By Senyo M ADJABENG
It was a Monday morning when (let’s call her) Sarah, an HR director at a leading tech firm, received an email that would change the course of her career. The subject line read: “Leadership Council—Immediate Opening.” Inside the email was an invitation to join a newly formed team designed not to discuss HR strategies, but to influence leadership at the highest level of the company.
For years, Sarah had been refining and executing HR strategies, ensuring compliance, benefits optimization, and talent acquisition. However, today, the company was calling for something deeper—a shift from strategy execution to leadership cultivation.
This shift from focusing solely on HR strategy to prioritizing leadership is being hailed as the next major transformation in human resources. It’s what experts are calling “Leadershift.” Companies have long viewed HR as the go-to department for processes and policies that ensure operational efficiency.
But as the world of work evolves rapidly with technological advancements, remote working, and rising concerns over employee engagement, businesses are realizing that HR’s true value lies in its potential to build and shape leaders.
The case for leadershift
The term “Leadershift” is closely associated with John C. Maxwell, a renowned leadership expert, speaker, and author. Maxwell popularized the term in his book Leadershift: 11 Essential Changes Every Leader Must Embrace (2019).
In this work, Maxwell argues that effective leadership is dynamic and requires continual growth and adaptation. He emphasizes the importance of shifting perspectives and approaches as leaders face new challenges and opportunities.
Maxwell’s concept of “Leadershift” focuses on the idea that leaders must be agile, open to change, and capable of transforming their leadership style to stay relevant and impactful.
This philosophy aligns with the broader movement in HR and business that calls for HR leaders to go beyond strategy execution and focus on fostering leadership within organizations. His advocacy for this transformation has influenced many leaders and organizations, especially in contexts where agility, innovation, and adaptability are key to success.
Traditionally, HR has been perceived as the administrative backbone of organizations—essential for keeping the company machine running smoothly. Strategy was at the core of HR’s responsibility, be it managing payroll systems, ensuring compliance with labour laws, or optimizing hiring processes. However, this focus on strategy, while critical, only scratched the surface of what HR could truly achieve.
In recent years, organizations have found themselves in environments where the pace of change is accelerating. They require more than just efficiency; they need adaptability, empathy, and resilience—qualities inherent to strong leadership. Leadershift recognizes that HR is not merely about managing employees but about moulding the next generation of leaders who can guide companies through periods of transformation.
In her new role, Sarah found herself not discussing hiring metrics or employee retention rates, but participating in conversations about shaping the company’s culture, fostering innovation, and developing leaders capable of navigating change. HR’s role in these conversations was crucial.
Talent pipelines and more
The immediate opportunity in a leadership-focused HR function is in creating a sustainable pipeline of future leaders. In traditional strategy roles, HR might have focused on hiring the best talent or implementing a robust learning and development (L&D) program.
However, in the new leadership paradigm, HR’s role shifts to cultivating high-potential individuals who can adapt and lead in an uncertain future. HR is no longer only responsible for recruiting talent but ensuring those hires are developed into leaders who can contribute to long-term business growth.
The emphasis moves from short-term gains (such as filling a position) to long-term leadership development, aligning leadership potential with the company’s vision and values. A report by Deloitte echoes this trend, stating that “86% of companies identify leadership development as one of their most critical business challenges”.
Leadership is no longer just about technical know-how or business acumen. It is about leading with empathy, self-awareness, and social skills—all facets of emotional intelligence. HR is uniquely positioned to prioritize emotional intelligence in leadership development.
In fact, many HR teams have begun to integrate EI assessments and training into leadership programs to help current and future leaders manage stress, resolve conflicts, and motivate their teams. This represents a significant opportunity for HR to influence not just how leaders are chosen, but how they are moulded.
Another major shift that HR can lead in this new era is creating inclusive leadership. HR departments have long been the champions of diversity and inclusion, but leadershift moves diversity out of the realm of compliance and into the heart of leadership development.
HR professionals, by focusing on leadership, can ensure that leaders are not just representative of diverse backgrounds but are also inclusive in their leadership styles. This creates a work environment where every employee feels empowered, which, in turn, increases employee engagement and innovation.
In the traditional model, HR’s role in change management was often to execute the logistical aspects—helping restructure teams, providing resources, or handling communications. But in this new paradigm, HR is central to developing leaders who can manage change effectively.
Leaders in today’s business world need the agility to pivot in the face of adversity, and HR is essential to creating programs that build this adaptability in leaders. Organizations that emphasize leadership in
HR can better withstand shocks to their business models, whether those come from market disruptions, technological changes, or global crises.
With a focus on leadership, HR can reimagine its role in crafting company culture. Leadership shapes culture more than any handbook or policy. HR’s shift towards leadership enables it to focus on creating leaders who embody the values of the organization, driving the kind of culture that attracts and retains top talent.
A recent Gallup poll showed that only 30% of employees feel engaged in their work. By focusing on leadership, HR can directly improve this metric, ensuring that the company’s leaders are effectively engaging their teams.
To positively drive culture, an HR professional first has to be a leader, then a strategist.
HR’s seat at the leadership table
As Sarah leaned into her new responsibilities, she noticed that her conversations were increasingly less about “people strategy” and more about “people leadership.” HR’s presence at the leadership table became invaluable, not for its knowledge of policies, but for its expertise in people and leadership dynamics.
Companies that embrace leadershift understand that HR is no longer just a strategic asset but a leadership partner. HR leaders, by focusing on cultivating leadership skills, help ensure that businesses are better prepared to face tomorrow’s challenges.
The shift from strategy to leadership is not just about changing the way HR functions; it’s about changing the way businesses see HR. The leaders of tomorrow will not just execute strategies—they will inspire and lead their teams through the ever-changing landscape of business. And HR, as Sarah realized, would be at the heart of it all. But I must confess, that’s a long way to go. But hope is always a good thing.
For further reading:
Deloitte (2022). Leadership Development as a Critical Business Challenge. Retrieved from [Deloitte Leadership Study] Gallup (2023). The State of Employee Engagement. Retrieved from [Gallup Report] John C. Maxwell (2019). Leadershift: 11 Essential Changes Every Leader Must Embrace
