In my 34 years working in and around human resources, I’ve found that most HR departments are mired in power struggles, bureaucratic programs, and miscellaneous special projects when they should be focused on one objective: maximizing organizational performance. It’s tempting to blame this sorry state of affairs on HR alone. But the fundamental reason has to do with lack of leadership by companies’ senior managers—the CEOs, COOs, and company presidents whose jobs are to focus the various departments on accomplishing the organization’s goals.
A version of this article appeared in the September 2006 issue of Harvard Business Review.