Nabeel Ahmed
SVP, CHRO
EnLink Midstream
Episode 313
Stop Just Taking A Seat: HR Must Become The Strategic Table-Setter
Current chapter: Covering monthly expenses is the number one concern for employees in 2024
Built By PeopleFebruary 6, 2025 · 2:29
Thesis
“HR must transcend a supportive, operational role to become a proactive, strategic orchestrator of business decisions, requiring a fundamental shift in mindset and demonstrated leadership to earn a permanent seat at the executive table.”
Show notes
There's a phrase in HR circles about "having a seat at the table." Nabeel Ahmed has a problem with it — not because the sentiment is wrong, but because it sets the aspiration too low. Getting a seat means you're still a guest. What HR leaders actually need to do is set the table.
Nabeel is CHRO at EnLink Midstream, with a 21-year career spanning multiple countries and major organizations including Halliburton. His argument: the difference between HR as a support function and HR as a strategic force is entirely a question of mindset and demonstrated capability. HR professionals need to shift from "seat-takers" to "table-setters" — proactively positioning themselves to be included in C-suite decisions automatically, not fighting for inclusion after strategies are already set. That shift requires three things he's developed deliberately over his career: business and financial acumen, genuine relationship credibility with leaders, and the influencing skills to shift decisions without positional authority.
Nabeel is also candid about the competency gap in HR: the field has historically selected for people who are good with people — and then been surprised when those people struggle with the financial and operational conversations that determine whether HR gets taken seriously. He advises early-career HR professionals to close that gap aggressively, building specific competencies in business understanding that most HR career paths don't develop naturally. Looking ahead, he sees HR's strategic role continuing to expand — but only for the practitioners who've done the work to earn that expansion.
- From seat-taker to table-setter — reframing HR's ambition from inclusion in decisions to ownership of the agenda
- Business and financial acumen as non-negotiable HR competencies — why fluency in the numbers is the price of strategic credibility
- Building undeniable credibility with business leaders — the long game of relationship and demonstrated value
- Influencing without positional authority — how HR leaders shape outcomes when they don't have final say
- Early-career competency development — the specific skills that enable the transition to strategic HR leadership
- The future of HR in the C-suite — what the next decade of expanding strategic influence requires from today's practitioners
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What you'll take away
- 1HR professionals need to actively shift their mindset and actions from 'seat-takers' to 'table-setters' in strategic business discussions.
- 2Early career HR professionals should focus on developing specific competencies that enable them to transition into strategic leadership roles.
- 3Building strong, undeniable credibility with business leaders is essential for HR to exert influence and be seen as a valuable strategic partner.
- 4HR must proactively position itself to be automatically included in C-suite strategic decision-making, rather than fighting for inclusion.
- 5The role of HR is evolving towards more strategic leadership, particularly in driving and navigating organizational transformation.
What most organizations get wrong
In Nabeel's words
“Nabil, you've advocated in the past for HR professionals to move beyond having a seat at the table to setting the table. Can you elaborate on what this mindset shift means and why it's important?”
This question sets the core strategic framing for HR's role, moving from participation to proactive leadership.
“What specific competencies do you believe HR professionals need to develop early in their careers to effectively transition from being a seat taker to a table setter?”
This highlights the practical skills and development required for HR to achieve strategic influence.
“How can HR professionals build that needed credibility with business leaders?”
This question addresses a fundamental challenge for HR in gaining respect and influence within an organization.
“I'm curious to get your perspective on how HR professionals can effectively position themselves to automatically be included in those strategic business decisions among those other C-suite level folks.”
This pinpoints the ambition for HR to be an indispensable, inherent part of top-level strategic discourse.
“Naveel, given your experience with organizational transformation, how do you see the role of HR evolving in the next 5 to 10 years, particularly in terms of strategic leadership?”
This explores the forward-looking, adaptive nature of HR's strategic function in a dynamic business environment.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Employees are facing significant financial stress, with covering monthly expenses being their number one concern in 2024.
- •HR professionals often struggle to elevate their role beyond administrative or supportive functions to become true strategic partners.
- •Building and demonstrating credibility with senior business leaders remains a challenge for many HR professionals.
- •Chief People Officers frequently have to contend for an effective voice and automatic inclusion in executive-level strategic decision-making.
- •The need for HR to clearly define and adapt its strategic leadership role in the context of ongoing organizational transformation.
In this episode
Covering monthly expenses is the number one concern for employees in 2024
Build by People
Nabil says HR professionals should transition from being seat takers to table setters
Naveel Shah on the Role of HR Pros in Strategic Leadership
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
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