'Nurture the people; protect the business'

"The chief human resources officer holds one of the most impossible jobs in the C-suite. They're asked to be the company's emotional infrastructure while also serving as the organization's compliance shield. Nurture the people; protect the business. It's a textbook example of a double bind, and historically it has been paid like one."

"Community at work drives engagement, retention, and performance. Yet the leadership psychology most of us are trained in doesn't produce community—it produces efficiency, urgency, and scale. The result is a C-suite that talks about culture while practicing velocity."

The predominance of women in HR highlights societal biases regarding gender roles in the workplace. Chief Human Resources Officers face a dual challenge of nurturing employees while ensuring compliance and protecting the organization. This double bind complicates their roles and often results in inadequate compensation. Effective community-building in organizations is essential for engagement and performance, yet traditional leadership training emphasizes efficiency over community, leading to a disconnect between C-suite discussions on culture and the actual experiences of employees.

Read at Fast Company