Sharon Allen

In choosing a leader to feature this month's topic, Wisdom, I knew I wanted someone extraordinary yet approachable.  Sharon Allen was a guest speaker for the Boise Metro Chamber's Speaker Series and not at all new to Idaho.  As a matter of fact, Boise is where Allen spent the majority of her time with Deloitte and Touche before being elected as Chairman of the Board in 2003 and then again in 2007.

In his book, The Character of Leadership: An Ancient Model for a Quantum Age, Phil Eastman examines the different facets of Wisdom and the leadership behaviors that can be applied.  He looks at how Abraham Lincoln handled his adversaries during our nation's infancy; he tells of King Solomon's ability to discern the real mother in the biblical story of two ladies quarreling over one child; and he shares the famous tale of an honest lad in Hans Christian Anderson's book, The Emperor's New Clothes. Each example not only brought out the accumulated knowledge and experience of the characters but also three other components that makes Wisdom so valuable: knowledge, self-awareness, and action.

It is these three components of Wisdom, knowledge, self-awareness, and action - that compelled me to want to highlight Sharon Allen.  She was born and raised in rural Idaho, graduated from the University of Idaho in 1973, and immediately went to work as an auditor for Deloitte and Touche.  Her original career plan was to be a teacher or nurse (standard operating procedure for females in the 1970's), but it was the encouragement of her roommate to take an accounting class that caused Allen to rethink her options. 

Wisdom is such an important aspect of any leader's character, whether you are the chairman of the board or a Girl Scout troop leader.  It is with Wisdom that visions are cast and decisions are made, drawing on your own expertise as well as the collective experience of others.  Eastman believes that, "leaders must be avid students of their environment, rather than mere commentators on the events in their organizations; they must be curious observers of what works, and accumulation of knowledge is a critical element in the development of Wisdom." 

Knowledge: Besides the obvious education Sharon Allen received as a graduate of the University of Idaho, she became a student of Deloitte and Touche's prevailing culture. "Early in my career," Allen states, "I observed the leaders I most wanted to follow. . . Eventually, I built a composite model of the leadership traits that I wanted to emulate - including the ability to communicate, be decisive, create a vision of the future, and execute against it."  Allen's leadership roles extend beyond the position she holds within Deloitte: she serves as a U.S. representative on the global governance committee and chairs the global risk committee for the global board of directors of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.

Self-awareness: Knowing your own strengths and weaknesses is not enough to being self-aware, although it is a good start. It's also important to understand how you gather, process, and act on the information that makes you an effective leader.  Allen's keen self-awareness early in her career allowed her to accept and champion strategies for career-life balance for greater flexibility in the workplace.  "Career-life fit has long been a concern of women in the workplace," notes Allen. "For the past few years, Deloitte has pioneered 'Mass Career Customization,' which we believe is the new frontier for career-life balance."

Action: The on-going fracas regarding the gender wage gap does not go unnoticed by Sharon Allen. "Every time I look at the numbers for companies across the U.S., I am taken aback. There is a significant difference. At Deloitte we have been working to keep these numbers in line for men and women. It's something that takes continued attention." Even though Allen is part of an organization that values the contribution of women, she recognizes the need for Deloitte to begin making a "concerted effort to retain and advance the talented women it worked so hard to recruit."

Sharon Allen's successful journey has been one of risk, responsibilities, and rewards. Along with her desire to work hard and the guidance of knowledgeable mentors, she continued to assume greater leadership positions throughout her career.  Allen learned early that leadership was much more art than science. "Just as there's no one right age or gender or cultural background for leadership," Allen said. "I came to understand that there's no single right way to lead." 

Frequently honored for her contributions to business and community leadership, Sharon has been named to Forbes list of "the 100 most powerful women in the world" for the past four years. Obviously, relying on her Wisdom has served her well throughout her journey from Boise to the Boardroom. 

"Wisdom is not just a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it."