The traditional view of HR as a support function is obsolete. In today's talent-driven economy, HR leaders must act as strategic business partners, using commercial acumen and analytical rigor to shape the company's direction, not just execute existing priorities.

To transition from an administrative function to a strategic one, HR leaders should start by eliminating legacy processes that don't add value. The performance review is a prime example, as it is often backward-looking and fails to develop people, consuming time that could be spent on future-focused initiatives.

Instead of passively waiting for inclusion in strategic talks, effective Chief People Officers (CPOs) must proactively build the frameworks and set the agenda for people operations, ensuring all initiatives directly support business and customer goals.

A CPO must balance being a trusted, confidential advisor to individual executives while also objectively assessing the entire team's effectiveness for the CEO and board. This delicate dual role is politically fraught and requires immense trust to navigate successfully.

When HR leaders feel unheard by the CEO, the first step is to self-reflect on the value they provide. Are they curious about how the business makes money and asking challenging questions, or are they adopting a victim mindset?

To be truly strategic, HR leaders should operate like business leaders by viewing people as their "product." This means creating a product roadmap for talent, making deliberate build-vs-buy decisions on HR technology, and ensuring every initiative is designed to enable overall business success.

Treat your HR partner as a strategic business partner, not a transactional support function. By including them in core business meetings, they gain the context to anticipate needs, identify internal and external talent more effectively, and become a true partner in shaping the team for future challenges.

Instead of demanding change, which creates defensiveness, impactful leaders act as a mirror. They share an objective observation (e.g., high attrition) and then ask a question ("What do you think is going on?"). This fosters partnership over nagging.

Many HR leaders remain focused on functional expertise like recruitment or L&D. Truly impactful CHROs transcend these areas to shape company culture and directly contribute to business outcomes, a leap most professionals fail to make.