Today I want to talk to you about something that comes up more often than you’d expect - even among smart, capable HR professionals.

I was having a conversation the other day with a talented HR leader. She’s experienced, driven, and respected. But she said something that really stuck with me.

She asked:
"Can I really be successful if I show up as me? Or do I have to fit into some executive mold that doesn’t quite feel like mine?"

Maybe you’ve asked yourself a version of that question too.
👉 “Do I have to be louder?”
👉 “More aggressive?”
👉 “More ‘corporate’?”
👉 “Less emotional?”
👉 “More like… them?”

The short answer? No.

You don’t have to become someone else to be successful.

But - you do have to learn how to think like an executive.

That’s what today’s episode is all about.

👉 Save your spot for the free 3-part HR leadership series here → https://lnkd.in/epERAEZC

Kristen Wade helps HR professionals who want to reach the executive level,
to stop putting out fires and become more strategic with their time. For individual support, apply for Kristen's Signature Program here and she'll be in touch to invite you to a free discovery call.

Or if you're ready to ensure your unique values shine, grab a Personal Branding Strategy Session with Kristen here.

Let me take you back 10 years - I was a high-performing HR professional, but I hit a career wall.

I didn’t see a path forward. Promotion felt out of reach.

And what made it harder? My organization wasn’t even interested in looking at internal candidates for promotion … because our HR department had a reputation problem.

We were seen as transactional. As blockers. As the “no” people. Can you relate to that?

And leadership feared that promoting someone from within would just keep things the same.

I knew that if I didn’t change something - I would stay stuck. So I made three crucial shifts. They weren’t easy, and they didn’t happen overnight - but they worked.

✅ I was offered the HR Director role.
✅ We completely shifted how the organization sees HR.
✅ The department is now known as a strategic partner, not a roadblock.

Keep listening as I’m going to dive into the three things I discovered are essential in moving your career forward.

👉 Save your spot for the free 3-part HR leadership series here → https://lnkd.in/epERAEZC

Kristen Wade helps HR professionals who want to reach the executive level,
to stop putting out fires and become more strategic with their time. For individual support, apply for Kristen's Signature Program here and she'll be in touch to invite you to a free discovery call.

Or if you're ready to ensure your unique values shine, grab a Personal Branding Strategy Session with Kristen here.

Welcome back to the HR Higher Version Podcast — the show dedicated to helping HR professionals unlock their leadership potential and build intentional, executive-level careers.

I’m Kristen Wade, your executive coach, and today we’re going to talk about one of the most powerful but often overlooked tools you have in your career toolbox: your personal brand.

If you missed last week’s episode, I announced a free 3-part leadership series to help HR pros like you break through career plateaus and build clear paths to executive roles.

At the end of this episode, I will give you the link to sign up. In part of that series, I will dive into Personal Branding. So let’s prime that discussion today.

👉 Save your spot for the free 3-part HR leadership series here → https://lnkd.in/epERAEZC

Kristen Wade helps HR professionals who want to reach the executive level,
to stop putting out fires and become more strategic with their time. For individual support, apply for Kristen's Signature Program here and she'll be in touch to invite you to a free discovery call.

Or if you're ready to ensure your unique values shine, grab a Personal Branding Strategy Session with Kristen here.