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.
First off, if any of this sounds familiar – if you’ve ever felt invisible or stuck in your role – then I want to invite you to something special: my free, 3-part HR Leadership Series, kicking off soon.
In Workshop 1, I’ll go deeper into the exact reasons high-potential HR leaders stall… and what to do about it.
Today’s episode sets the foundation for all of that.
Why HR Professionals Get Stuck Mid-Career
Many HR professionals find themselves at a crossroads around mid-career:
You’re good at what you do. You’re reliable. But somehow, you’re not getting tapped for that next step.
This often isn’t about skills – it’s about perception.
In my case, the perception of our department was bleeding into how I was being viewed.
And I realized something powerful:
No one is going to rewrite that story for you. You have to do it yourself.
How to Start Shifting Your HR Personal Brand (Before the Title Change)
The key things to remember though, is that you don’t need a promotion to start showing up like a leader.
In fact, if you wait for the title, it’s already too late.
So what did I do? I focused on how I was:
- Communicating with peers and decision-makers
- Showing strategic thinking, not just execution
- Positioning myself as a partner, not a gatekeeper
I’ll dive deeper into these shifts in the upcoming workshop – but just know: the internal brand you build matters as much as the work you do.
HR Executive Skills That Make the Difference
Now to be clear, I wasn’t lacking technical HR knowledge.
What I lacked – and had to build – were the skills that aren’t taught in most trainings:
- Executive presence
- Time prioritization like a leader
- Translating HR needs into business value
Once I learned how to communicate like a strategic peer – not just an HR professional – people started listening differently.
Weekly Challenge: Audit Your Brand at Work
This week, I want to leave you with two weekly challenges:
The first, you probably guessed – sign up for my free leadership series! If you’re ready to go deeper and move from overlooked to unstoppable, you don’t want to miss this free series.
You can find the link to register in the podcast show notes. Or you can simply go to my website at www.HRHigherVersion.com and download the free guide. You will be registered for the leadership series and also receive my free guide: 4 Ways HR Professionals Can Be More Strategic with Their Time and Move Toward an Executive Level Role as a thank you.
Your second weekly challenge is to self-reflect on this question:
How is your brand being experienced inside your organization?
Think about:
- Do people come to you early in the process, or only when there’s a problem?
- Do you make it easy or hard for others to work with HR?
- Do you talk about business goals, or just HR priorities?
Even one small shift in how you show up can plant a seed of change.
You’re not stuck – you’re just one shift away from seeing your next level more clearly.
