Talent and transformation. You can’t have one without the other.
Business transformations are not merely about adopting new technologies or innovating on products; they are fundamentally about the people driving these things. Successful execution of any vision, strategy, or plan hinges on an organization’s ability to harness and align its talent with where it is—and where it’s going.
Easier said than done, of course.
In a market where business transformation is top of mind, 61% of organizations report not having the right executive leadership talent to inspire teams and drive the change they need.
Enter: The (New & Improved) Chief People Officer
As such, this is one of the critical places where the Chief People Officer steps in.
Once a traditional HR function, the CPO role has grown into a strategic leadership position focused on aligning people strategies with very specific business objectives. The CPO plays a central role in helping companies — and their people — navigate the complexities and dramatic shifts shaking up the modern workforce.
But don’t just take it from us. We talked to Melanie Steinbach, Chief People Officer MasterClass at Work, about the right skills a modern CPO needs to lead companies through transformation.
“A modern CHRO/CPO needs to deeply understand the business model, market conditions, and organizational goals. They should be able to connect talent strategy to the business’s success metrics and actively contribute to discussions that drive company growth and competitive advantage,” explains Steinbach.
With experience leading and transforming HR/people strategies and teams at iconic companies like McDonald’s, Cameo, and Milliken, we asked Steinbach to share her real-time perspective on the evolving expectations of a people leader, the right skills, and how to continuously balance the needs of the business with the needs of the people driving its success.
"My journey has taught me the critical importance of aligning talent and culture with business strategy, giving people the feedback they need to perform, and driving organizational excellence."
Melanie Steinbach
The 6 Most Important Skills for a CPO Today
"Experiencing the friction and inefficiency that arise when talent strategies are disconnected from business goals has been a crucial learning experience," she shares. Today, Steinbach is here to share these hard-learned lessons.
To better understand the nuances of what can make a people leader successful in this intricate, multifaceted role, Steinbach breaks down the top 6 essential skills they should have today.
1. Talks the Talk (With People), Walks the Walk (With Business Strategy)
Going far beyond just a knack for people, it is imperative for a CPO today to seamlessly align talent strategies with the company’s key performance indicators, actively engaging in conversations that propel organizational expansion/transformation and foster a competitive edge.
"I've seen how teams that truly embody their company's values and understand the KPIs and why they’re working toward them—beyond just words on a wall—achieve better clarity, efficiency, and cohesion,” shares Steinbach.
2. Knows the Numbers Behind the People
"When hiring talent, development, and performance are backed by real insights,” says Steinbach. “The alignment between people and business goals becomes intentional and measurable.
Intentional and measurable. Any organization looking to transform or meet any new goal/plan needs to operate with these two modes at the center.
To do that, a CPO should lead by knowing the numbers behind the people on the team. Leveraging data is essential for making informed decisions around hiring, retention, performance, and culture. A CPO should be skilled in using workforce analytics to identify trends, predict future needs, and evaluate the impact of HR initiatives on business outcomes.
3. Influential Influencing
The ability to guide and influence senior leaders is crucial. Even Steinbach herself talks about how this inspires and motivates her own work: “Seeing leaders who consistently share knowledge, take accountability, and enable decisions closer to the frontline inspires my own approach.”
A successful CPO must shape a culture of accountability and responsiveness at the executive level, encouraging alignment between leadership behaviors and company values. Effective influencing skills are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to helping drive cultural change and ensuring people strategies support overall business objectives.
4. Acts Fast, With Poise
The pace of change in today’s business environment requires a CPO to be a proactive change agent. They need to navigate organizational transformation, be it related to restructuring, mergers, or evolving workforce needs, while keeping the culture intact and people engaged. The challenge? Achieving all this without losing the company’s soul — or its people.
5. Curates a Culture-First Environment
“The best teams I’ve worked with have fostered an inclusive environment where respect is given freely, diverse perspectives are encouraged, and curiosity drives continuous learning,” shares Steinbach. “These experiences have shown me that building a foundation and culture of trust is essential for aligning people strategies with broader objectives in a sustainable way.”
Steinbach’s insight underscores a critical truth: trust is just as much of a strategic imperative as it is a bedrock of positive culture.
Balancing the business’s needs with those of the employees — such as promoting well-being, development opportunities, diversity initiatives, and trust — is an absolute non-negotiable. Make no mistake about how vital a balance is between performance and culture. In fact, they fuel each other.
6. Connects the Dots To Paint the Full Picture
These days, it’s about the big picture… and the disparate pieces that bring it together. This is the ability to work across functions, aligning HR initiatives with other departments like finance, operations, IT, and more. An ability to connect the dots not only drives a unified approach to organizational goals, but helps ensure that talent strategies are integrated into every aspect of the business.
Transformation and Talent — You Can’t Have One Without the Other
These are two sides of the same coin. True business transformation happens when organizations not only attract top talent but also cultivate and empower them to drive change. Simply put, talent is the engine of transformation, and transformation is the fuel that keeps talent engaged, growing, and pushing boundaries.
So, do you have the right talent to execute your business transformations?
Melanie Out Of Office📱 The most used app on my phone: APPLE WEATHER. I AM WEATHER OBSESSED 👏 I had to describe my leadership style in one word, it would be: Encouraging 🖼️ The one item I always keep on my desk: A picture of my family 📺 The last TV series I watched and loved: Only Murders in the Building 🏞️ My favorite way to recharge: I deeply believe in a walk outside to reset your mood and brain! |
Build The Right People & Talent Strategies With Help From Melanie Through the ExpertAccess Program
Melanie Steinbach is a seasoned executive at the intersection of people, innovation, and strategy, bringing a wealth of knowledge from her experiences over the past decade at a diversity of companies like Cameo, McDonald's, and Milliken & Company.
She is currently the Chief People Officer at MasterClass, and is part of the ExpertAccess Program, which puts first-string operators in your back pocket for all things talent so you can hire better, smarter, and faster.
