Some 42 per cent of HR professionals think that the quality of leadership in HR is poor or merely satisfactory, according to a survey conducted by HR with Guts and Orion Partners. The survey concentrated on the most important qualities for HR leaders to develop and display. Its results suggest that there is a conflict within HR.

Over 40 per cent of heads of HR think that ‘taking a stand on what they believe’ is important and yet only 15 per cent of them ranked ‘taking a risk’ that highly. Moreover,  53 per cent of HR business partners think that ‘providing unquestioning service’ is important but 94 per cent of them rated ‘has an opinion and challenges’ as important too.

The survey also demonstrates the mismatch between how senior HR people see their leadership and how their employees see it. Some 71 per cent of heads of HR described themselves as willing to take a risk, while only three per cent of people who work in HR considered their boss to be likely to take a risk.

Comment: This survey illustrates a valuable lesson – and, in this instance, it happens to be connected with HR. Human beings are a mass of inconsistencies – critics would say hypocrisies. Self-image is never a good indicator of reality. We’re both mice and men – sometimes simultaneously. That’s life. You’ve just got to deal with it!