The Secret Weapon Every Great Leader Has
It isn’t charisma, strategy, or vision. It’s the HR partner who keeps them grounded.
I’ll share a secret that I haven’t yet written about. The best leaders I have ever worked for all had one thing in common: a secret weapon that kept them grounded. That weapon? Their HR lead. Whether director, vice president, or chief didn’t matter. In each case, they saw them as a trusted partner, a confidant, even a consigliere of sorts.
Most people only know HR as the place you go when you’re in trouble, being laid off, or need help with benefits. HR is where you file the complaint about your desk mate singing along to whatever’s in their earbuds or push back on the “unreasonable” workload your manager dropped on you. But here’s the thing: HR professionals are much more than that, and that’s their secret.
Good leaders know they can’t be everywhere at once. They can’t possibly have their fingers on the “pulse of the organization.” Even their best intentions sometimes land wrong. And that’s when they turn to HR, not for control, but for perspective.
I’ll never forget one HR leader who pulled me aside after a town hall. “You may think everyone’s got it,” she said, “but a bunch of people on your teams left the room more worried than reassured. If you want to fix that, you need to talk to them today, not next week.” She was right. Without her, I would have assumed everything was fine.
McKinsey & Company put it plainly in a 2021 report, The New Possible: How HR Can Help Build the Organization of the Future. They wrote:
“HR can clarify the meaning of purpose, value, and culture.”
They argued that HR should be a strategic partner, ensuring the right talent is in place, anticipating disruptive trends, and preparing for skills gaps before they show up.
See, while I have learned a lot from good leaders and bad, I’ve learned even more from the HR leaders I’ve encountered. Their secret is that they see it all. Department heads know their slice. VPs know their division. But HR? HR has the 50,000-foot view, and the courage to tell you what you can’t see from the corner office.
The HR experts I worked with helped me hold on to my humanity and grow my empathy. They made sure I didn’t just see a business—I saw a group of people. They pushed me to zoom out and see the big picture, and they strategized with me when I needed it most. Just like the leaders I worked for, they were my partners, my confidants, and yes, my consigliere.
So Laura, Nancy, Amy, and Harriet, thank you. Thank you for the lessons, the wisdom, and the encouragement. I hope everyone gets the chance to learn from their HR professionals what I was lucky enough to learn from you.
Because behind every leader who lasts, there’s usually an HR partner making sure they stay human.
PS - If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience?
This spreads the word and keeps me writing the types of content that you have enjoyed.