There is a pattern I keep hearing from CHROs.

They have good people. Experienced people. People they trust.

The work gets done.

And yet, when something gets complicated, ambiguous, politically sensitive, cross-functional, or simply does not have an obvious answer, something happens.

The thinking starts rolling uphill.

Another strategic-thinking rep, another execution rep

A leader brings the problem to the CHRO.

The CHRO starts asking questions.

"What is really going on here?" "What does the business need?" "What are we missing?" "What happens if we do nothing?" "What would the CFO say?" "What is your recommendation?"

And somewhere in that conversation, the CHRO begins doing what they are very good at.

They connect the dots. They reframe the issue. They spot the business implication. They see the executive objection coming. They generate three or four ways to solve it.

The HR leader walks away with a much better answer.

And executes it.

Which seems like good leadership.

Ex...

MBA programs teach future executives how to read a P&L, model cash flow, and pitch investors, but not how to leverage HR as a growth engine.

That blind spot has a real price tag.

When leaders don’t understand how to use strategic talent practices, three things happen:

• Businesses lose efficiency and competitive advantage.

• Employees lose opportunities to grow and thrive.

• CHROs lose time re-educating peers instead of accelerating impact.

It’s not a small gap. It’s systemic.

The Blind Spot in Executive Education

Business schools focus on finance, strategy, and operations, but rarely on strategic HR or talent management.

AACSB accreditation doesn’t require it either.

You can graduate from a top business program having never learned how to align talent with strategy.

The Data Is Overwhelming

McKinsey found that companies that develop and deploy human capital well are the most profitable in their industries.

Gallup shows highly engaged workforces deliver 23% h...

You may have noticed a new trend in the C-suite: companies merging CHRO and CIO roles—or giving HR formal oversight of AI strategy.

Let’s look at a few examples:

• Moderna promoted Tracey Franklin to Chief People and Digital Technology Officer after deploying thousands of ChatGPT bots and partnering with OpenAI. Their goal? Redesign jobs around what AI can do vs. what humans do best. Source
• ServiceNow introduced Jacqui Canney as Chief People and AI Enablement Officer—a title that makes it clear AI adoption is not just a tech strategy but a people one.
   
• ISS A/S merged its Chief People and Chief Information roles into one, appointing Liz Benison to oversee both talent and tech. The company explicitly cited the need to integrate workforce and digital strategy to drive growth.
   
• Covisian named Fabio Sattolo Chief People and Technology Officer, reflecting their AI-first approach to augmenting—not replacing—people in customer service workflows.
   
• OceanaGold tapped Michelle Du Plessi...