Leader Roots, a leadership development company dedicated to helping people lead better by focusing on the human side of leadership.
A Tulsa, Oklahoma native and retired Navy veteran, Steven spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy, where he built a strong foundation in leadership through discipline, teamwork, and real-world experience. After his military service, he joined American Airlines, where he spent the next 25 years leading aircraft maintenance teams and later serving as a Human Resources Business Partner.
In that role, Steven worked at the intersection of technical operations and human relationships—coaching leaders, resolving conflicts, and helping teams grow stronger through empathy and understanding.
Today, through Leader Roots, Steven shares lessons learned from more than four decades of leading, mentoring, and developing others. His coaching and leadership support helps leaders reduce stress, build confidence, and lead with authenticity. He believes that better leadership doesn’t start with control—it starts with connection.
Steven is also the author of 'The Human Side of Leadership"
His favorite quote and guiding principle:
“It is one of the most beautiful compensations in life, that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson