The Path to HR Leadership That No One Talks About

Most HR professionals are given the same advice:

‍

Work hard.

‍

Gain experience.

‍

Wait your turn.

‍

But that is not how careers actually accelerate.

‍

In this episode of Pulse, Dani Woods shares the real, unfiltered path behind her rise from HR assistant to HRIS Director before 30. And more importantly, she explains why the title itself was never the point.

‍

This conversation is not just about promotions. It is about confidence, discomfort, and stepping into leadership before someone gives you permission.

‍

If you work in HR, HR operations, HRIS, or people analytics and you are thinking about your next move, this episode offers both tactical advice and mindset shifts that can redefine how you approach your career.

‍

From HR Assistant to Director Before 30

‍

Dani did not follow a traditional path.

‍

She began in HR as an assistant without even completing her bachelor’s degree. She originally thought she wanted to become a lawyer, but after speaking with practicing attorneys who were unhappy in their careers, she pivoted.

‍

She convinced a company to take a chance on her while she was still in school. Over time, she moved from HR operations into HRIS and eventually stepped into leadership.

‍

By age 27, she became a director.

‍

But when the promotion came, something unexpected happened.

‍

Instead of fulfillment, she felt empty.

‍

The title had been tied to validation. Proving she was good enough. Proving her age did not define her capability. And once she reached it, she realized leadership is not about the external recognition. It is about impact.

‍

That realization reframed everything.

‍

The Turning Point: Do the Job Before You Get the Title

‍

One of the most powerful themes in this episode is simple:

‍

You do not get promoted and then start doing the job.

‍

You start doing the job and then the promotion follows.

‍

Dani shared that she was operating at the next level long before the official title changed. As a senior manager, she was already thinking and acting like a director.

‍

Instead of waiting to be invited into strategy conversations, she stepped into them. She created roadmaps her leaders had not asked for. She proactively identified gaps. She proposed solutions.

‍

She did not wait for permission.

‍

This shift from reactive to proactive is often the real inflection point in HR careers. Many professionals stay focused on assigned tasks. Leaders focus on problems that have not yet been solved.

‍

If you want to grow, you must operate above your current scope.

‍

Confidence Is a Career Multiplier

‍

A recurring theme throughout the episode is confidence.

‍

Many HR professionals know more than they think they do. But when they speak, they hedge. They soften their voice. They downplay their impact.

‍

Dani described how she initially struggled with self-belief. Even when she was operating at a senior level, she did not always see it herself. And when an executive once told her she was not ready, she had to make a decision:

‍

Accept someone else’s definition of her capability, or define it herself.

‍

She chose the latter.

‍

She reworked her resume to reflect the level she was already operating at. She reframed her experience. She stepped fully into the belief that she could lead.

‍

The lesson is clear:

‍

If you do not believe you are ready, no one else will either.

‍

Moving from Individual Contributor to Strategic Leader

‍

One of the biggest transitions in HR careers is moving from individual contributor to people leader.

‍

For Dani, that shift happened when she realized the influence leaders have on their teams’ daily experiences. HR leaders have the power to make Monday mornings better or worse. They shape calm or chaos.

‍

When her organization was acquired, she was forced to build a new team from scratch. She did not have all the answers. She had to jump in.

‍

That moment required stepping out of technical comfort and into leadership discomfort.

‍

The growth happens there.

‍

When Should Leaders Step Away from Technical Work?

‍

A major topic in the episode centers on whether HRIS or HR tech leaders should remain deeply hands-on.

‍

Dani admitted that at one point, 60 percent of her job was configuration. But over time, she realized that staying too deep in the system limited her team’s growth.

‍

If you are always the expert in the room, your team never becomes experts.

‍

That said, she emphasizes balance. Leaders must still understand the system well enough to step in during a crisis. You cannot advocate for your team if you do not understand what they do.

‍

The shift is from being the default troubleshooter to being the architect.

‍

That distinction is what separates managers from leaders.

‍

How to Move from HR Operations into Strategic HR Roles

‍

For those coming from HR operations, Dani offers encouraging news.

‍

The transition into HRIS or more strategic roles is very possible, especially if you start with curiosity.

‍

She recommends:

• Volunteer to lead testing.
• Partner on process redesign.
• Take formal training to deepen technical knowledge.
• Position yourself as someone who understands both operations and systems.

‍

HRIS teams automate operational processes. If you understand operations deeply, you already hold part of the equation.

‍

The key is reframing your experience in terms of systems, reporting, and architecture.

‍

What to Do When Your Boss Blocks Your Growth

‍

Not all leaders encourage upward movement.

‍

Dani addressed a common frustration: presenting ideas that go nowhere.

‍

Her advice is pragmatic.

‍

You will encounter leaders who resist change because it requires effort. You cannot control their appetite for transformation.

‍

So you have two options:

‍

Build anyway and wait for the right environment.

‍

Or find an environment aligned with your growth.

‍

She described building solutions on the side, developing proposals independently, and eventually taking those ideas to new organizations where they were embraced.

‍

Growth is not always about fighting the current system. Sometimes it is about choosing a different one.

‍

Convincing Executives HR Needs Investment

‍

For those already in leadership, another major topic was how to justify expanding an HRIS or HR tech team.

‍

Executives respond to numbers and risk.

‍

Rather than saying, “We are overwhelmed,” Dani recommends framing the conversation around:

• Hours required to stabilize systems
• Risks of under-resourcing
• Cost comparisons between hiring internally and outsourcing

‍

She even suggested building heat maps to visualize system gaps and enhancements.

‍

When you speak in the language of cost and risk, executive conversations change.

‍

Redefining Success in HR Leadership

‍

Perhaps the most surprising part of the episode is how Dani defines success.

‍

It is not project count.

‍

It is not module launches.

‍

It is not response time metrics.

‍

It is calm.

‍

Is the business more stable than when you arrived?

‍

Do team members want to show up on Monday?

‍

Are they operating at high capacity without constant fire drills?

‍

If the environment is healthier, clearer, and more stable, that is success.

‍

This reframing is powerful in a field that often measures output over sustainability.

‍

The Final Message: Do Not Let Anyone Define Your Career

‍

The episode closes with a direct challenge:

‍

Do not let someone else define your career path.

‍

Layoffs happen. Toxic cultures happen. Doubt happens.

‍

But those experiences do not get to define the trajectory of your career unless you allow them to.

‍

Use setbacks as fuel.

‍

Operate at the level you want to grow into.

‍

Build confidence deliberately.

‍

And most importantly, take ownership of your path.

‍

Because the path to HR leadership that no one talks about is not about waiting.

‍

It is about stepping forward before you feel fully ready.