How HR Leaders Can Become CEOs...
January 15, 2014
By now, most of you are aware that a former human resources leader has transcended the HR space to become CEO of a Fortune 100 company. And for the uninitiated (click here for a complete article on the move), Mary Barra, the former vice president of HR at General Motors Co. will become the automaker’s new CEO.
Hope. This gives hope that HR leaders can do anything they want, including being CEO someday, right?
Actually, it doesn't. A deeper dive in the career path of Barra and some knowledge of succession planning at the major company level tells us that for all the good vibes PR this gives the HR function, HR leaders need to leave HR as soon as possible in order to aspire to the CEO seat.
I'm up over at Workforce.com with 5 things that the Mary Barra promotion to CEO tells any HR leader that aspires to be a CEO. Here's the first two things from my list at Workforce.com, click on the link to get the rest:
1. Get the hell out of HR soon. Let’s be clear: One look at the Barra profile tells you her HR experience was part of a power rotation to learn the business, not a defining tag on her résumé. That should tell you what has always been the reality: You need to rotate elsewhere to be enough of a player to become the CEO of a company of any size and scale.
2. Deep subject matter expertise in an area core to the business is desired. Barra is an engineer at heart, an area that’s obviously core to GM’s business. Your company also has a similar heartbeat. If you have an undergrad that matches that heartbeat, you could do HR, take a rotation elsewhere and become a player in the race to become the boss. If your educational background doesn’t fit, you have no chance. But you could find a company that provides a better match and values your non-HR undergrad.
If you want to be a CEO, good for you. Just understand you can't do from where you sit now as an HR leader. You have to be brave enough to leave if you want to have your hat in the ring for the big job.
Hit Workforce.com for the full article! Bonus reference to the movie "The Social Network" and Mark Zuckerberg's business cards at a young age.
I was in a pretty intense meeting some peers and the CEO of a very large hospital. We were discussing leadership amongst other things.
He goes around the room, asks us what department/area of expertise we are in or have and I say Human Resources.
He looks me dead in the eye and says "No one becomes CEO by being in HR, no one. It's all about the business."
Truer words were never spoken...
Posted by: JN | January 15, 2014 at 09:26 AM
That is not always the case and shame on your hospital's CEO who has a very narrow perspective on life and the workplace. Anything is possible. I know of several former HR leaders in hospitals that now successfully servce as the CEO.
Posted by: John Petrov | July 09, 2014 at 08:54 AM
Great comment John!
Posted by: Stacy Adams | June 15, 2015 at 10:05 PM