For decades, business leadership has been measured largely through numbers: revenue, profitability, market share and growth. But as workplaces evolve, the definition of effective leadership is changing too. Increasingly, leadership is being judged not only by what a business achieves, but by how it enables the people behind those achievements to perform, grow and succeed.This shift is reflected in the People-First CEO of the Year category at the ET HR Excellence Awards 2027. The category recognises leaders who have placed people at the centre of their business strategy and demonstrated that employee experience and business performance can work together to create sustainable growth.Being a people-first leader goes well beyond offering workplace perks or introducing employee-friendly policies. It is about the decisions leaders make when people priorities are tested against business pressures.The People-First CEO of the Year recognises a leader who has made people strategy an integral part of organisational decision-making, whether through investments in talent, leadership development, employee wellbeing, inclusion or creating stronger pathways for professional growth.The category is open to CEOs, Managing Directors, Country Heads and Founders who have the authority to influence organisational strategy and culture. The size of the organisation is not the defining factor. Instead, the focus is on the scale and significance of the leader’s impact.Entries will be evaluated on leadership choices, sustained action and measurable impact, rather than surface-level initiatives or workplace perks.This could include making long-term investments in talent during periods of uncertainty, redesigning workforce practices, creating more inclusive leadership opportunities, strengthening employee experience or taking decisions that prioritise people even when the immediate business case may not be obvious.The strongest entries will demonstrate how a people-first philosophy translated into meaningful action and tangible outcomes for both employees and the organisation.As businesses navigate changing employee expectations, talent challenges and new models of work, people leadership is increasingly becoming a core business responsibility.The People-First CEO of the Year category recognises leaders who understand this shift and act on it, building organisations where people are not simply a resource, but a strategic driver of long-term business performance.Also Read More:The Economic Times HR Excellence Awards 2027: Recognising the people strategies shaping tomorrow’s workplacWhat organisational excellence looks like when people strategy meets business performance