This One Relationship Can Make or Break a CEO

HR Colleagues,

Here’s something I’ve learned firsthand, something I believe more leaders need to hear:

The relationship between the CEO and CHRO is a critical one.

This may sound like an exaggeration. But after serving as both a CHRO and now CEO, I can tell you: This partnership influences a company’s direction, culture, and long-term success. It affects everything from decision-making and team morale to talent strategy and crisis response.

And yet, too many organizations overlook or underleverage it.

Let’s talk about why this relationship matters more than ever, where it breaks down, and what we can do to strengthen it.

WHY THIS RELATIONSHIP MATTERS

The CEO role today is more demanding than it’s ever been. It’s not just about managing operations or financial outcomes; it’s about constantly representing the organization, responding to change, and making high-stakes decisions in a complex, global environment.

There is no “off switch” for a CEO … and no room for leading in isolation.

This is where the CHRO becomes essential.

The CHRO has great insight over every department and every human in the organization. They hear what’s happening on the ground, sense when teams are misaligned, and understand when culture is starting to erode.

They are the organization’s connective tissue, linking strategy with people, vision with execution, and policy with lived experience.

And in moments of uncertainty or transformation, this insight becomes a competitive advantage.

WHY THIS PARTNERSHIP OFTEN FALLS SHORT

Despite this, CHROs are often treated as support players rather than strategic leaders.

They’re brought in to execute after decisions have been made. They’re expected to react, not lead. And they’re often excluded from conversations where culture, morale, and people dynamics should be front and center.

This creates a disconnect between vision and reality.

When the CHRO isn’t empowered to influence at the highest level, organizations miss early signals of burnout, disengagement, and turnover. Culture issues remain hidden. Leadership decisions happen in silos.

In short, the CEO leads, but without the visibility needed to lead well.

We saw this vividly during the pandemic, when CHROs were suddenly pulled into everything, from crisis communications to employee wellness to hybrid workforce planning. 

Many CEOs finally saw what should’ve been true all along: You can’t navigate disruption without your people leader at the helm with you.

HOW TO BUILD A STRATEGIC CEO–CHRO PARTNERSHIP

Successful HR leaders become indispensable by understanding what CEOs need—what I call the “3 C’s”:

1. Competency

CHROs will exhibit expertise in understanding people and organizational dynamics, with deep fluency in workforce strategy, organizational design, leadership development, and culture.

It’s not enough to simply understand HR processes. The CHRO must bring strategic insight, connecting people data to business decisions and helping the CEO grasp the long-term human impact of short-term actions.

This level of competence builds respect, ensuring the CHRO’s voice carries weight where it matters most.

2. Courage

The CHRO must make tough, sometimes unpopular decisions and advocate for what’s best for the organization and its people.

They need to speak truth to power, surface tough cultural realities, and push back on decisions that look good on paper but lead to future issues.

This is about protecting the integrity of the organization and supporting the CEO’s leadership.

3. Confidante

The CEO role is isolating, with immense pressure. Every misstep has public consequences, leaving little room for error.

In these high-stakes moments, the CHRO’s role isn’t just to advise but to be a trusted confidante—someone the CEO can rely on for honest, insightful, and confidential counsel.

This trust doesn’t happen overnight. It’s built through presence, asking the right questions, and offering a calm perspective when the weight of decisions is overwhelming. It’s about helping the CEO pause, reflect, and make thoughtful, grounded decisions.

These three qualities combined will position HR leaders as critical, high-level strategic partners in their organizations.

CULTURE ISN’T A DEPARTMENT, IT’S A DECISION

Here’s the bottom line:

CEOs are the face of an organization. But CHROs are its pulse.

When those two leaders are aligned on values, communication, and culture, organizations don’t just function. They flourish.

As we head into a future shaped by AI, demographic shifts, and constant disruption, the CEO–CHRO relationship will only become more critical.

So let’s stop preparing HR leaders to manage behind the scenes. Let’s prepare them to lead from the front.

Because when the CHRO has competence, courage, and the trust of their CEO, there is no better force for driving a workplace forward.

Yours in service,

Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP

President & CEO, SHRM