Earlier this year, Sarah Ghosh was elected CIMA president and co-chair of AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants.
Tuesday at the 2023 AICPA & CIMA Women’s Global Leadership Summit in London, Ghosh shared her perspective on togetherness in leadership.
“While learning to lead can be difficult, we can make it easier for ourselves by remembering that we have people we can turn to for help and advice,” Ghosh said during her introductory address.
With that in mind, Ghosh included “networking” among the four keys to effective leadership that she discussed, encouraging those in the room — who were networking simply by attending — to recognise the value of the two-way street of allyship to “build the type of business world I believe we all want to see, where people advance on merit rather than based on their background”.
Ghosh’s other keys hit on the type of leadership qualities the business world could benefit from while striving for merit-based leadership.
Inclusivity
“The way to get the most out of people is to listen to them. Think deeply about where they are coming from and what new perspectives they might bring. Then think about yourself. How are your own personal biases and cultural perspectives influencing how you understand others?
“This is the real key to inclusive leadership. Get it right and you will foster an environment where every member of your team thrives, develops and reaches their maximum potential..”
Courage
“There will be times in all our careers where doing the right thing will be difficult. Maybe you will be in a meeting with people more senior than yourself, and you know they are making a decision without considering the perspectives of those who are not represented in the room.
“We have all faced similar situations. We all know the temptation is to say nothing and tell ourselves things will be different when we are in charge. But true leadership requires courage, and that can mean going against the tide. It is easier said than done. …”
Authenticity
“Your leadership style should be authentically you, not some off-the-shelf construct. Trying to live up to an imaginary stereotype of a manager won’t make you an effective leader, and it won’t bring you fulfilment in your role.
“Instead, you should aim to find your own way of leading rather than trying to fit in with what you imagine others expect of you. We all know that managing people is difficult, and it’s something you can only really learn by doing. Don’t make it even harder for yourself by trying to be someone you’re not.”
— To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Bryan Strickland at Bryan.Strickland@aicpa-cima.com.
