The Modern CHRO: Episode 5- Getting Out of the HR Lane
How HR Leaders Can Build Business Credibility Beyond the Function
Listen to Episode 4: “Getting Out of the HR Lane” HERE
Partner Tom Wilson interviews two HR Executive experts to discuss their perspectives on the evolving role. Our panel includes:
- Dustin Lee, Chief People Officer, Innovage
- Kathleen Weslock, Executive Partner in CHRO Practice, Gartner
One of the most consistent themes in conversations with today’s top HR executives is this: the CHROs with the greatest organizational influence are not confined to HR. They have made a deliberate effort to earn credibility across the business, and it shows in how they’re treated at the table.
The path forward is practical and direct. For HR leaders looking to expand their impact, a handful of moves build real business acumen, not just functional expertise.
Own something with stakes attached.
Seek out P&L-adjacent projects, not just observe them. When you’re accountable for outcomes tied to the business, you start thinking the way operators think. That shift in mindset is hard to develop from the HR lane alone.
Get embedded in operating reviews.
Monthly operating reviews are where strategy meets reality. Too often, HR shows up with headcount and engagement data. The better move is to go deeper: understand the underlying business data, ask harder questions, and contribute in the language of the business. Presence alone is not enough. Engagement is.
Treat projects like finance does.
Sponsor a cost-out or growth initiative with measurable ROI. Then do what finance does: run a post-mortem. Evaluate what worked, what didn’t, and what you’d do differently. That discipline signals to the rest of the organization that HR can hold itself to the same standard of rigor it asks of others.
Shadow functions outside your comfort zone.
Audit and compliance are underrated rotations for HR leaders. Spending a cycle with those teams sharpens risk instincts in a way that most HR development paths don’t. It also builds the credibility needed to be a stronger voice at the board level.
On whether this kind of cross-functional engagement creates friction, the answer is: it rarely does. Other functions tend to be more than welcoming. The key is the posture. This isn’t about staking territory. It’s about co-creating, learning, and adding value. “I want to play a part in this” lands very differently than “I want to own this.”
That distinction matters. The CHROs who earn a genuine seat at the business table don’t get there by asking for one. They get there by showing up as business leaders who happen to run HR.
To learn more about our HR functional practice, click here.
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