When Chief HR Officers Hold Leadership Accountable, Organizations Thrive

Several years ago, I met with the head of human resources for a large company. As we started our discussion, I could tell she was frustrated. She began by saying, “I thought we did all the right things when it came to developing our leaders.” I asked her what they had done. She explained that her organization had identified its high-potential leaders and created a development program for them: “We then gave them all promotions, with fancy titles and increased compensation. And now we are waiting.” “What are you waiting for?” I asked.