{"id":8276,"date":"2020-11-19T13:45:38","date_gmt":"2020-11-19T13:45:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sage-people-scraping-gb.local\/?p=1238"},"modified":"2026-01-29T10:02:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T10:02:13","slug":"habits-highly-successful-hr-leaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/habits-highly-successful-hr-leaders\/","title":{"rendered":"9 habits of highly successful HR and People leaders"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPeople & Leadership<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t9 habits of highly successful HR and People leaders\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Headshot\t\t\t\tCharlotte Penny<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re all creatures of habit \u2013 it\u2019s human nature. However, how do we know we have the right habits that can help us to thrive as HR and People leaders?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With valuable nuggets from Virgin to Facebook, we take a look at the habits the most highly effective HR and People leaders practice day-to-day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Request a free, live demo of Sage People and discover how it can help your organisation attract the best people, retain your key talent and increase productivity<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

1. They don\u2019t shy away from taking risks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When Facebook\u2019s Head of HR Lori Goler was initially offered the role, she turned it down. \u201cI didn\u2019t think I had enough experience,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSheryl Sandberg then called me and said: \u2018No man would ever turn down more responsibility because they don\u2019t have the experience.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It just struck me that is the \u2018lean-in moment\u2019. That\u2019s the moment when you go for something you don\u2019t think you can otherwise do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you have the ambition, don\u2019t hold yourself back. Lean in to it\u2014look for ways you can learn and grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Take those opportunities and risks in your career.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Download your free report: The changing expectations and perceptions of HR<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

2. They always put their people first<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Progressive HR and People leaders who put their people first and \u2018walk the walk\u2019 build true People Companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People Companies<\/a> have woken up to the fact that HR is changing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The global skills crisis has led to the war for talent. Employee engagement levels have plummeted and, as a result, productivity is at an all-time low.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People Companies know that to win in the war for talent, they need to not just be prepared, but get ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than just saying people are important, they truly believe it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most highly effective HR leaders put the success of their people at the top of the list for company success \u2013 and prioritise it over everything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. They embrace change<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Like a pilot making slight adjustments to the course of an aeroplane in order to stay on track, HR and People leaders need to continually assess how their strategy can be revised and updated\u2014and then push for that change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHR leaders need to be continually assessing information to determine whether to continue or alter the course of a project,\u201d says Holly Burkett, Innovation and Performance Consultant at Evaluation Works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe also have a responsibility to step up and embrace our role as change agents.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. They keep up with technology<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Successful HR and People leaders know that technology and innovation will accelerate exponentially.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seth Kahan, Founder and CEO of Visionary Leadership, says this will happen in three different areas: smart objects, artificial intelligence, and new HR tools and applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Successful HR leaders know they need to stay up to date with these changes to be effective in both today\u2019s and tomorrow\u2019s business worlds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. They\u2019re always listening<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Too often leaders rise to the top and lose touch with what\u2019s happening on the shop floor, so to speak. They build a great team and then let things run themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Angela Nguyen, Vice President, HR and Talent Management at Ad Exchange Group, says: \u201cListening is our biggest advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Effective HR leaders never rest on their laurels because they understand that business operations and innovation don\u2019t wait around for the complacent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Download your free report: The changing expectations and perceptions of HR<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

6. They stay grounded<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s easy in the midst of policies, procedures and initiatives to forget the \u2018human\u2019 element,\u201d says Rohit Paul from Academy for Urban School Leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEarly on in my career, I was surprised to find out that our director made every member of our team, regardless of title, log into the HR hotline and assist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHer agenda was simple: you learn the impact of the work you do when you connect with the people who are affected by it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. They treat their staff well<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As Richard Branson famously said: \u201cTake care of your employees and they\u2019ll take care of your business.\u201d Gone are the days when companies view employee engagement and wellbeing programmes as \u2018nice to have\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Companies with high engagement scores perform better than their counterparts in areas such as productivity, absenteeism, turnover, safety and quality incidents, shrinkage, customer metrics and profitability, according to Gallup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Branson says: \u201cSuccess in business is all about people, people, people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Your team is your biggest competitive advantage, no matter what industry you\u2019re in, which is why it\u2019s so important that business leaders look after their people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. They use data to inform decision making<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Truly data-driven HR focuses analytics on the goal of adding value and driving performance across the organisation\u2014all the time, not just every now and then, or on specific projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As HR and People leaders scale and build their teams to meet the demands of the business, they\u2019ll increasingly need data insights at their fingertips to drive decision making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. They have fun<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe work of today is dynamic and challenging\u2014and it\u2019s accelerating,\u201d says Mark Blankenship, Executive Vice President and Chief People, Culture, and Corporate Strategy Officer for Jack in the Box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWalk the talk by loving what you do and how you do it. Arrive at work each day excited, knowing that you are responsible for the success of each employee and the organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCelebrate all wins, small and big. Enjoy the journey, for we trade one day of our lives at a time for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Want to attract the best people, retain your key talent and increase productivity? Request a free, live demo of Sage People and discover how it can help you achieve your goals.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRequest a free demo<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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