Five steps: Confidence-building shifts to move from HR Director to CHRO

In a previous role several years ago, I was asked to lead Talent Acquisition, a function I’d never worked in directly. 

My first thought was not: “Of course I’m ready.” It was more like: “Are you sure I’m the right person for this?”. But my leaders saw capability where I saw gaps. 

What I learned in that role has stayed with me. Leadership readiness is not always about having done the exact job before. It’s about building trust, asking good questions, learning quickly and creating the conditions for experts to do their best work. 

That experience helped me see that we are often more ready for the next step than we give ourselves credit for. 

Less than two years after joining Ulteig as Director of HR, I became CHRO. While every career path is different, the shifts that helped me make that transition weren’t about becoming an expert in every corner of HR. 

They were about leading through ambiguity, connecting people strategy to business strategy and stepping forward with confidence even before everything felt perfectly clear. 

Today’s organisations face constant change, increasing complexity and growing expectations from employees and stakeholders alike. More than ever, they need leaders who act as stewards of the business, linking everyday work to enterprise outcomes, creating alignment around what matters most and helping teams navigate uncertainty.

Here are five shifts that took me from Director to CHRO, and how to make them yours.

Shift one: Embrace leading functional experts

The shift to CHRO changes where your value comes from. 

It is no longer rooted in being the functional expert across every discipline or knowing the answer to every question, as I had assumed earlier in my career. 

My experience leading Talent Acquisition challenged that belief. While functional expertise matters, I learned that greater differentiators at the executive level are the ability to keep an enterprise perspective, leverage strategic judgement and align talented people around a shared vision.

It also means being comfortable not knowing and not being intimidated by those who do. Surround yourself with people who see what you don’t, who will challenge your thinking and who are willing to tell you when you’re off track. Building this ‘scaffolding’ of expertise and perspective leads to better decisions. 

You’re not expected to know every operational detail your team owns. Your role is to create the conditions where the right answers emerge through collective ability. 

Great leaders do this by coaching their teams, communicating clearly, advocating for their people and cultivating environments that drive innovation and collaboration.

Lean into this shift by volunteering for a stretch assignment outside your expertise. You’ll find that leadership shows up most clearly in how you handle uncertainty.

You’re not expected to know every operational detail your team owns. Your role is to create the conditions where the right answers emerge through collective ability

Shift two: Expand your impact with enterprise thinking

CHROs think beyond HR functions to enterprise priorities. It’s easy to get pulled toward the trendiest or ‘best-in-class’ HR solutions, but real value comes from focusing on what will move the business forward. The right answer is often simpler, and more aligned, than it first appears.

This requires stepping back and asking: 

• What does the business need most right now? 
• Where can HR have the greatest impact? 
• How do we focus our efforts to drive meaningful results? 

This enterprise mindset positions HR as a strategic partner, aligning people decisions directly to business outcomes. While 85 per cent of employers believe a strategic HR function will be essential to business success over the next five years, 89 per cent also believe HR will need to evolve to meet changing needs.

Spend time each month with a leader outside HR. Shadowing operations, finance or strategy builds a deeper understanding of the business and makes it easier to connect talent decisions to performance.

Shift three: Discover your leadership strengths 

As a natural introvert who thrives on thoughtful focus and behind-the-scenes problem solving, I once believed leadership demanded a level of charisma and visibility I don’t naturally possess. 

A mentor then explained that introverted leaders carry a profound, unique power. We excel at active listening, steady decision making, creating calm in uncertainty and building trust through consistency.

Today’s workforce wants leaders who model hope, trust, compassion and stability. Ask trusted colleagues what they experience when you lead. 

Their answers can help you see your leadership style more clearly and reveal strengths you may be underestimating. Leading in alignment with your natural strengths is your irreplaceable edge.

Shift four: Build trust through clarity

Today’s HR leaders face widespread burnout and constant organisational change. 

Building trust in this environment means offering clarity about what’s known and unknown and not pretending to have every answer. CHROs excel by communicating early and often, spotlighting stability and prioritising listening. This deliberate candour helps manage change and builds resilience and loyalty.

Employees who feel informed and included through transitions are far more engaged. Confidence in this shift means naming what stays consistent during change and being transparent about what is still being determined. 

This shift builds steadiness for employees and helps them feel grounded instead of overwhelmed.

Leading in alignment with your natural strengths is your irreplaceable edge

Shift five: Model sustainable leadership

We’re often told C-suite leadership means work dominates your life. You miss kids’ milestones, work weekends and never slow down. 

While the CHRO role will always demand more than a typical 40-hour work week, I’ve learned you can rewrite that story as a leader by modeling something healthier. 

When leaders model a sustainable work pace, teams follow. They see it’s possible to perform at an elevated level without burning out.

My non-negotiables are being home for family dinners when I’m not traveling, moving my body daily and disconnecting one day each week. I’m transparent about these boundaries because they’re what allow me to perform at my best. 

That clarity lets me show up consistently and lead by example in a way that builds trust and accountability across the organisation.

Lead with what matters to you

Define your own non-negotiables now before the job starts filling your time. When you lead with what matters to you, you’re better able to lead sustainably and credibly.

Reflect: Which of these shifts excites you? Which needs attention right now?

Self-assessment can make these shifts more tangible. Reflect and ask yourself:

• Am I willing to step into opportunities before feeling 100 per cent ready, and to treat missteps as learning rather than proof I wasn’t ready?
• Do I understand how the business works and what it needs most from HR?
• Am I leading authentically, or trying to fit someone else’s model?
• Do I create clarity in uncertainty?
• Am I modeling sustainable leadership and signaling wellbeing is a strategic priority?

You’re likely more prepared than you think. With increasing CHRO turnover and fewer internal hires, opportunities are opening for leaders who can step forward to drive organisational performance.

Pick a shift and cultivate it deliberately. The executive role you’ve earned awaits. 

If you enjoyed this Five Steps piece, read another: Five steps: A leader’s guide to creating psychologically safe teams