The report Leadership Connections: How HR deals with C-suite leadership, seen early exclusively by HR magazine, also found 64% of C-suite leaders believe creating a shared direction and purpose is a key business issue.
Ipsos MORI and Cirrus surveyed more than 100 business leaders, and conducted qualitative research with senior HR professionals. They found a sense of shared direction and purpose is one of the biggest priorities for the C-suite, but that HR is not perceived to be leading in this area.
Cirrus CEO Simon Hayward called for more “connected leadership”, as opposed to old styles of command and control.
He said: “It is about leading through influence; it requires a high degree of trust – not only between HR and C-suite, but across the entire organisation – trust that each person will seek what’s best for the whole business based on a shared purpose.”
Ipsos MORI CEO Ben Page said HR has a distinct role to play in stepping up and helping business leaders to build shared direction.
“Many C-suite leaders – as well as HR leaders – clearly want HR to be more involved in the game,” he said.
“As HR continues to shift both practice and perception from the transactional to the true strategic partner, they are pushing at an open door. One message from this research is that many business leaders across the UK want HR to keep pushing.”
