leadership matters
Are CHRO
Qualities Key to
the Corner Office? Mikhail/Shutterstock
As an HR professional, do you
ever aspire to head up an organization
as CEO?
It’s an aspiration that was
largely unthinkable up until a few years
ago, when most senior HR professionals
reported to the CFO and the role was seen
as a cost centre overseeing administrata
like payroll and benefits.
But it’s not so unfathomable these
days, when more organizations are relying
on their chief human resources officers
(CHROs) for insight and strategy around
talent management and culture to achieve
sustained success.
In 2015, having some HR experience is
definitely an asset for anyone considering
the top job.
In fact, a recent study by influential
HR thinker David Ulrich and executive
recruiting firm Korn Ferry shows the
CHRO role is more important than ever
before. (In fact, in terms of monetary value,
the study found CHROs are typically
the third highest paid executives in the
C-suite, behind CEOs and COOs – largely
because they are so hard to find.)
Not only are CHROs seen as taking a
critical advisory role in the C-suite – acting
as a confidante and sounding board for
By Philip Wilson, CHRE
the CEO – but many actually share the
same characteristics as chief executives.
The study looked at leadership qualities
– things like leadership and thinking
styles, how executives behave in group settings
and how they deal with things like
ambiguity, pressure and risk taking.
Ulrich and his team then assessed the
prevalence of these qualities among different
types of executives and compared the results.
Guess what?
Besides COOs – whose responsibilities
often overlap with the CEO’s – the executive
whose traits were most similar to the
CEO was the CHRO.
NOT ONLY ARE CHROs SEEN AS TAKING A CRITICAL
ADVISORY ROLE IN THE C-SUITE – ACTING AS A
CONFIDANTE AND SOUNDING BOARD FOR THE
CEO – BUT MANY ACTUALLY SHARE THE SAME
CHARACTERISTICS AS CHIEF EXECUTIVES.
HRPATODAY.CA ❚ MARCH/APRIL 2015 ❚ 5