When HR Leadership Lacks Strategy, Everyone Pays

The fallout in Kinston isn’t just a local controversy—it’s a national case study in what happens when leadership fails to lead. What began as a tragic personal loss turned into a viral backlash that HR pros, business leaders, and aspiring execs should all be paying attention to. This isn’t about bereavement. It’s about the cost of callousness—and the strategic leadership vacuum behind it.

What Strategic HR Leaders See Instantly

When HR certification exams push you to “analyze the scenario and recommend the best course of action,” this is exactly the kind of real-world complexity they mean. But let’s be clear:

This isn’t just a situational judgment test. This is HR’s credibility test.

Ask yourself:

• Did leadership consider the long-term brand damage?

• Did anyone apply even the most basic decision lens?

• Was strategy completely absent—or just ignored?

Apply the SPACE™ Lens

At ConquerHR®, we teach HR leaders to evaluate real-world dilemmas through HR’s SPACE™ Framework—a strategy-backed method that sharpens decision-making under pressure.

Here’s how that framework breaks it down:

S—Strategy: Did this decision align with the company’s goals or mission? No. It undermined them.

P—People: How did this impact the human element of the business? It alienated employees and the community.

A—Analytics: What metrics or data supported this choice? None. The data shows that compassion drives performance.

C—Compliance: Did this follow applicable laws and ethical guidelines? Maybe technically, but ethically, it tanked.

E—Engagement: Did it build trust or destroy it? Destroyed it.

Real-World Consequences:

King’s Restaurant didn’t just lose goodwill. It lost customers, credibility, and long-term brand capital. And while the HR function may not have made the call, it’s HR that could’ve stopped the bleeding. Or better yet - prevented the wound entirely.

Strategic HR Isn’t Optional—It’s Operational

Whether you’re prepping for the SPHR, SHRM-SCP, or already holding a seat at the leadership table, let this moment be your reminder:

Compassion isn’t a vibe. It’s a strategy. And when HR gets strategic, the whole business benefits.

Let’s Talk About This, Loudly

At ConquerHR® and HRLearns™, we don’t avoid uncomfortable conversations. We host them, unpack them, and learn from them.

Join me and Suzanne Lucas in upcoming discussions on ethical leadership, strategic people management, and how to make compassion part of your operational DNA.

Leadership isn’t about avoiding mess. It’s about how you respond when things get real.

Best regards,

~Victoria, @therealvpofhr

Join the conversation in HR's SPACE™.

Want to sharpen how you think about scenarios like this?

That’s what we do every day inside Boot Camp.

Learn more about the HR's SPACE™ Framework here.

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