Strategic HR Leadership: Stop Waiting for a Seat at the Table
Stop Waiting for the Invitation: How HR Builds Real Influence
For as long as I can remember, HR has been talking about getting a seat at the table.
We want to be seen as strategic.
We want to be included earlier.
We want leaders to understand that workforce decisions are business decisions.
And all of that matters.
But after my conversation with Christina Simanella, founder of Sphère, leadership coach, consultant and former Vice President of Human Resources, I found myself thinking about a different question:
What happens when HR finally gets the seat?
Do we understand the business well enough to contribute?
Are we willing to challenge an assumption?
Can we explain the workforce implications of a business decision in language executives understand?
Can we connect people strategy to revenue, operations, risk and organizational performance?
Will we speak when our perspective is needed?
Or are we still waiting for someone to invite us into the conversation?
Because perhaps HR's next evolution isn't simply about getting closer to the business.
It's about becoming confident enough, courageous enough and business-savvy enough to influence it.
Strategic HR Starts Before the Decision Is Made
Too often, HR is brought into major decisions after the direction has already been established.
The business decides to restructure.
Acquire another company.
Implement new technology.
Reduce headcount.
Change operating models.
Enter a new market.
Then someone asks HR:
"How do we communicate this to employees?"
But by then, some of the most important people questions may already have been missed.
What capabilities will we need?
What skills will we lose?
How will this affect workload?
What happens to culture?
Which leaders are prepared for the change?
What unintended workforce consequences might emerge?
How will employees interpret the decision?
HR's value isn't simply helping implement business decisions.
Strategic HR helps shape better business decisions before they're made.
That requires HR to be involved earlier.
But it also requires us to demonstrate why our perspective belongs there.
Stop Waiting to Feel Confident
One of Christina's messages particularly resonated with me:
Sometimes courage has to come before confidence.
We tend to imagine confidence as something we acquire first.
Once I'm confident enough, I'll speak.
Once I know enough, I'll apply.
Once I'm ready, I'll volunteer.
Once I have enough experience, I'll challenge the idea.
But careers rarely work that way.
Often confidence is built after we do the uncomfortable thing.
You contribute the idea.
Ask the question.
Take the role.
Present to the executive team.
Enter the room where you're intimidated.
And then you discover:
I can do this.
The action created evidence.
The evidence created confidence.
The Confidence Trap Can Keep Talented People Small
This matters especially for high-performing professionals who believe they need to have everything figured out before speaking.
They prepare.
Research.
Double-check.
Wait.
Meanwhile, someone with half the information confidently offers an opinion.
We've probably all watched that happen.
Expertise matters.
Preparation matters.
But there comes a point where preparation can become protection.
We tell ourselves:
"I just need to know a little more."
Sometimes what we actually need is the courage to contribute what we already know.
Executive Presence Isn't About Becoming Someone Else
"Executive presence" is another phrase we use constantly.
Unfortunately, it can sometimes sound like code for:
Talk differently.
Dress differently.
Act more powerful.
Be more polished.
Become someone who looks like our traditional image of a senior executive.
But authentic executive presence shouldn't require people to perform a personality that isn't theirs.
It is much more about how you show up.
Do you communicate clearly?
Do you understand your audience?
Can you explain your point without burying it?
Can you listen?
Can you disagree without becoming defensive?
Do people trust your judgment?
Can you remain grounded when the room becomes uncomfortable?
Presence isn't about being the loudest person in the room. It's about being someone whose contribution carries weight.
And that can look different for different leaders.
You Cannot Be Strategic If You Don't Understand the Business
This may be one of the most important messages for HR professionals.
If we want to be viewed as business leaders, we have to understand how the business works.
Not just the people function.
The business.
How does the organization make money?
Who are the customers?
What drives revenue?
What are the largest costs?
What pressures are leaders facing?
What risks concern them?
What does the financial statement tell you?
What does success look like operationally?
Where is the organization trying to grow?
You don't need to become the CFO.
But you need enough financial and business acumen to connect your recommendations to what the organization is trying to accomplish.
Translate People Issues Into Business Issues
HR professionals often see problems before the rest of the organization does.
Turnover.
Burnout.
Skills gaps.
Poor management.
