Chief

Thanks for the honor, TIME! We are incredibly proud and grateful to be recognized as one of the 100 Most Influential Companies of 2023. This recognition is a testament to our talented and passionate team and incredible community of Chief Members. We started this journey just over four years ago — our work is just beginning, and we look forward to all that lies ahead as we continue to advance our mission to change the face of leadership. #TIME100Companies

Chief Human Resources Officers are having a moment. Once relegated to the corporate sidelines, the CRHO has moved front and center to meet the demands of our day. Balancing everything from remote and hybrid workplaces, to diversity and inclusion initiatives, to regulatory compliance, people management requires stronger leaders than ever before. It should come as no surprise, then, that the CHRO role may be the new stepping stone to the CEO seat. Both General Motors’s Mary Barra and CHANEL’s Leena Nair previously held HR leadership roles before taking on the top job. But CHROs must navigate new tools and technologies, combat old perceptions of the position, and effectively market their skills to have a truly powerful seat at the table. Learn how CHROs — and other executives — can chart their paths to the CEO role at the link in our comments. 

The gratitude trap (noun): 1. The overly accommodating behavior, chronic apologizing, and meekness that so often feels required to the workplace as a woman. 2. An obstacle that undermines a leader’s value and effectiveness. In an exclusive excerpt from her new book, “Unwavering: Rejecting Bias, Igniting Change, Celebrating Inclusion,” Nellie Borrero, author and Senior Strategic Adviser for Global Inclusion & Diversity at Accenture, lays out some powerful reframes for avoiding the gratitude trap.

New positions, new recognition, new ventures: Congratulations to leaders in the Chief community celebrating hard work paid off this week. — Sonja Batten was promoted to Chief Clinical Officer at Stop Soldier Suicide — Karen Lithgow was hired as Chief Marketing Officer at Goodwill Industries International of South Florida — Liz Brown was hired as Head of Human Resources for GTM and Marketing at Synopsys Inc — Erin Gray, SPHR, GPHR was hired as Managing Director, Head of Human Capital at Geller — MINH PHAM-COSTELLO was hired as Vice President, Director, Business Management (HR Transformation) at Santander US — Esma Deljanin, SHRM-SCP launched Sonam Consulting — Carmen Boon, M.A. joined the Greater New York Chapter Board of the Fulbright Association — Anna Litvak-Hinenzon, PhD joined the board of Hyphenate — 📈Juhi Saha - Your Partnerships Copilot was named one of The Upside’s Rising Stars of 2024 — Mercedes Soria, MS, MBA, PMP received a Women Changing the World Award — Wilette N. was named a Leader of Hope by the American Cancer Society’s San Francisco Bay Area Associate Board of Ambassadors — Wendy Batchelder published Data Governance Handbook: A Practical Guide to Building Trust in Data

For Arlan Hamilton, founder of Backstage Capital and Hire Runner, the journey from homelessness to entrepreneurship was long and winding but filled with enduring lessons. In conversation with Trey Boynton, our very own Chief Diversity and People Officer, Hamilton share the most valuable insights she learned along the way 👇 1️⃣ Define your own narrative. “Ask yourself: Where are you? What do you want in life? What does success look like to you?” Hamilton reminds leaders that not every career, venture, or business needs to achieve the same level of success. Define what success looks like to you, and pursue that goal with passion. 2️⃣ Embrace a people-first mentality. “At the end of the day, people are the ones who will take you to the finish line or not.” One key aspect Hamilton considers before investing in a company is how a leader treats their team, their circumstances, and uncertain times. 3️⃣ Embrace radical self-belief. “One of the markers of highly successful people is an overwhelming belief in your own success.”  In any venture — especially entrepreneurship — Hamilton believes success begins with self-belief and confidence in your own abilities. We’re looking forward to welcoming Arlan Hamilton back to Chief for her Executive Education course on startup investing later this year. Chief Members: What was your favorite insight from the talk? Tell us in the comments.

The “je ne sais quoi” of executive presence is a trap. Hear us out: The fuzzy definition of “executive presence” allows for racial and gender biases to perpetuate. This, in turn, puts women, the LGBTQIA+ community, and people of color in the tricky position of hiding their authentic selves in order to fit into a leadership box. How do you view executive presence? Let us know in the poll below.

Business is rapidly changing around the world. And so are the demands on executive leaders — in both scale and intensity. Enter “Ask a Chief.” To help executives everywhere meet these demands, we’re sharing invaluable insights and expertise from Chief Members through our brand-new series. Up first: Words of wisdom from Nici Bush, Global Chief Innovation, Science and Technology Officer at Mars. She offers three key insights that have helped her drive transformations in a private family-owned business during uncertain times. Mars now employs 150,000+ Associates globally and drives more than $50 billion in annual sales. Read Bush’s full recommendations for executive leaders at the link below.

It’s happened. You’ve just encountered the dreaded bad leader. Now what? When that time comes, it can be hard to face the fact that we're in less-than-capable hands. Here are five questions Barbara Kellerman of the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education suggests asking yourself to spot signs of  poor leadership. 1️⃣ What has the leader done in the past? How they’ve acted before will determine how they act in the future. 2️⃣ What does the leader say online and offline? Their words matter, deeply. 3️⃣ Does the leader’s vision smack of personal, professional, or political grandiosity — or even fantasy? 4️⃣ Who is on the leader’s team? Specifically, who are their closest aides and associates? and what do they suggest? 5️⃣ What are the leader’s strong preferences? Strong preferences suggest probable priorities — what the leader cares about most will likely determine their actions. What are your leadership red flags? Comment below 🚩

When life get busy, It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. So, how can corporate leaders maintain maximum impact through periods of acute stress? In our latest guest article, Claudia Chan shares how she’s learned to thrive during demanding seasons of life. First, focus on what truly matters to you. While struggling to balance raising a family, growing her business, investing in relationships, and caring for aging parents, Chan felt like she had to do it all, all the time. But when her mentor Rha Goddess advised her to invest her time in what she cared about most, Chan felt something click. To be productive, Chan recommends putting down your to-do list for a moment and taking a step back. Using this fresh perspective, define what matters most to you in the present, near future, and future. Then, allow those definitions guide how you invest your time. Second, check in with your heart, mind, and body before making critical decisions. Drawing inspiration from her yoga practice, Chan advises using your heart, mind, and body as a three-part system for making informed decisions. Allow your heart to express what you truly want, let your mind to draft a strategic plan, and support your body with rest, nutrition, and care so you can execute it. Read Chan’s full article and complete recommendations via the link in the comments 👇

Congratulations to the Chief Members celebrating major career milestones this week. We’re continually inspired by your hard work and commitment to impact. — Jobina Gonsalves was hired as Chief People Officer at Forrester  — Erin (Rybacek) McAuley was hired as Chief People Officer at Springline Advisory  — Priya Ahuja was hired as Senior Vice President & Portfolio Managing Partner, Private Equity at GlobalLogic  — Adrienne B. was promoted to Vice President, DEI & People Partnerships at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative  — Trudy Leal, MBA was hired as Vice President of Sales and Business Development at Cardi/o® by Advanced TeleSensors  — Kim Englehardt Miller launched Heart And Revenue  — Amy Gershkoff Bolles, Ph.D. joined the board of Minted  — Lydia Flocchini was named one of International Legal Technology Association (ILTA)’s Influential Women in Legal Tech for 2023