Exploring the professional and personal faces of leadership.
Welcome back to our ongoing "Leadership Stories" blog series, “Inside out at the Top”, where we venture into the depths of leadership, revealing the compelling stories that inspire us all.
In this episode, Sholla Caramba-Coker, Assistant Commissioner – Drama at Sky shares her story with us about some of the setbacks she has encountered while making a career in the media industry, and her determination to succeed.
Professional
What have been the greatest challenges as a leader for you?
What do you believe will be the most effective leadership style in coming years?
Throughout my career I’ve been under a few autocratic leaders, which feels very oxymoronic considering I work in a creative industry.
I want to be a transformational leader, empowering people to create the best work they can, as this will also benefit me and the industry as a whole.
Surprisingly, I find that kind of leadership creates healthy boundaries, much more so than a didactic, hemmed-in kind. You need to give people freedom and the right resources to grow into themselves.
What is the key to encouraging diversity of thought when building teams?
Personal
Is there a moment that you feel changed the course of your career?
When I first decided I wanted to join this industry, my dad said ‘are you serious? This is not what we discussed!’ He advised against it one hundred percent, but I was determined to pursue this career. I studied English and Theatre and wanted to act, but when I did my MA I realised I was better suited behind the camera.
After finishing my Master’s, I got my first role in the industry, but it was the worst experience of life. I remember I was on my way home on the train and I was talking to my sister. I put the phone down and I thought ‘I am going to leave this job.’ I didn’t have anything to go on to, but I thought ‘either I persevere and see this through to the bitter end or leave now and do something completely different’. That was the day I decided that the industry had its pitfalls, but that it was something I wanted to be a part of. I wanted to see more people like me on the screen, and you can only make that change from within. So, I left that job, and went onto something else and it was amazing, and I’ve not looked back.
Can you tell us about something that happened at work that made you feel included or excluded?
I once worked at a company where my differences were not as celebrated as I wish they were, and I felt isolated. I told the management what was happening, and they tried to make the relevant changes with diversity training, but there just wasn’t an inclusive environment there. I think it comes from a certain mindset, and in this case it came from the mindset of the management, because that ultimately leaks down to everyone else. Real change has start with a self-inventory, and not doing things because of the optics. I managed to put it down to that specific company, not the industry as a whole, and have carried on building my career.
What advice would you give your younger self?