Culture problems.
Low engagement.
Succession risk.
But simply identifying the people problem isn't always enough.
We need to explain the business consequence.
High turnover isn't just an HR metric.
What does it cost?
What knowledge is walking out the door?
How long does productivity suffer while roles remain open?
A skills gap isn't simply a learning problem.
What business strategy cannot be executed because those capabilities don't exist?
Manager effectiveness isn't merely an engagement issue.
What happens to retention, performance and execution when managers can't lead?
Strategic HR connects the human reality to the business reality.
That's when the conversation changes.
Being People-Centered Doesn't Mean Ignoring Performance
There is sometimes a false choice in HR.
Are you advocating for employees?
Or are you supporting the business?
Strong HR leadership has to do both.
Organizations need to perform.
They need to make difficult decisions.
They have financial realities.
They cannot say yes to everything employees want.
But business performance and human-centered leadership do not have to be opposites.
The role of HR is not simply to protect employees from every difficult decision.
Nor is it to defend every business decision to employees.
The work is much harder.
Help the organization make better decisions because the human consequences were considered alongside the business ones.
Relationships Are Not the Same as Networking
Christina and I also talked about something that can get lost in career advice: relationships.
We're constantly encouraged to network.
Build our LinkedIn connections.
Attend events.
Meet people.
Collect contacts.
But a network is not automatically a relationship.
Relationships require reciprocity.
Trust.
Time.
Interest.
Contribution.
Sometimes support with no immediate benefit to ourselves.
The question isn't simply:
"Who do I know?"
It is:
"Who knows me, trusts me and understands what I can contribute?"
That's a very different kind of professional network.
You Need More Than a Mentor
We often tell people to find a mentor.
Mentors matter.
But different relationships serve different purposes throughout a career.
A mentor can share experience and perspective.
A coach can help you examine your own thinking and behavior.
A peer can understand what you're experiencing because they're navigating similar challenges.
And a sponsor can advocate for you when you're not in the room.
That last distinction is particularly important.
Someone can give you excellent advice privately.
A sponsor uses their influence publicly.
They say:
"Christina should be considered for this."
"Linda has experience we need on this project."
"You should talk to her."
Careers are shaped not only by what happens when we're in the room.
They're shaped by what people say about us when we're not.
Community Matters in HR Because HR Can Be Lonely
This is part of what inspired Christina to create Sphère, a bilingual development community for ambitious HR professionals in Montreal.
HR is an unusual profession.
You're surrounded by people.
But there are things you cannot discuss with most of them.
You know about the restructuring before everyone else.
You're involved in difficult employee situations.
You're advising executives.
You're navigating conflicts.
You're handling confidential information.
Sometimes you're carrying information that affects people you care about and cannot tell them.
That can be isolating.
Having trusted peers who understand the profession—and who aren't inside your organization—can be incredibly valuable.
Not simply for career advancement.
For perspective.
For learning.
And sometimes just to hear:
"I've been there too."
Community Should Create More Than Connections
This is where professional communities can become particularly powerful.
The best communities don't simply introduce people.
They create opportunities for people to learn from one another.
To practice.
To share experiences.
To gain visibility.
To hear different perspectives.
To build relationships that continue outside the event.
And perhaps most importantly, they create a space where people don't have to pretend they have everything figured out.
That's especially valuable in HR, where everyone often expects us to have the answer.
Reinvention Is Part of a Career
Christina's own career also reflects something we're talking about more frequently on Her Resources:
Careers don't have to be linear.
You can spend years building expertise and still decide you want something different.
You can leave an executive role.
Build a business.
Coach.
Consult.
Create a community.
Teach.
Write.
Mentor.
Combine things that didn't previously appear to belong together.
Experience doesn't lock you into one path.
It gives you more raw material for designing the next one.
That's an important message for anyone asking:
"Is this really what I want to do for the rest of my career?"
You don't have to know the entire answer.
Sometimes you simply need enough courage to explore the next question.
AI Makes Human Leadership More Important
Like so many recent conversations on Her Resources, ours eventually turned toward AI.
AI will change HR.
Administrative work will be automated.
Information will become easier to access.
Analytics will become more sophisticated.
Content will be created faster.
