How to lead with authenticity and empathy

A corporate professional explored what it takes to be an authentic finance leader during a keynote speech at TheBusinessDesk.com’s Finance Futures executive summit.

The Leeds event, which was supported by Headstar and PIB Insurance Brokers, was addressed by Sharon Naidoo, chief financial officer of TransUnion.

Naidoo has 24 years of corporate experience and became one of the youngest female CFOs in South Africa, aged 34, when she was appointed by Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals.

She told the summit that true workplace inclusivity involves celebrating individuality and making sure everyone knows they have a seat at the table.

“Navigating the new corporate landscape is a balance between fitting in and standing out,” she said. “Every culture is different and every organisation is different, so how do we bring teams together while embracing who we are?

“Not everyone is going to be confident to have a conversation, so you have to balance the extroverts and the introverts and give people the safety to say what they want to say without judging them.”

She added that leaders should learn to listen to understand first rather than to immediately respond and stressed the benefits of self reflection and empathy.

Sharon Naidoo

She said: “Effective leadership starts with self awareness. You should own who you are, be aware of what triggers you have and understand when you’re at your best.

“My own style is authentic leadership and in my team everyone has a voice.”

Naidoo spoke during the Personal Growth pillar of the summit, which also included a workshop on developing talent.

Taking part in the workshop were Ciara Allan, FD at Arc Inspirations, Emma Dutton, CFO at myenergi, Simon Hartley, CEO and founder of Be World Class and James Roach, managing director of Headstar.

Commenting on her own professional evolution, Allan said an early hurdle she had to overcome was having the confidence to be herself.

She said: “I spent a lot of my twenties trying to be what I thought I needed to be.

“We all have our strengths and weaknesses and we want to work in organisations where we thrive rather than be a square peg in a round hole.

“I’m a working class girl from Northern Ireland who is more comfortable walking around the factory floor – sitting in corporate meetings is where I’m least comfortable.”

Hartley said that when faced with challenges at work he had responded by concentrating on developing personal characteristics such as resilience, tenacity, patience and tolerance.

Explaining the importance of resilience, he said: “This is the ability to bounce back stronger and to come out the other side stronger than when you went in.

“The resilience cycle begins with having tough experiences but not everyone goes onto the next stage and learns from it and of those who do, not everyone puts what they’ve learned into practice and starts doing things differently.”

Dutton said: “I used to work in the printing industry which was a very male dominated environment, which was really daunting initially.

“But I came to realise that I did have a voice and if you know what you’re doing people will want to listen and you can stand toe-to-toe with anyone.

“The early part of your career is about having confidence in yourself. When I was younger I was very driven and I wanted to take on any task to make the point that I could do it.

“But now I can be more patient. You don’t have to fill the void if there’s silence in the room.”

Roach said business leaders may need to become better at forecasting the future, noting how the pace of change appears to have accelerated over the last two to three years.

He said: “I’m trying to develop my ability to gaze into a crystal ball, as I think my business will be so different in 10 years time.”

Addressing how younger workers are less willing than their older colleagues to prioritise their working life over their personal time, he said: “There is a conflict, which I think is generational, but those businesses which are more successful are embracing the change and supporting how younger people work.

“We’ve got a lot to be thankful for with this new generation that’s coming through, and that’s what we should be doing rather than getting caught up in the habits of yesteryear.”

TheBusinessDesk.com’s Rainmakers Conference returns next month, and there is still time to book your places and join more than 350 business owners, corporate finance professionals and advisers.

It will bring more opportunities to network, more amazing speakers, more candid debate, more inspiring entrepreneurs, but also a chance to discuss the challenges of value creation.

Our speakers include Applied Nutrition chief executive Thomas Ryder, Kids Planet chief executive Clare Roberts, Airswift Group founder Ian Langley, Contollo chief executive Ruth Percival and many more.

The conference is at The Point, Manchester, on Wednesday, 26 March. To see the full speaker line-up and to book your tickets, visit www.rainmakersconference.co.uk.