HR leadership: getting a seat at the table

Do you want to advance your career in human resources and progress into a leadership role? The HR landscape is becoming increasingly challenging, with job shortages, budget cuts, and overwhelmed employees.* Yet, in times of uncertainty, HR leadership plays a critical role in helping businesses not only survive but thrive.

So, how can mid-level People professionals navigate these challenges and position themselves for more senior roles? This article explores HR leaders’ top priorities in 2025 so you can start to speak and think like an executive. It’ll also provide expert advice on professional development and discuss key skills for a career in HR leadership. Let’s get started.

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*Leapsome’s Workforce Trends Report, 2024
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What are the biggest priorities for HR leaders in 2025?

If you want to grow into an HR leadership position, educating yourself is the best place to start. And that doesn’t only include formal education — keep up to date with the latest HR trends, understand the HR community’s biggest concerns, and explore solutions to the industry’s most pressing topics.

These are some of the topics People professionals are currently talking about: 
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Showcasing the value of HR

Our 2024 Workforce Trends Report found that 7 in 10 HR leaders describe the current business climate as “increasingly challenging.” Budgets are shrinking, many organizations are facing redundancies, and HR professionals are struggling to get buy-in and financial resources for people-centered programming.

In 2025 and beyond, we expect HR teams to leverage technology to better understand HR return on investment (HR ROI) and build stronger business cases for People initiatives. 

🤔 Curious about the potential ROI of your organization’s people enablement initiatives? That’s what our ROI calculator is here for.

Streamlining tech stacks

Today’s HR teams are under pressure to reduce spending — but that doesn’t mean they want their organizational culture or employee experience to suffer. As Luck Dookchitra, Leapsome VP of People, says, reducing investment in people-centric programs is a “short-sighted approach” that “risks lowering engagement and increasing turnover.”

That’s why HR leaders currently want to invest in leaner, more comprehensive tech stacks that have broad capabilities and can connect the whole employee lifecycle. 
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Implementing AI tools to their full potential

AI has been top of mind for the past year. Yet, while HR leaders and managers regularly use AI tools , many employees remain hesitant about using them.

Encouraging AI implementation to increase efficiency and stay competitive should be a priority for today’s People leaders. HR Consultant Marie Richter says that by “embracing these technologies to handle routine tasks, HR professionals can focus on what truly matters: strategy, employee experience, and driving organizational change.” 
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Increasing support for managers

With layoffs at the top increasing workloads and the number of direct reports for middle managers, burnout is rife. Over 50% of HR managers and individual contributors (ICs) report deteriorating mental well-being.

Optimizing processes to reduce strain and free up capacity for this part of the workforce will be key to nurturing happier, better-performing teams moving forward. 
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Top professional development steps to take for HR leadership

There are many ways to pursue a career in HR leadership; consider the development steps below and reflect on which align with your circumstances, professional and personal identity, and goals.

1. Identify skill gaps & prioritize professional growth

If you’re aiming for an HR leadership role, analyzing your own skills gap should be the first step. We recommend using competency frameworks in your 1:1s and performance reviews, so you can consult with your manager on your strengths and areas for improvement, discuss learning opportunities, and assess your progress over time. 

For instance, a competency framework for an HR executive might include elements like strategic thinking, communication, and empathy. If you excel at the former but feel you need to work on People management, you might prioritize working on your communication skills and professional empathy. 

🧠 Interested in working with competency frameworks but not sure where to begin? Download our free competency framework template to help you get started.

2. Share your goals & intentions in your current role

Part of any manager’s job is to develop leadership skills in employees, so be transparent about your long-term objective. Your manager might help you identify leadership development programs, encourage you to take on new opportunities, and address competency gaps collaboratively. 

Purpose-built tools, like Leapsome Goals, can simplify this process and empower managers and reports to set collaborative goals, stay accountable, and track progress.
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3. Connect with the HR community & build a valuable network

Your HR peers are a potential source of wisdom and guidance — and your perspective and experience can also help them! Developing and contributing meaningfully to an HR network gives you the chance to meet potential mentors, get first access to innovative professional development opportunities, and keep you up to date with shifting trends and emerging technologies. 

Online communities allow you to connect with HR professionals at multiple levels and open up opportunities to share insights, collaborate, and even ask for advice. Also, consider earmarking relevant HR conferences to learn about the latest happenings in the industry and follow some top HR influencers.

🤝 Ready to build out your network?

Meet like-minded peers, share resources, and access members-only content at POPs (People Over Perks), our Slack community for HR professionals.

👉 Join our community

4. Develop a professional brand

To showcase your knowledge and ambition, craft a reputation for yourself as an HR expert. Sure, no one becomes a LinkedIn influencer in a day — or even wants to be one; still, you might consider contributing to conversations around trending topics on social media platforms and sharing your thoughts in HR-specific forums.

And if there’s a topic you feel particularly passionate about, why not contribute to or write thought leadership content for relevant publications? Or even pitch yourself as a guest speaker for industry events, webinars, or podcasts?
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5. Obtain leadership-level HR credentials

Acquiring specific credentials relevant to HR leadership roles is a great way to demonstrate your commitment to professional development. These include widely recognized certifications like the SPHR, GPHR, and SHRM-CP. 

Depending on the role you’d like to move into and your area of interest, you might also consider additional training in a particular specialty. For instance, you could take a DEIB leadership credential, take a workforce management course, or complete a People analytics qualification.
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Key skills to develop for a career in HR leadership

Building a community, creating a personal brand, and getting the right credentials are all great steps — but it’s also worth taking a step back and analyzing the key skills that’ll make the biggest impact in HR leadership. 
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Strategic thinking

Understanding organizational objectives and developing an HR strategy that supports those goals is vital for aspiring HR leaders. Luck Dookchitra, Leapsome’s VP of People & Culture, reminds us that “HR is a business function, and the things that we push for — the calibration, the time spent coaching your employees — those things have real business impact.” 

