Forward I: Leading from HR: Preparing HR Leaders To Become Trailblazers (Part 4 of 10)

Becoming a trailblazer is now thought to be pivotal in the success of an organization. Although it may be an unfamiliar term for some, that is not typically the case in the field of HR. In fact, HR leaders are now trying to incorporate the importance of trailblazing with a primary intention of preparing themselves to become trailblazers. To define “trailblazers'' in the surface level, they are considered to navigate all the enigmas and challenges of an organization by exploring into the depths of discomfort in order to find solutions. They do this so that the next generation would have a smooth transition and focus on getting their work done efficiently.

Considering that this is an important topic in the workforce, we have come up with a panel that would focus and tackle the importance of trailblazing. This session, the speakers discussed “Leading from HR: Preparing HR Leaders To Become Trailblazers”. To further acquire knowledge regarding this matter, we have invited distinguished speakers from different companies and organizations to share their insights about trailblazing. 

For this panel, we have over Garrison Gibbons, VP of People of Amun & 21Shares; Christine Ramsay, Founder & CEO and Ignite Inclusion of the LLC; Mary Glowacka, Global Learning Lead & Head of Learning of Relx; and Kara Vega, Founder & Strategic Advisor CHRO of Global People Transformation.

Starting the discussion, we asked the speakers to define trailblazing HR leaders.

Garrison began the conversation and stated that you are considered as the antithesis of what is expected from an HR person. And it is because of trailblazers in the industry that helped the world evolve and forced some changes and innovations in our function. 

As for Christine, the world today is really embedding DEI and inclusive practices into everything. Nowadays, people are craving safety. They want to ensure that they are psychologically safe to share their opinions with others. Employees want to build trust and be their authentic selves. And as trailblazing HR leaders, it is our responsibility to bring human centric and heart-centered work within the organization.

Kara pointed out that HR leaders who are trailblazers are also risk takers. According to her, being a trailblazer in HR is one of the most important things that we can do because we are stewards of the people in the organization. HR holds the responsibility of moving forward into the future and always thinking about what they can creatively do to take that risk. 

On that note, Mary stated the importance of confidence in trailblazing. HR is the oil and the engine of the organization, thus we have to appreciate that any change that is happening within the business is driven by internal factors or external forces. There will always be an element in which HR needs to get involved. So, the role of HR is to show them the way how it can be done and be the voice of the employee representing employees to the business. Bottomline, confidence is the key for HR professionals to appreciate the importance of their role in the business and how they need to apply themselves to guide and provide good practices.

Now that we have defined what a trailblazer is, it is time to delve into their function and importance. With that, we then asked the speakers to share their insights on why they think it is important for businesses that HR leaders are also trailblazers. 

For Garrison, he said it is the responsibility of HR to represent the internal function of the organization and ensure that it is productive to meet its expectations. Also, one of the major reasons why HR finally is getting seated at the table is owing to the fact that we are cost center and an emotionally led organization potentially because we're dealing with emotions and people.

Mary highlighted that HR as a function has a very unique position in the organization because it holistically sees and considers the entirety of the business. HR is also responsible for bringing different domains together. We are the eyes and the ears to the organization. We help our leaders by understanding the data-driven insights that were harvested across the organization. 

Meanwhile, Kara stated that trailblazing HR leaders are important because they are trying to do things that are either: have not been done before or that have been done but you want to try to do them differently this time. Trailblazers are also able to think about the transformation and think outside the box. Being able to think uniquely and creatively can make a difference not only in the present, but also in the future. 

Lastly, Christine highlighted the importance of trailblazers because they allow people to feel valued. Trailblazers also want to think forward and futuristically especially on how to sustain a business where we can really put the heart into our people and develop them.

Now that we are nearing the end of the session, we asked the panel to share specific competencies and capabilities a trailblazing HR leader should focus on developing moving forward. They agreed that it is really necessary to embody the essence of continuous learning and self-development. 

It can be said that there is nothing more important than continuous self development in a world that is so ambiguous, unpredictable, and volatile. At the end of the day, we have to learn that there are times in which we need to acknowledge that we don't know everything around us. 

In addition to that, the idea of code switching is also needed. For instance, being able to speak to a salesperson like a salesperson and understand how they value performance is what a trailblazing HR leader should have. Another skill is having the ability to become a strong communicator because as HR leaders, you are trying to appease everybody. It is also important to be creative and always think outside the box to encapsulate all of your employee population. Last but definitely not least and is probably one of the most overlooked skills by HR leaders, is self-care. Always, always learn not to forget ourselves within HR. 

You can watch the full video of the panel here!

• Forward I: Building An Agile and Innovative Business Strategy for Times of Disruption (Part 1 of 10)
• Forward I: Understanding the Impact of Technology in The Workplace and Workforce (Part 2 of 10)
• Forward I: Reinventing HR: Imagining The HR of the Future (Part 3 of 10)

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The Hacking HR's Experts Council

We are thrilled to invite all Directors, VPs/SVPs, and HR C-suite level leaders in companies with over 100 employees to join us as Founding Members at the Hacking HR's Experts Council! 

The Expert Council's goal is to provide insights, ideas, recommendations and expertise about very specific topics to the thousands of members of the Hacking HR community and the extended HR global community.

 The Experts Council is also a place for community for senior HR leaders to share and also ask, to be safe while having vulnerable and open conversations about the challenges in HR, and from there to generate insights and ideas and innovations for the extended Hacking HR community! 

In addition, Founding Members in the Council will always be our priority to invite for our Hacking HR events, particularly our annual global online conference, and also podcasts, and much more! 

Almost 400 HR leaders from around the world have already joined, including multinational and local companies, for profit, nonprofit and government institutions, different sectors and industries as well.  

Do you want to join us? 

Are you an HR leader (director, VP/SVP, C-Suite) in an organization with more than 100 employees? 

Reach out to us: enrique@hackinghr.io, and let us know more about you!

(Please note that at the moment we are not including consultants/vendors in the Council.)