You can’t lead change from the sidelines. As HR moves into the center of business transformation, the question isn’t whether you’ll influence strategy—it’s how.
Val Wright, a global leadership strategist and former Fortune 500 executive, has spent her career helping senior leaders move faster and lead smarter. In her keynote at EmpowerHR 2025, she shared a clear message for HR leaders: Influence is the lever that determines whether your work drives results or gets sidelined.
By communicating with clarity and boldness, intentionally mapping your influence, and leading with connection and consistency, you can drive meaningful, measurable change across the organization. Follow Val’s principles for shifting from tactical execution to transformational leadership.
Say the hard thing—even when it’s unpopular
You need to bring more than insights to the strategy table. You need a bold, compelling message that connects people strategy to business results. And that means being willing to speak uncomfortable truths.
“If you want to grow rapidly, if you want to create a culture of innovation and growth,” Val said, “you have to create a culture of truth-tellers.”
And if you don’t? She illustrated this with a now-famous story about a Forbes editor who visited WeWork. He ordered a latte but got a cappuccino. When he pointed it out, the staff told him: “Here we call lattes cappuccinos and cappuccinos lattes.” Why? Because the CEO once mixed them up—and no one wanted to correct him.
It’s a funny story with a serious message: When no one is willing to speak up, dysfunction thrives. “Being a bold truth-teller is what sets you apart,” Val said. “It’s what tells an executive you are valuable to have around and will hold up the mirror when others won’t.”
When you communicate HR initiatives, tie them directly to business outcomes. Don’t just pitch a new program—show how it supports growth, reduces risk, or solves a real problem. And when something’s not working, say so. Leaders can’t fix what they can’t see.
Build the right kind of visibility
One of the biggest reasons HR leaders get left out of strategic decisions isn’t a lack of credibility—it’s a lack of visibility. You may be spending all your time executing the plan, but are you influencing the people who shape it?
Val has a practical model to help HR leaders audit and expand their reach: the “1-5-15-50-500-5000 model.” Each number represents a layer of your influence ecosystem:
- 1 CEO. Do you know what’s top of mind for your CEO right now—not last quarter, but today?
- 5 internal champions. These are the people who get your ideas funded and approved.
- 15 members of your executive team. Are they aligned with your strategy, and are you aligned with theirs?
- 50 people leaders. Without their buy-in, nothing sticks.
- 500 doers. The ones who make the work real.
- 5,000 external fans. The people outside your organization who shape your reputation and credibility.
Not sure where to start? Val suggested mapping out your “influence bullseye.” In the center: your power influencers. Around them: people whispering in their ears. Build trust with those amplifiers to expand your impact.
Earn trust with small moments (and biscuits)
Strategy doesn’t move without relationships. That’s why your ability to lead change is directly tied to your ability to build trust—with your team, your peers, and your executive stakeholders.
To illustrate this, Val pulled out a pink tin of biscuits—an homage to Ted Lasso. “Why does Ted bring biscuits to his boss every morning?” she asked. “He’s building connections. Building trust. Creating space for real conversation.”
“How can you create more ‘biscuits-with-the-boss’ moments?” she continued. “For your team, your peers, your CEO?”
Trust matters even more during times of transition. “You have to take a giant dose of patience,” she said, “and carve out time to get realignment each time there’s an executive change.”
And as the business evolves, you have to evolve, too. That means being willing to let go of what no longer serves you. “A snake sheds its skin 12 times a year so it can grow,” Val said. “What do you need to shed—what habits, priorities, or relationships—so you can grow into the leader your organization needs?”
When HR shows up with clarity, boldness, and alignment, the entire organization benefits. It becomes easier to tie programs to performance, retain top talent, and build a workforce that’s adaptable and ready to grow.
Want to learn more? Catch EmpowerHR 2025 on demand.
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