The W-Suite | Women don’t put up with prejudices anymore: Shavon Barua

With a rapidly evolving business and economic landscape there is a dire requirement of fresh thinking, new skill sets, greater flexibility & adaptability, more collaboration as well as the ability to think on one’s feet.

Gone are the days when the thinking was more on the lines of ‘get a man to do this job’. Diversity in the workforce has become a necessity today, and more so in the leadership positions. It can’t be denied that women bring a high level of creativity and empathy while solving problems and handling crises. Women leaders bring to the table a different level of dexterity.

And yet, the perception about the ability of women leaders to get things done remain not too encouraging. Women continue to be scrutinised as much for style as for substance. Hence, a hundred per cent gender equality in leadership positions is yet to be achieved.

But there are way too many trend-setters and convention-breakers. And we don’t have to look far, as there are several inspiring women leaders in the Indian advertising and media industry, who have achieved much and paved the way for many to follow.

AdGully proudly presents ‘The W-Suite’ (taken from the C-Suite), our feature series wherein we will be featuring interactions with influential women leaders in India, who share some deep insights on what being a woman leader means in India’s business landscape, the mantras to succeed, achieving work-life balance, pay parity and much more. The initial plan was to have one comprehensive report, however, the response has been so overwhelming that we have decided to create a series out of this, wherein we will feature one woman leader at a time over the next few weeks.

Shavon Barua, Managing Partner, PHD Worldwide India, has worked her way across some of India’s leading agencies – Euro RSCG (now Havas Media Group), JWT, Ambience Publicis, Rediffusion Y&R, and SSC&B Lintas.

Barua’s experience in advertising spans over two decades of experience, during which she has partnered with prominent brands like HDFC Bank, Sony, Six, Bharat Petroleum, Sanofi, Colgate Palmolive, Unilever, Lakme Lever, Parle, ITC, PepsiCo, Nestle and Reckitt Benckiser.

Her breakthrough communication work for Parle G – ‘G mane Genius’ and Colgate Gel – ‘Talk to Me’, has received several national and international accolades.

What defines a woman leader in today’s ecosystem?
Leadership is a definitive skill set and honestly, very few people have them. Gender difference plays a nominal role. The ecosystem or every other system today looks at ability and talent for leadership. Women leaders across industries are on the rise and usually because they have worked hard, made significant contribution and are role models. Ideal mix in a leader should be – Courage, Compassion and Collaboration. Pretty much the same rules should ideally apply to men in leadership too. Right?

Why do you think a smaller percentage of women than men reach the top of their profession?
Usually women are the ones who in the life balance equation are often compelled to make choices where career gets pushed back. It is the sad truth. Also, things like a support system both at home and work are still not the best to help women keep pace. And every woman who is in the top slot will either have a fantastic support system or would have made some hard choices.

Do you think women leaders are still scrutinised as much for style as for substance?
Yes, they are because that is how folks are coded. Ambition is often labelled as a bad word. Even women judge fellow women workers on face value. Is it unfair? Yes, it is. Does it happen? All the time. I do hope we are encouraging a new generation of women in the work force who can be judged on their capabilities alone.

Do you think the leadership effectiveness of women is higher than men? Why?
Women are far more efficient and effective if given the right opportunity. This makes them more assertive as leaders. Mentoring, compassion comes naturally. These qualities add up to making a good leader.

Women leaders in the 80’s and 90’s and women leaders today – what are the key differences? And what are the things that haven’t changed much?
Women today are certainly far more vocal and don’t put up with prejudices. Corporates are far more aware of equal opportunity and gender balance needs. The men too have changed and the ‘casual/ laissez-faire’ approach to women colleagues is a thing most people are careful of. Leaders (women) are accepted as a way of life. The jaded and clichéd lines which one heard while growing up in the ad-world in the late 90’s are almost gone. And it is a good thing for sure. ‘The babe now is certainly the boss’!

How do you maintain a balance between career goals and family responsibilities? How frequently do you have to sacrifice one for the other?
I am blessed with three men (husband and sons) who are my backbone. For us, the equality status is a way of life. Both jobs matter, both careers are important and both boys look up to both Mom and Dad. We work hard towards keeping the mutual respect alive and no sacrifice, if at all, is one-sided. I am confident we are raising boys who will never ever question gender equality.

Do you think pay parity exists in our corporates today across levels? What about pay parity at the leadership levels?
Yes, it does, in many companies. I have faced it in my career earlier. I have had bosses in my past jobs who have been extremely unfair simply because my husband has been successful! How absurd is that? And yes, those bosses were men! It’s almost an underlying code that the woman’s income is the ‘second income’. And this discrimination does not go away even at leadership levels.

On a positive note, it is something many companies are aware of and are dealing with. I am glad that in my current environment the balance is fair and I think so are the remunerations.

What would be your advice to women aiming for the C-suite?
Do keep the faith. Have the courage to make both life and work happen. We must remember how hard we worked, how we dreamed to make the career happen. Hold on to that. Love yourself a bit. It is okay to be a little selfish. (It’s also called ambitious). Invest in relationships both at home and work. Build a strong support system.

What, according to you, are the three important lessons new women leaders need to learn?
Be courageous, be compassionate , be competitive. Career is bound be successful.