Processes will change.
But none of that eliminates the need for human leadership.
In fact, it may increase it.
Organizations still need people who can navigate ambiguity.
Build trust.
Understand emotion.
Coach.
Influence.
Exercise judgment.
Have difficult conversations.
Challenge decisions.
Understand context.
Care.
The more capable our technology becomes, the more intentional we may need to become about the humanity surrounding it.
HR Cannot Outsource Its Judgment to Technology
AI can help us analyze workforce information.
But HR still has to interpret what it means.
AI can draft a difficult employee communication.
But someone still has to decide whether it is the right message.
AI can identify patterns.
But humans still have to ask whether the conclusions are fair.
AI can recommend actions.
But leadership remains accountable for the decision.
Technology can support judgment.
It shouldn't replace responsibility.
And that may become one of HR's most important roles in the years ahead.
Stop Asking Whether HR Is Strategic
Maybe we've been asking the wrong question.
For years we've asked:
"How does HR become more strategic?"
But perhaps strategic HR isn't a destination.
It's a behavior.
You become strategic when you understand the business.
When you connect workforce decisions to organizational outcomes.
When you see around corners.
When you challenge assumptions.
When you bring information leaders haven't considered.
When you understand both the numbers and the people behind them.
When you speak before someone asks you to.
Strategic isn't something HR gets called. It's something HR demonstrates.
Your Voice Has to Enter the Room Before It Can Influence It
There is another uncomfortable truth.
Organizations absolutely have a responsibility to create environments where different voices can contribute.
Leaders need to invite perspectives.
Create psychological safety.
Develop talent.
Open doors.
But there is also individual responsibility.
At some point, we have to speak.
Ask.
Contribute.
Challenge.
Volunteer.
Apply.
Introduce ourselves.
Build the relationship.
Take the risk.
No one else can use our voice for us.
You Don't Need to Have It All Figured Out
This may be one of the most important lessons from Christina's career and our conversation.
You don't need perfect confidence.
You don't need the perfect network.
You don't need every business skill mastered.
You don't need to know exactly where your career will go.
You need to begin.
Learn the business.
Build genuine relationships.
Find mentors.
Find peers.
Find sponsors.
Practice speaking.
Ask better questions.
Volunteer for the project that stretches you.
And when the opportunity arrives before you feel completely ready?
Consider saying yes anyway.
Because sometimes confidence doesn't open the door.
Sometimes courage opens the door, and confidence catches up later.
Maybe It's Time to Retire the "Seat at the Table"
I've spent decades in and around HR, payroll, HCM and workforce technology, and I keep coming back to this phrase.
A seat at the table.
Maybe we've outgrown it.
Because it still sounds as though HR is waiting for someone else to pull out the chair.
The strongest HR leaders I've known don't wait for permission to think like business leaders.
They understand the organization.
They build credibility.
They create relationships.
They bring insight.
They challenge respectfully.
They understand when to push.
They know when to listen.
And they use their expertise to help the organization make better decisions.
The goal isn't simply to occupy the chair.
It's to bring something to the conversation that changes the decision.
That's influence.
And that's the kind of HR leadership organizations need now.
🎙 Watch Episode 91 with Christina Simanella
In Episode 91 of the Her Resources Podcast, I sit down with Christina Simanella, PPCC, leadership coach, consultant, former Vice President of Human Resources, and founder of Sphère, for a conversation about confidence, courage, executive presence, business acumen, strategic HR, mentorship, sponsorship, community, career reinvention and human-centered leadership.
Explore Sphère:
Sphère HR Development Community
Connect with Christina:
Christina Simanella on LinkedIn
Watch Episode 91:
Her Resources Podcast on YouTube
And if you're an HR professional, I'd challenge you to think about this:
Where are you still waiting for an invitation?
To speak?
To learn the business?
To build the relationship?
To pursue the opportunity?
To contribute the idea?
Maybe you don't need another invitation.
Maybe you need the courage to take the first step before the confidence arrives.
Share this episode with an HR professional or people leader who is ready to use their voice and expand their impact, and subscribe to the Her Resources Podcast for more conversations about leadership, careers, work, technology and the human side of what's changing.
Because the future isn't something we inherit. It's something we create.