#WomensMonth: Claudelle Naidoo, GroupM SSA CEO: From inclusion to involvement
A place where everyone can grow equally.
A pivotal moment
When I started my agency career in data and analytics, I quickly discovered a disappointing reality: Myself and other women would do the work, but we were never given the opportunity to present it.
Then, one day, my story changed.
There was one person who had an open mind and believed in me.
He took me into a meeting one day and he said, ‘You’re going to go up and you’re going to present this, and if you make a mistake, I’ve got you.’”
In that moment, I experienced firsthand how empowering it was to be given a voice, be trusted to use it and to feel supported.
That experience was a pivotal moment in my career and I have been paying it forward ever since.
Inclusion to involvement
As a female now in a position to lead, mentor and drive change, I believe we need to start to tap into the underlying psychology of why women think they can’t grow and work their way.
What is stopping their growth in the environment that they are in?
With this reflection and understanding, we should then be able to put measures in place such as mentorship programmes, invest in coaching, celebrate achievements, enable work-home life balance and create a sponsorship or support system for our women.
I’ve sat in many boardrooms in my life, and I’ve seen exactly how it unfolds.
Sometimes a woman is put in a powerful position but there isn’t an openness to inclusion and involvement and voices don’t often get heard.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) cannot end at inclusion. It has to continue to involvement.
Actually having a voice
This means it’s okay to get women, people of colour, or people from different backgrounds, in a boardroom, but do they actually have a voice?
Now in a position of senior leadership, I make a point of empowering other women and people who are different through support networks and actively involving them in discussions and decision-making.
If you’re going to drive real transformation then there has to be a real agenda of driving DE&I in the workplace.
The elephant in the room
The elephant in the room is often about how women in the workplace face bias and inequality.
But at which point does this agenda become discriminatory and a violation of a woman’s right to grow?
I think organisations need to self-reflect and take accountability to create a fair work environment where women can thrive.
My advice to other women in leadership positions is to pay it forward, use your voice and role to uplift other women and allow them to grow.
Let the systemic challenges impacting a woman’s ability to become even greater in our society, be something of the past.
About Claudelle Naidoo
Claudelle Naidoo is the CEO of GroupM for sub-Saharan Africa, part of the WPP network
