Third Rose: Sophie Chandauka
My third rose goes to Sophie Chandauka. Sophie Chandauka is a corporate finance lawyer and entrepreneur. She co-founded Black British Business Awards (BBBA). Our paths crossed in 2019 when I was one of two selected to participate in the BBBA 2019 Talent Accelerator Program. It was a two day conference that was sponsored by Morgan Stanley and the Executive Leadership Council (ELC). It was truly an eye opening experience for me to realise what it takes to progress in your career. For a long a time; I really believed in a career fairy godmother who would look down on me and applaud me for getting my work done. However, I realised that doing “a good job” is not enough. In addition to being a subject matter expert; you also need to understand your circle of influence and how broad is it. Recently, I attended a Black History Month event that JP Morgan organised and Sophie was one of the panelist. One of the many gems that she shared was the importance of thinking about your 5Ps:
Performance - you will not advance anywhere if you are not performing well.
Profile - how are you seen and described when you are not in the room?
Potential - are you being seen and considered as high talent?
Peer impact - how are you with your peers? Upward management is important but it is equally important to get along with your peers.
Platform - Does your role have enough to elevate you to the next level?
Thank you Sophie for all that you do and I am truly grateful that our paths crossed.
