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Newsletter - June 2008

OI Partners

HR Leaders at the Crossroads: What It Takes to be an HR Superstar

June 12, 2008 - Joe Maressa

As any executive recruiter will tell you, when a CEO is looking for a new head of HR, a common statement is “I don’t want a typical HR type.” They want someone who really understands what it takes to run the business and to achieve its goals and how people can be mobilized to meet increasing demands on their time, energies and talents. But many of today’s HR leaders are not convincing their CEOs that they can meet those challenges. Today’s stretched organizations and harried management teams have little room for departments that are viewed solely as overhead, a perception which has been the lingering legacy of the human resource function. Subsequently, many companies are outsourcing their HR function, and its role has come into question.

Has HR become irrelevant? We don’t think so. Growing globalization, rapidly changing technology, pressures for cost containment and the mounting importance of knowledge capital are exponentially increasing the demands on HR and its ability to contribute in a meaningful way.  The need is there. But to remain relevant, HR leaders need to take a long hard look in the mirror, redefine themselves, their capabilities and their role. They need to realize that the leadership style that served them so well in their move up the HR management ranks—and may have been adequate in top HR positions in the past—will no longer work. The measures of success have changed, and HR leaders need to meet the new standards.

OI Partners – FS&F’s assessment partner, Management Research Group, performed a study of 1,770 HR professionals from 670 organizations. Individuals were rated by bosses, peers and direct reports. The global study of leadership effectiveness found that a number of leadership behaviors reliably distinguish superior HR leaders (the superstars) from less effective ones.

In order of importance (starting with the most important), superior HR leaders:

  • Analyze the future impact of their decisions and understand the impact of these decisions throughout the organization.
  • Maintain in-depth knowledge and expertise in their area.
  • Demonstrate an active concern for others and form supportive relationships.
  • Energize others, getting them enthusiastic and involved.
  • Clearly express their thoughts and ideas, keeping others informed of their expectations.
  • Are comfortable being the one in charge and seek out opportunities to be influential. They know and accept the fact that they will be under constant scrutiny.
  • Use effective persuasion to build commitment to their ideas and initiatives.
  • Challenge the perceptions and mandates of superiors.

The Management Research Group data clearly pinpoints what leadership behaviors one needs to have or what practices HR professionals need to develop. One of the skills crucial to HR leadership success is the ability to have difficult conversations: to be able to “challenge superiors” in a way that builds credibility and strengthens relationships.

Joe Maressa is a managing partner with OI Partners - FS&F (Boston). He has extensive experience in business development, engineering, manufacturing support human resources, training and organizational development. He has a BS ChE and an MBA from Northeastern University, a Masters in human relations from Boston University and has studied methodologies for improving individual effectiveness and organizational performance with faculty from Harvard University's Graduate School of Education. He can be reached at 978-369-8050 or jmaressa@oipartners.net.