Why Don't HR Professionals Often Make It to the CEO Role? Let's Discuss!

Hi everyone! I'm just curious here. Part of my main interest includes studying leadership, and I'm always interested in CEO profiles. However, I seem to find this trend: there aren't any CEOs who are from the HR department. Most CEOs I read about usually come from either a technical background or, if they're from the commercial side, they usually were either from Finance, Accounting, or Marketing.

Why HR Professionals Rarely Become CEOs

I think the reason behind this is perhaps that HR is not really looked upon as a crucial field in the business, and therefore the board of directors usually looks at other departments to elect a CEO. This is just my reasoning. What do you guys think?

Hi, this issue has been addressed. Please refer to the article titled "HR Heads Become CEOs and Business Leaders" by GG in the Articles by Forum Members.

Cheerio,
Rajat

HR as business leaders, SHRM has been focusing on HR's strategic role and its impact on business. There are CEOs who, at one time, adorned the HR cap; it's just that we don't know. I think if HR has the right ingredients (strong business acumen) to become a CEO, he/she will be in the running.

Hi,

There was a beautiful article on this subject in the VP of HR Newsletter by Dr. John Sullivan. I have attached the same.

Regards,
Ashit

This is a unique generalization and, in a way, a myth that HR background people do not become CEOs!

When we take a look at the options, even learners at B-schools opting for specializations, not necessarily, it is found that they have an inclination many times to make a confident decision about their career from the initial stages, right from the beginning of their career paths. They decide in favor of HR. If, otherwise, we need to know the numbers of people choosing it as a basis to conclude that it is not the most opted or favored.

Next, if it is their choice that they could not become CEOs, it is rather very much notional than rational. It is the beauty of HR that they need to coordinate/control all the guys/gals apart from HR in all other areas of the organizational constituents in MKTG, FIN, SYSTEMS, AND OPERATIONS, et al. It becomes all the more important to know even more about the other domains in which expertise and exposure are essentially needed for being successful.

For this, it requires a lot of patience, perseverance, perception, and in the fast world, people opt for shortcuts and unethical practices, where we can term the name of the context in "MAYA," the world is full of all its cloud, as cited in BHAGAVATH GITA. If society understands the truth and believes it, then there is no shortcut for success. Then only people from HR background, only then can become CEO. This is likely in the future, and it just might be a matter of time.

Perhaps one could consider this as my view for those who do not agree, and I leave it for each one and oneself to come to a conclusion on their choices and add on to their views.

kriskumars
Chennai, India

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