Leading the people function: Five key attributes of Chief People Officers – whether day one, 100 or 1,000 

Chief People Officers are in the driver’s seat

All eyes and ears are on the Chief People Officer (CPO) role as businesses transform to meet the challenges of a changed world. The challenges CPOs have faced are demanding as they’ve needed to deliver the golden mean, meeting the needs of both employees and the business, in an ever-changing world of work.

Former vantage points and tactics need to evolve as the CPO responsibilities has shifted dramatically. 

Are you ready?

Whether you are a seasoned or newly appointed CPO, you will need to adapt to tackle new demands and navigate an unchartered, evolving landscape. Successful CPOs know their strengths, upskill their weaknesses and surround themselves with employees with complementary skill sets.

Key attributes Chief People Officers need to achieve success

  • Listener
    Effective listening sparks innovation and organizational learning, builds trust and psychological safety, and creates and energizes a collective commitment to positive change.
  • Cultivator
    Embracing, promoting and cultivating a responsible position on the many different dimensions of inclusivity and well-being drives positive outcomes for people, communities and businesses. Cultivators of inclusivity don’t reduce this vital work to a checklist of programs.
  • Storyteller
    Reams of data are an unavoidable part of most HR functions. But data sets mean little if they are not harnessed to plot a way ahead. Storytellers turn information into actionable insights, use data to plan strategically and work to create a compelling narrative that all parts of an organization can buy into.
  • Activator
    HR tech is freeing up teams to spend more time on creative problem-solving. Activators capitalize on this to help others deliver. They foster execution discipline, operational excellence, and financial and digital acumen.
  • Transformer
    Two pivotal challenges sit before you: redesign work so that talent can seamlessly connect with it, and redesign the HR function to create a future-fit workforce. Transformers harness these key challenges to help their businesses achieve their strategic goals.
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