An entrepreneur and a strategic leader, Sharon Constançon is the Chairman of the South African Chamber of Commerce and the CEO of Genius Methods. In the recent episode of Dinis Guarda YouTube podcast, Sharon explains the fundamental concepts necessary for the growth and development of businesses.
Business leaders find themselves in a relentless journey of adaptation while navigating through the dynamics of doing business. Sharon, a luminary in multiple organisations and a Forex advisory expert, shared that the challenge lies in grappling with the ramifications of living in a digitally connected world.
The inexorable rise of automation and artificial intelligence introduces an ethical quandary. She explained that unlike human cognition, computer intelligence lacks inherent ethical reasoning, necessitating a vigilant examination of the risks, challenges, and the trajectory these technologies might unwittingly propel us into.
Sharon emphasises the critical need for leaders to scrutinise the outcomes of their decisions, ensuring accuracy and ethical considerations. As the business landscape braces itself for the automation wave, a pertinent question echoes: Are we steering our ships in the right direction?
Empowering SMEs with genuine growth
During the interview, Sharon explains to Dinis that the human brain inherently possesses an ethical element, a nuanced logic that machines are yet to fully comprehend. She emphasises that the imperative question that should resonate at the senior echelons of business is “Are we, as stewards of automation, steering our endeavors ethically?”
She explained this with the help of an example: “Everything happens on a smartphone. The amount of business that is done through apps and through the use of intelligence and clever applications is completely different to what businesses were doing years ago. The whole environment has actually empowered these businesses to be able to deliver far more than a standard cash economy so that one can actually start to develop genuine value-added business, not just food for the table.”
Governance: A cornerstone for future business growth
Effective governance becomes the catalyst for sustainable growth, ethical decision-making, and stakeholder trust. The principles of governance extend far beyond regulatory compliance, encapsulating a holistic approach that shapes organisational culture, risk management, and strategic foresight. As businesses grapple with the dynamic forces of technological innovation, environmental considerations, and societal expectations, a robust governance framework becomes indispensable.
Sharon elucidates that governance is not a mere compliance checkbox; it is the bedrock on which businesses can flourish. “Businesses are going to be going to be led into and driven into how are we going to be teaching our people how are we going to be dealing with this blockchain AI environment how are we going to circumvent some of the risks that these new technologies are bringing to us and what is going to become critical for me.
We are seeing some degree of maturity in corporate governance code, but there is a long way to get there”, she said.
