Dayoan joins other inspiring women at the 10th anniversary of KPMG Philippines.LEAD & INSPIRESharon Dayoan speaks straight to the professionals who wish to get to the top.• COLLABORATION IS KEY. My leadership style comes across as more collaborative. I seek others input before making a decision; I know that I should not expect to know everything. I always make sure to I get the right information before I make any major decision. Some would say that decisions are made too slow, but it’s better for them to be well-planned and calculated.• START NETWORKING NOW. Had I known that I would need it, I would have started much sooner. People think of accountants as introverted individuals in the backroom, who push papers from behind a desk. They’re reserved and don’t often have the opportunity to interact. I often tell the younger ones to start building their network now. Even if you don’t think you need it, in time, as you go up the ranks, you will.• BE A LEADER, NOT A TYRANT. People should like to work with you and not be forced to work with you.• ASSERT YOURSELF. Don’t wait for your work to speak for yourself. You have to promote yourself also. Sometimes your work may be overlooked because the bosses are focused on other things and there simply is too many of you (employees). So position yourself in a way that allows you and your work to be recognized.• SPEAK UP! It’s part of our culture to not be assertive. At seminars attended by Asians, there will be hardly anyone who will raise their hand to speak up. Westerners, on the other hand, are more proactive and engage in the conversation. We can learn a thing or two from them, as it’s better to ask and get an answer, than be quiet and leave with nothing.• BE GUIDED. For me, in life and in work, I follow an important tenet – do the right thing. That’s been my mantra even in audit, which is founded on truth and transparency. We push for audit quality, which is very clear in my messaging. I try to reflect this philosophy as well in my everyday leadership. Sometimes it’s hard to do the right thing, but at the end of the day, the sleepless night you get for not doing the right thing is not worth it.