Developing your strategic thinking skills is one way to improve alignment between HR and the wider business and demonstrate the ROI of your current and future HR initiatives. 
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People analytics 

People analytics training is essential for HR leaders. It teaches them to gather and analyze HR data to make strong, data-guided decisions that benefit both the employee experience and the overall business. 

For example, suppose a company is struggling with high turnover rates. In that case, an HR leader might use a platform like Leapsome to collect data from performance reviews, exit interviews, and surveys, analyze that information to understand the driving forces of turnover, and develop a targeted action plan based on those insights.
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Emotional intelligence

Being emotionally aware of employee needs, concerns, and behaviors is a huge plus for today’s HR leaders. Emotional intelligence can help with recruitment and employee growth, assist with conflict management and resolution, and massively benefit company culture. 

Importantly, this doesn’t translate to being a people pleaser or always being the good guy, even if you’re practicing empowering leadership. As Jenny Podewils, Leapsome’s Co-Founder and Co-CEO, points out: “Some of the best managers hit a really strong spot between being liked and holding their team accountable.”
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Self-awareness & reflection

Self-awareness allows you to identify the unique qualities you bring to the table as an HR leader, including your strengths and competency gaps, so that you can lead a team or department with authenticity.

Receiving 360° feedback is vital for improving self-awareness and reflection — so why not try championing that approach to performance management within your organization? This enables team members to share their insights in a holistic, productive, and non-confrontational way, which encourages honesty.

💡 It can be challenging to come up with the right questions when asking for direct feedback about an organization’s leaders. That’s why we compiled a comprehensive list of 64 leadership survey questions for you to browse and draw inspiration from.

Change management expertise

Organizational change can be very stressful for employees, and HR leaders should be able to help guide team members through times of upheaval with skills like coaching, communication, problem-solving, and priority management.

There are plenty of steps you can take to bolster your change management expertise, like seeking guidance from someone who has navigated similar situations, reading case studies, or finding a development program in this niche. 
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Conflict resolution & negotiation

Senior HR professionals should set the example for how the organization deals with conflict resolution and negotiation processes — so working on these skills is vital. 

Here’s another tip from Jenny Podewils, our Co-Founder and Co-CEO: “What’s important is to stay curious when conflict arises. It’s hard — we get into fight, flight, and freeze. We feel stressed, we feel threatened, maybe… It’s important to stay curious and try to understand the other person’s perspective.” 

If this is an area you find challenging, try practicing different approaches to conflict resolution, like acknowledging the problem, employing active listening, or identifying the parties’ underlying needs. 
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Communication skills

We’ve already touched on several qualities under this umbrella, but effective communication is arguably the cornerstone of a successful HR career. Good communication skills make every other skill on this list more valuable; they help with change management, conflict resolution, and establishing and developing organizational culture, and they’re vital to helping other business leaders reach their goals, too.

Sometimes, structures and processes can hinder effective communication, so adopting products like Leapsome Instant Feedback, Meetings, and Reviews can facilitate more productive discussions, better professional relationships, and conversations that drive progress.  
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Progressing to HR leadership with Leapsome

If you’re ready to take the next step in your HR career, understanding the priorities of HR leaders, the fundamental development steps you should take, and the skills that’ll help you get there is a fantastic start. 

To hear more expert insights on communicating like an HR leader and getting a seat at the executive table, check out our webinar on how to speak the CEO language.”

Besides working on your leadership competencies, don’t underestimate the power of the right tools for your progression. With a comprehensive HR platform like Leapsome, you can consolidate People analytics to build a business case for HR initiatives and encourage employees at all levels of your organization to communicate more effectively and prioritize their development.

🚀 Develop as a leader with Leapsome

Explore our award-winning platform and discover how it can support all employees (yourself included!) in their professional growth.

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Frequently asked questions about HR leadership

What is HR leadership?

“HR leadership” refers to the HR professionals who lead human resources departments. Successful HR leadership requires a deep understanding of business goals and priorities, a clear view of company culture, and an ability to help businesses develop positive and productive relationships with their employees.
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What are some common HR leadership titles?

HR leadership titles can vary in line with the industry, the type of business, and its location. You’re likely to come across HR leadership job titles like: 

• Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)
• Vice President of Human Resources (VP HR)
• Chief Collaboration Officer (CCO)
• Director of Employee Engagement
• Director of Human Resources

Nowadays, some HR leadership jobs may also contain terms like “People operations,” “Talent,” or “People and Culture.”  
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What are the key traits of an effective HR leader?

An effective HR leader may have several key traits to help them carry out their job with impact, compassion, and efficiency. These often include qualities like a strategic mindset, empathy, accountability, a strong sense of ethics, and innovative thinking. HR leaders are often forward-thinkers, too, and can strike a balance between business goals and the employee perspective.
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How should HR leaders adapt to rapid changes in the workplace?

HR leaders can employ several strategies to adapt to rapid changes in the workplace. Agility is crucial to successfully implement new strategies and adjust to change, which can be achieved through collaboration, training, and leveraging dedicated technology. Strong HR leaders should also be transparent and communicate rapid changes as early as possible — and continue that communication as the change progresses.
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What is the role of HR leadership in achieving business goals?

HR leadership plays a vital role in achieving business goals. Human resources is a business function and has a real impact on organizational objectives, profitability, and long-term success. HR leadership might contribute to business goals by improving cross-team collaboration, boosting employee satisfaction and retention, implementing agile processes, and aligning the business’ priorities with the staff’s capabilities.