The 9th Annual Executive Women’s Dinner fireside chat reinforced the importance of fairness in the hiring process, maintaining principles, and doing what’s right, even when no one is looking.
At a recent Women’s Dinner fireside chat, participants explored the myriad challenges women face at the C-suite level, alongside strategies for uplifting each other. Central to the discussion was understanding what it means to harness the seismic power of leadership and cultivate the next generation of women leaders. A key focus was on what women should do with their seat at the table once they have it.
Nomonde White-Ndlovu, CIO of Bidvest Bank and chairperson of Wired4Women, shared the significance of being grateful and mindful of progress. She mentioned that whenever she is tempted to complain, she pauses to remember the many women who fought for her right to choose a career. “I am my ancestors’ wildest dream,” she enthused.
Nomonde said she felt the weight of her responsibility and said her primary focus is to be able to be accountable, “I have no fear challenging something that I don’t think is right. It is not always about being popular, but it is actually about the principle. I have had to learn to argue the issue, and not the person,” she explains.
As the conversation shifted to balancing the enormity of being a decision-maker while also being cognisant of what is happening on the ground, “Don’t compromise your values when you are within those ecosystems,” said Nomonde.
There was a strong understanding that being the first or only woman in the room was no longer acceptable as the status quo. Nomonde stressed the power of sticking together, “You need allies who will fight for you and with you. The truth is, a lot of decisions are made on the golf course and after-work drinks when we are not there. We need to stick together. If you don’t have people next to you also advocating for you, it just makes the battle bigger,” she explained.
Nomonde was joined on stage by Sharoda Rapeti, an independent non-executive director at Altron, and Andisa Liba, the chief people officer (CPO) at Floatpays. They shared their perspectives on a woman's experience in C-suite leadership and how to meaningfully effect change.
Sharoda echoed Nomonde’s sentiments, reflecting on the significance of Women’s Month and honouring the women who risked their lives to agitate for change. “May we never forget what they did. The impact that they made in our lives has such longevity and endurance,” she said.
As the focus of the evening was on “seismic leadership”, the ladies explored the ways that they have experienced major shifts in their lives and careers and how it has ultimately shaped their approach.
Sharoda considers the experience of working in a male-dominated field in a technical role as a very transformative process that propelled her resolve to hold onto her feminine power. “I like that I didn’t have to talk like them, adopt their mannerisms or feel like I had to act like them. I was measured on output,” she said. This aided her transition from being a technical specialist to mastering the boardroom without losing herself along the way.
Both Nomonde and Sharoda felt strongly about ensuring that we “bring the elevator down” and ensure others are empowered. “We have to get to a point where gender equality becomes real, but it requires us to be real. In every ecosystem, the lives of your mentees should be easier because you exist,” stressed Nomonde.
However, Nomonde especially warned against in-fighting, “When we are struggling for equality in corporate space, there isn’t sufficient time to squabble, there are so few of us to begin with, we can’t afford to argue amongst ourselves. We need to collaborate and create spaces for all of us to thrive,” she said.
As a parting shot, Nomonde and Sharoda shared some key success nuggets. “Remember to be fair and unbiased in your hiring process, live the principles, not the buzzwords, and do what is right, even when no one is looking,” Nomonde advised.
Meanwhile, Sharoda highlighted the importance of finding the distinctive difference in what you have to offer, whether it be knowledge or technique, in addition to not losing sight of the fact that you have earned your place, knowing what you want, and not losing yourself in the journey.
