The HR paradox: The four leadership dilemmas unique to HR professionals

As HR leaders, we find ourselves in a unique position within our organizations—simultaneously serving as strategic advisors, cultural guardians, people advocates, and business partners. Yet despite our expertise in developing others, we often neglect our own growth and potential. Through my extensive experience working with HR executives across industries, I've identified a pattern I call "The HR Leadership Dilemma"—a set of paradoxical challenges that keep talented HR professionals stuck in both their thinking and their careers.

What does this look like? The HR Leadership Dilemma manifests in our tendency to prioritize organizational needs over our own development and to focus on nurturing others' strengths while overlooking our unique capabilities. These contradictions create internal tension that can limit our effectiveness and career progression if left unaddressed.

I've categorized this HR Leadership Dilemma into four key themes that resonate with HR leaders I've worked with:

1. The Tactical-Strategic Divide

You spend your days resolving immediate HR challenges with little time to develop long-term talent strategies aligned with business objectives. You're frequently pulled into tactical implementation rather than strategic planning sessions with other senior leaders. For example, when I was the Head of HR at a tech startup, an employee came up to me and said, “The refrigerator in the pantry is broken.” I looked at them and said, “So?” Then I realized that it was my responsibility to do something about it! This is the kind of tactical work that can take you away from strategic discussions like headcount planning and employee engagement initiatives.

2. The Service-Leadership Tension

Let’s face it: HR is structurally positioned as a support function. We are expected to execute and enable business initiatives, yet we are simultaneously tasked with being the authoritative voice on people matters that may conflict with those same business priorities. You're often expected to implement leadership's directives without question (service role) while also being held accountable for employee engagement, retention, and culture outcomes (leadership role). This creates a fundamental contradiction in your position. I remember attending an HR conference where the speaker (a business COO) asked the audience of 200 HR professionals if they would challenge their business leader when they were asked to terminate an employee. Amazingly, I was the only one to raise my hand.

3. The Capability-Confidence Gap

Despite having extensive HR expertise, you may doubt your ability to make high-stakes decisions without seeking consensus or validation first. You may hesitate to present findings directly to the C-suite without over-preparing or anticipating potential criticism. You may feel you need to demonstrate 120% readiness before pursuing or accepting expanded responsibilities, limiting your career advancement. When I was the Head of HR at a tech startup, I was a one-man band. I had to develop and lean on my HR network for advice on everything from complex employee terminations to drafting employee handbooks. I had the capability but lacked the confidence to proceed independently with my own expertise.

4. The Influence-Authority Balance

You've developed excellent relationship-building skills that give you informal influence across departments, yet you lack formal authority when implementing new HR initiatives that face resistance. Your recommendations are respected but categorized as "suggestions" rather than directives, requiring you to build consensus for changes that should fall within your decision-making authority. When budget constraints arise, HR’s initiatives are the first to be cut, requiring you to repeatedly justify the business value of HR investments. At Barclays, when junior employee engagement became a problem, we were tasked with creating a mentorship program from scratch—with no budget!

These four interrelated dilemmas create a unique challenge for HR professionals. By recognizing these patterns, we can begin to break free from the constraints they place on our thinking and our careers. The first step is awareness; these tensions exist not because of personal shortcomings but due to structural contradictions in how the HR function is positioned.

Which of these dilemmas resonates most strongly with your experience? What might be possible if you could break free from these constraints?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I work with female senior leaders in Human Resources who feel stuck to help them love their work or find work they love. I write about:

👂 Executive & career coaching

📄 Career development and career transition

🎯 Job search strategy

All content provided in this post is for informational purposes only. The writer makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The writer will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. The writer will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information. These terms and conditions of use are subject to change at any time and without notice.