As someone who is a fan of Star Trek - I have grown up admiring Captain Kirk - for his spontaneous leadership, Spock for his logic and Bones for his dry humour. I was seeing the latest Star Trek for the umpteenth time, and a thought struck me - who among these will you identify as the CHRO of the Enterprise ? Most answers I have received to this query have been Kirk, because Spock is just too machine like (read emotionless) for most people’s definition of a HR Leader.

While its counter-intuitive, I firmly believe Spock is the ideal foil to Kirks' charisma and the leading candidate for any "Enterprise’s CHRO!

• I would prefer a logical HR head who keeps his/ her counsel while everyone is high on emotion- whether its a lay-off, or a blame-game or if a new project backfires. As  CEO - I prefer a HR counsel who cuts away the emotional clutter and says - "I think the logical course of action is x or y- despite the emotional bursts which will happen if we implement it".
  
  

• Most people forget that HR deals with the aftermath of emotional outbursts and usually the Janitor, when the proverbial shit hits the fan

  • My best performer is not happy with her rating - call HR!! - Please revise her rating - cant risk losing her this quarter you know situations is already tough
    
    
  • I think the person we hired is a lemon - we need to get him out quick- call HR ( I think the person I hired is a rock-star we need to promote him before the time we promised him)
    
    
  • My team is not working - too many people backstabbing others- we need to improve our culture- call HR .....

So in situations like this do you trust someone who gives you the logic or answers emotion with emotion?

• Great Human resource functions are founded on science - this includes social psychology for engagement, organisation behaviour for team management, psychology for selection and, statistics/ analytics for compensation and performance management; the best CHRO is the one who combines these with passion - but lets the logic rule.
  
  
• Emotions have a multiplicative effect - whether positive or negative and the best HR managers design organisations & processes which - energize rather than frustrate, give space to pent up emotions rather than bottle them, listen to the introverts rather than just get influenced by the extroverts swagger.
  
  
• You need someone strong enough give an objective opinion- however contrary it is to the prevailing thought process.
  
  
• Organisational politics has no better antidote than a HR head willing to call a spade a spade and a skunk a skunk whatever the level or friendship or emotion involved!

And finally why do you think Spock is more popular that Kirk?; Because he saved Kirks ass more times than anyone cares to remember!So if you are hiring a CHRO for your Enterprise- pick Spock .And before I forget- Live long and prosper!!