the future of work, humanity and technology, and people practices. She is now focusing on developing leaders to shape a sustainable and inclusive future and create a new mindset for an ESG world. Prior to joining Duke CE, she was head of human
capital development at Nedbank for over 19 years. She holds an MBA from Henley Management Business School in the UK and a Masters in Management and Executive Coaching from Wits Business School.
PUTTING A 'W' INTO ESG As businesses with global teams begin to adjust to demands from customers, stakeholders, investors and employees to demonstrate greater sustainability and diversity, Sharmla believes the contributions of more women in senior roles will enhance performance and reduce business risk. “Women leaders have a more empathetic
style:
they build trust, they listen and they can bring diverse voices,” she says. This can have a positive impact on performance, and can also help derisk the business and reduce the chance of poor board decisions being made as a result of groupthink. “Leadership is not a person or a position,” she says.
“It is a relationship of trust and a shared vision and purpose to bring your team along with you. Leading an organisation through change is not always easy, and you need to be prepared to push through times of adversity and develop resilience. You need a growth mindset. Progress is not going to be linear, but women need to be part of the trend towards breaking that glass ceiling and playing their full part.” She benefits from the support of her team and her connections with other women who share her agenda for change. “When I started out in my career and I was sitting
on the board of a large engineering company, I felt very alone. I would have benefited from female role models around me. That is why I am very keen on supporting and promoting other women. I founded the Mentorship Circle, a collaborative mentorship scheme which aims to equip, inspire and nurture future leaders so they can in turn run a mentorship project of their own.” With her deep commitment to build leadership for a
better world, she led Duke CE in hosting The Davos of Human Capital event in 2020, convening global CEOs and CHROs and thousands of participants to discuss how leadership can be the force multiplier for positive change in business and society. “As we women leaders rise in seniority, we need to pay
it forward and bring others with us,” she says. “For me, there's the whole notion around being stronger together. Women can support each other and in that way make progress towards equality and social justice.” Never one to sit still, Sharmla recently launched the Duke CE ESG Leadership Academy, which supports organisations across the globe in getting to grips with the changes required for a more sustainable and just world. “Women executives are critical to the success of ESG
too,” she says. “I often say the W is missing from ESG, and it is time to double down on women being equal partners in an ESG era.”
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“ Leadership is not a person or a position. It is a relationship of trust and a shared vision and purpose to bring your team along with you. Leading an organisation through change is not always easy, and you need to be prepared to push through times of adversity and develop resilience. You need a growth mindset.”
THINK WOMEN
GLOBAL LEADERSHIP
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