HR's Vision Of Proactive Leadership For Business Success

What is your vision for HR profession, and what transformative role can it play in the success of a company? 

In the ever-changing landscape of business, speed & agility are the two key aspects that every HR leader needs to embrace & imbibe in their thinking. My vision for the HR profession is to be able to move from being reactive to being proactive. I strongly believe that with a strong business acumen, the HR leaders should be able to better sense the macro environment and anticipate business needs. By creating hypothesis around the impact of these external factors on people within the organisation, HR leaders can take several proactive measures to keep the workforce engaged & committed to the purpose of the organisation.

How did you get interested in the HR field, and what have been some major milestones in your journey? 

During my college days, I was a part of the Rotary International’s youth wing and had several opportunities to interact with HR professionals who are now stalwarts in the industry. The inspiration to build a career in this field was a result of the executive presence showcased by some of these leaders. During my time as a student in Manchester Business School in UK, I was inspired by several of my professors who were accomplished researchers in organisation development and human resource management.

In my career, I have been a consultant to many of the Fortune 500 companies and have travelled to several countries including Brazil, China, UK, USA, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka to deliver leadership development workshops. I have been recognised by National HRD Network as one of the young HR Icons in 2016 and have also been a finalist at the HR Excellence Awards hosted by CIPD London in 2015. I was certified by Gallup as an ‘executive coach’ in 2017 and ever since I have had the privilege of helping leaders unleash their potential through my coaching conversations. I have also led award winning projects which has been recognized by several international & national forums.

How should HR professionals themselves envision their contribution to the world of work? 

In any part of world, people are the greatest asset of an organisation irrespective of the product or the service they sell in a market. The human resources (people) of an organisation have the power to build or crash a business empire. The leaders in the HR fraternity are gifted with the power to transform the core of every business by transforming the people within the organisation. Through various people-centric policies & initiatives, we (HR) should shape the future of work. HR should envision our contribution as a direct enabler of the business performance, be it the financial metrics of our organisation or the social impact it can create in our country.