10 Essential Qualities of a CHRO | Climb up the ladder | Successful HR Professional - Blog | Payroll | Tax | Compliance Services

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Every Human resource professional dreams of someday being a CHRO of big MNC’s. There are so many things that will play a role in becoming a CHRO. There is no rule book that says only people from the IIT & IIM’s can become a CHRO. This article summarizes how HR can build the abilities and ensure to take up that CHRO role.

10 Essential qualities CHRO should have:-

1. Humility
2. Empathy
3. High Levels of Self Drive
4. Great Business Acumen
5. Deep Understanding of People
6. Think outside the box
7. Have a great reputation
8. Asking the right questions
9. Extraordinary understanding of the World
10. Have a tribe of their own

#1 – Humility & #2- Empathy:-

Humility is one of the most important qualities of a Successful Leader of the modern age. The ability to respect others, understand, empower the people around and lead them with humanness is by far one of the most respected traits required for heading the people’s function. When you are humble HR and when you have empathy,

You keep a good ego & let go of the bad ego which is a career killer
Never think you know everything, so you are open to learning and
Have high levels of self-awareness which in turn gives you the right directions

#3- High Levels of Self Drive:-

When you are the CHRO, you shouldn’t be told what to do. Based on your assessment of the world around you, you should tell what needs to be done to the CEO, the CFO, or even the board.

#4- Great Business Acumen:-

To be a great business acumen is such an important quality. Because gone are the days we used to work independently. HR is no longer judged for Talent Acquisition or Employee Engagement or Payroll but rather on items such as Brand Image or Brand Value, Effectiveness of workforce, and Positive wealth creation.

Great business acumen is the ability to understand how your organization operates & makes money and proactively anticipate, navigate and leverage trends impacting business. It is based on Organizational Drivers, Organizational Performance, Future Trends, and External Factors.

#5- Deep Understanding of People:-

The world is changing day by day not only in the context of business but more importantly in the context of people – their beliefs, culture, diversity, needs, wants, etc. A CHRO is required to have a deep understanding of people because at the end of the day you are in the business of people. Understanding people is an essential quality, great relationships provide great outcomes. Whether it is about relationships within the team or relationships with the future workforce or with the community at large.

#6- Think outside the box:-

In Harvard Business Review, Thinking outside the box was one of the 5 elements that contribute to sustainability, profitability, and innovation. A new perspective can do wonders. By creative or divergent thinking, alternate paths emerge which challenge the Status Quo.

#7- Have great reputation:-

When you are considered for such important roles, Reputation is critical & your credibility can make or break your career. Reputation comes with,

Contributions to the organizations you have worked for
Contributions to the HR Industry
Your Network – how many people you know & how many people know you
And also your Personality

Reputation is always work-in-progress, which means you need to keep building it from Day 1 you decide you want to be a CHRO.

#8- Asking the right questions:-

As a CHRO, your job is not to solve each and every problem, it’s impossible. Rather your job is to Ask the Right questions which lead to either Solutions or Progress or Impact. When you ask the right questions, YOU encourage people to think, to do, to act & as you all know without the support of the people around you, never be successful.

#9- Extraordinary Understanding of the world:-

10 years ago you never imagined that RPA, AI & ML can take off 30% of jobs & 15 years from today, 60% of jobs would be held by Millenials who have a very different value system than boomers. A leader, a CHRO needs to have an extraordinary understanding of this Ever Changing World to make sense, to connect the dots, to understand how it impacts the people’s function & so much more.

#10- Have a tribe of their own:-

The ability to have your own tribe is the ultimate. They are not your employees but rather those people who have shared or common interests and regard you as a Thought Leader. They are your legacy and they are those whom you leave behind to carry out the good work, after you.

These qualities come to you over a period of time, many times years & it’s work in progress.

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