Hafsa Shamsie, Managing Director of Roche in Pakistan, enjoys over 30 years of experience primarily in the field of finance, having held various positions in strategic planning, financial reporting, treasury, tax, risk management, governance, and controls. She has worked for companies such as ICI, Shell, and the Dawood Hercules Group, both in Pakistan and abroad. She joined Roche as CFO in 2016, followed by an international assignment as CFO at Roche Netherlands, returning to Pakistan in 2021 to take the helm of leadership as Managing Director of Roche Pakistan.

In a recent conversation with Global Woman Leader Magazine, Hafsa talks about the changing landscape of women’s leadership in business; in particular, how women leaders can reclaim their power through bringing forward their authentic selves, rather than fitting into masculine definitions of leadership. She also urges women to augment their competence with a strong work ethic, while capitalizing on the gender’s inherent ability to multitask for success.

In today’s business landscape, women in leadership are often expected to balance empathy and assertiveness. Do you think the corporate world is finally accepting a new archetype of female leadership, or are women still adapting to outdated expectations?

As women leaders, it is crucial to ensure that our environments accept what you call the ‘new archetype’ of female leadership - to me that centres around our values. One way of doing this is ‘by living from the inside out’, so we can embody our values, which of course may differ from woman to woman, rather than letting others dictate them. We must live our own value system and not strive to emulate men just to succeed or fit into the workplace. Ultimately, this approach will drive acceptance and recognition of us as authentic leaders.

How can women leaders strategically use this perception to break stereotypes and drive transformative change within organizations?

Breaking stereotypes is not easy for any leader, be it man or woman. If a male leader is bold and believes in himself and lives as per  his own belief system, people will view him as a competent authentic leader. If a woman leader does this, the world may see her as aggressive or over-assertive or pushy. But again as I said, this comes down to values - believing in yourself by living from the inside out will definitely lead to a shift in perception with people seeing you as a competent leader. And by leader I don’t necessarily mean someone who is at the top of the organizational pyramid. Leadership can be at any level or in any field - what is important for women is that there is equality of opportunity versus an equality of outcome. As long as equal opportunities exist or are created for women, then they have the optionality of taking advantage of these opportunities and in doing so can make a lasting difference.

 Many women excel in industries where leadership is still predominantly male. How does the visibility of women leaders in finance, tech, and manufacturing influence young women entering these fields? What responsibility do senior women leaders have in actively creating that shift?

I am a woman leader in an area where there are not many women, i.e. finance. Firstly, a woman needs to be competent as skill trumps everything and this needs to be complemented by a robust work ethic - qualities that will serve to build a strong woman leader. Thereafter, women leaders can play a crucial role in helping other women, in creating an enabling space for them, especially in patriarchal cultures such as ours. But besides women, men also have an important role in co-creating such empowering spaces resulting in a more inclusive and supportive work environment for all.

Women have been praised for their soft skills but criticized for lacking traditional “hard” leadership qualities. How can organizations redefine “soft power” as a strategic advantage for women leaders?

I know a lot of men who have a ‘soft’ side and a lot of women who have a ‘hard’ side. But as I said earlier, I think if you're living inside out, then you will do what the situation demands rather than follow an expected stereotype. Some situations demand hardness, whether you're a man or woman, and some situations demand softness, whether you’re a man or woman - so you exercise that - rather than being gender prescriptive. In my experience, I have come across many instances of male leaders who have exercised softness simply because the occasion demanded it. Ultimately, leadership demands this kind of versatility. For example, in times of crisis, sometimes it’s crucial to exercise soft skills, as we saw in the case of New Zealand during COVID-19, with Jacinda Ardern leading from the front. As a result, her country saw the lowest covid-related death rate in the Western world. Competence allows leaders to determine the appropriate behavior for the occasion, rather than a gender-specific response.

Even in companies that prioritize diversity, women often face unseen biases. How can leaders call out subtle gender dynamics in boardrooms or senior management meetings without derailing the business conversation?

Women, more than men, should prioritize diversity in business discussions. Being bold, they should call out any battles that may arise. However, it's important to pick the right battles and then march on with courageous authenticity, rather than all guns blazing at every skirmish. More importantly, the onus on women leaders is to address not just gender divides, but address all manner of biases.

Women are often penalized for being ambitious in ways that men aren’t. How can women leaders redefine ambition so it’s seen as a positive driving force rather than something to apologize for?

As a woman, I always find that the imposter syndrome is more pronounced in women than men - women always question themselves, try to be the best version of themselves, or apologize for their success. I don't think there's anything wrong with it - it comes with our territory -  so long as we don't overplay it or begin to doubt ourselves.

Besides urging women to be good at what they do, I advise them to exercise self-care. As a start, we don't need to be perfect - after all we are not expecting the same perfection from the men in our lives or from our workplace. So why should we subject ourselves to perfection?  And finally my forever mantra: Don't take yourself overly seriously: be able to have a good laugh at yourself, and also be a little bit thick-skinned.

Message to Readers

Life is short. Let's have fun. Let's make work fun for ourselves and everybody else. Let's apply ourselves. Let's demonstrate a fabulous work ethic. Let’s live life being our true authentic selves.