Human resource management has gained status over the past two decades with its emphasis on maximizing human potential. Human resource management should be thought of as human resource leadership. The field of human resource management gradually emerged from federal and state laws, sociopolitical events, court decisions, trends, and theories and research. Current practices include those of traditional personnel administration such as recruiting and hiring, training, compensating, record keeping, and evaluating. But human resource management includes much more.

It is leadership, not management, which is dedicated to achieving organizational goals by maximizing the personal and professional development of each employee. Human resource leadership is people positive, people centered, and people valued. Although many of the functions of personnel administration and human resource management overlap, the people-first distinction of human resource management signals a change in philosophy.

More importantly, it requires the ability to put this understanding into action through leadership, and the leader who is successful does this through the building and sustaining of culture. Culture is a pattern of meanings derived from traditions, values, norms, beliefs, attitudes, and myths which are held and acted out by a common group of people. Human resource leadership is an interrelated function focusing on serving, facilitating, cooperating, and coordinating.