Description

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You've diagnosed the problem. Now here's how to fix it.

In Part 1, we unpacked why 31% of first-time CHROs are fired within 18 months and why doing a "good job" on HR metrics isn't enough. The issue? A strategy gap that starts as unclear language, becomes structure, and ends with a quiet exit.

In Part 2, we're giving you the playbook.

Scott Morris (former CHRO, founder of Propulsion AI) and Jackson Lynch break down the three concrete moves you can make starting Monday morning to close the gap before month 7, before the CEO's tone shifts, before the compliments land oddly, before the narrative moves against you.

This isn't about working harder. It's about working differently.

What You'll Learn

The fundamental shift:

• Why sounding like the CFO doesn't make you strategic (and what does)
• The difference between presenting about your function vs. diagnosing the business
• How to move from "here's what HR is doing" to "here's where the strategy will break"

What co-authorship actually looks like:

• Three things strategic CHROs do consistently that operational CHROs don't
• How to articulate where strategy breaks before it shows up in results
• The difference between being in the room vs. being inside the business model

The three-move playbook:

1. Contract altitude explicitly: Define "strategic" with your CEO in business terms, not air quotes
2. Translate strategy into constraints: Identify where the business will break and move talent to fix it
3. Redesign your operating model: Build systems that keep you upstream instead of reactive

The execution traps to avoid:

• Moving too fast without trust
• Trying to change everything at once
• Confusing strategic language with strategic contribution
• Neglecting operational excellence while chasing relevance
• Thinking this is a solo act (why CFO/COO partnerships matter)

Key Quotes

"A strategic CHRO doesn't deliver a section of the deck. They shape the story the deck is built around."

"Access is earned by demonstrating that you see things others don't. Not by asking for a seat at the table."

"The shift isn't do more. The shift is do fewer things that remove constraints."

"If you think your role is building people up, you go one way. If you think your role is driving the business forward by building people up, you go a different direction."

"Organizations where CFOs and CHROs co-lead initiatives are 2.4x more likely to achieve transformation outcomes."

"You cannot neglect operational excellence while chasing strategic relevance. Operational excellence is the foundation. It's not the ceiling."

The Diagnostic Questions

• Is your people strategy inside the business model or sitting next to it?
• Are you being rewarded for reliability over authorship?
• Are you being evaluated on enterprise outcomes or how well HR runs?
• Are you mistaking activity for leverage?

About the Hosts

Jackson Lynch is founder of Talent Sherpa and creator of the CHRO Ascent Academy.

Scott Morris is a former CHRO and founder/CEO of Propulsion AI.

Connect

• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube
• Leave a review to help us reach more leaders
• Tag @TalentSherpa with your takeaways

Listen to Part 1 for the diagnosis: why 31

Resources

• My Talent Sherpa: mytalentsherpa.com
• Talent Sherpa Substack: talentsherpa.substack.com
• Scott Morris / Propulsion AI: getpropulsion.ai
• Dripify: try.dripify.com/talentsherpa