Leading with heart: women in governance, diversity and courageous conversations

Sitting on a board requires more than technical skill. Directors also need tenacity, resilience and a willingness to consider other points of view, especially when conversations get tough.  

Hamilton-based chief financial officer Natasha Harvey CMInstD sits on three boards and believes being authentic enables directors to speak plainly and make their views understood. Yet women can face additional obstacles from the outset.  

In this episode of Board Talk: Off the Cuff, Harvey talks about tough conversations in the boardroom and why directors need heart as well as judgement.

“I’m passionate about empowering women because I don’t fit the traditional mould . . . [but] we struggle with who we are, and there are a whole bunch of layers around finding the path that’s right for you,” she says.  

While Harvey admits that finding her own voice as a leader took time, she says equal access to the starting line will help women get a seat at the table. Rather than being seen as filling a quota, she says women want to be recognised on merit.

So, what should women do when self-doubt creeps in?  

“Sometimes it’s not about smashing through the [glass] ceiling, it’s about asking, ‘Am I in the right room with the right people?’”  

Harvey says directors can be authentic at the board table by “sharing your views in a respectful way and recognising the other thoughts around the table, with humility”.  

“I’m not the person who’s going to charge into a room and demand a seat at the table – that’s not how I operate. I’m going to be very honest with you because I don’t want to have the hard conversation later, I want to have it now,” says Harvey.  
Honesty and directness have helped Harvey build a governance career that is true to her values and sense of purpose. When moments of tension arise at the board table, Harvey says directors need a clear head. They also need empathy and compassion because good governance is not purely about rational thinking or technical ability.  

Knowing your strengths and weaknesses as a director also means noticing your own reactions when tension arises. She says this includes acknowledging “what isn’t being said” but also understanding that a strong reaction from someone might not have been triggered by your interaction at that moment.  

“Sometimes it’s not about you, it’s about the other person’s reaction and what they’re carrying into the room,” she says.

Equally, the solution to a problem cannot always be found through a battle of wills. Harvey suggests directors consider whether they are doing what is right in the moment, or simply trying ‘to be right’.

 “It’s really easy to lower yourself to the behaviours of others. You need to step back, work with facts and slow it down when things start getting emotional. You need a bit of heart and you need that in conversation,” says Harvey. 

Listen to the podcast episode below to hear more from Natasha, plus insights from director Susan Henson MInstD, who explains why a personal connection to an organisation’s purpose can help directors stay close to why the work matters.