Our difference strengthen us: Jaya Sharma
Jaya Sharma was a decade into her career and working in account management when she decided to make a change. She desired a position that was both inspiring and enriching—in other words, one with meaning.
“I asked myself if I was doing what I was passionate about,” said Sharma, who is senior director of human resources for Principal® Global Services in India.
That move sparked a lifelong journey of self-discovery and reinvention despite challenges.
Born in New Delhi, Sharma describes her parents as being encouraging to pursue her own ambitions. She was sent to a convent school when she reached school age.
“Because my parents were both self-made, they wanted to ensure they could give us the best education, so we’d never face the struggles they faced,” said Sharma. “Their lives and humility have guided my choices, my behavior, and what kind of leader I am.”
Schooling turned out to be far more challenging than she anticipated: Sharma struggled mixing with unkind classmates; She also had dyscalculia (a learning difficulty related to the processing of number) and partial dyslexia. At that time, both were undiagnosed and poorly understood.
“What came naturally to other students, I had to put 100 times more effort into doing well,” she said.
She relied on techniques like visual cues and flash acronyms. “It taught me skills like perceptiveness, observation, and inclusion,” she said. “The experience made me realize I could help and uplift others with similar challenges.”
“While we are segregated with borders and countries, human emotions are universal, and you can learn so much from accepting differences.” Said Jaya Sharma, senior director of human resources, Principal Global Services, India
Post-college, Sharma began her career in outsourcing.
“I got the opportunity to travel and work with diverse cultures,” she recalls. “It really furthered my belief that, while we are segregated with borders and countries, human emotions are universal, and you can learn so much from accepting differences.”
Unable to pursue an advanced degree but interested in human resources, Sharma learned on the job through training, certifications, and roles with diversity and depth.
“I wanted to figure out how to add value to an organization and make a difference for every person aspiring to be their best version and lead others,” she said. “How do you make leadership development and learning engaging, versus just teaching to the level of high potential talent or the fastest student?”
In 2018, Sharma decided to place her decades long career on a pause; both her parents had died, and she took time to reset her personal life.
“When I was young, I wondered about struggles, but in hindsight I realized they prepare us for even bigger life situations of adversity, fear, loss, grief,” she said. “As a leader, this adds empathy, character, depth, and heart.”
Once she started exploring the job market again, she connected with a professional at Principal who recommended a possible human resources role.
“During my interviews, the leaders were transparent with me about what they wanted to build, and that they wanted someone coming in with diversity of experience,” she said.
In 2021, Sharma joined Principal; she’s responsible for the human resources journey—acquisition, development, management—and business partnership in India.
One of her goals was to make a difference. Part of that, she well knows, is investing in and developing leaders of tomorrow.
“Building strong leadership makes us future ready, so we’re looking at how we can continue to train internal talent to move beyond their roles, collaborate, and add depth,” said Sharma. “We must invest time and pay it forward, so I try to do that now by helping emerging talent build their capabilities and pursue their aspirations.”
While Sharma’s career went through various phases, the persistence she learned in school helped her keep her focussed on her goal – “leave things better than you found them”.
“When I came back to work, it was bigger than personal aspiration. It was about creating, building, and transforming, and Principal brought that opportunity to me,” she said. “Our differences strengthen us, and each one of us at Principal plays a part in building a respectful, inclusive, authentic world.”
“I asked myself if I was doing what I was passionate about,” said Sharma, who is senior director of human resources for Principal® Global Services in India.
That move sparked a lifelong journey of self-discovery and reinvention despite challenges.
Born in New Delhi, Sharma describes her parents as being encouraging to pursue her own ambitions. She was sent to a convent school when she reached school age.
“Because my parents were both self-made, they wanted to ensure they could give us the best education, so we’d never face the struggles they faced,” said Sharma. “Their lives and humility have guided my choices, my behavior, and what kind of leader I am.”
Schooling turned out to be far more challenging than she anticipated: Sharma struggled mixing with unkind classmates; She also had dyscalculia (a learning difficulty related to the processing of number) and partial dyslexia. At that time, both were undiagnosed and poorly understood.
“What came naturally to other students, I had to put 100 times more effort into doing well,” she said.
She relied on techniques like visual cues and flash acronyms. “It taught me skills like perceptiveness, observation, and inclusion,” she said. “The experience made me realize I could help and uplift others with similar challenges.”
“While we are segregated with borders and countries, human emotions are universal, and you can learn so much from accepting differences.” Said Jaya Sharma, senior director of human resources, Principal Global Services, India
Post-college, Sharma began her career in outsourcing.
“I got the opportunity to travel and work with diverse cultures,” she recalls. “It really furthered my belief that, while we are segregated with borders and countries, human emotions are universal, and you can learn so much from accepting differences.”
Unable to pursue an advanced degree but interested in human resources, Sharma learned on the job through training, certifications, and roles with diversity and depth.
“I wanted to figure out how to add value to an organization and make a difference for every person aspiring to be their best version and lead others,” she said. “How do you make leadership development and learning engaging, versus just teaching to the level of high potential talent or the fastest student?”
In 2018, Sharma decided to place her decades long career on a pause; both her parents had died, and she took time to reset her personal life.
“When I was young, I wondered about struggles, but in hindsight I realized they prepare us for even bigger life situations of adversity, fear, loss, grief,” she said. “As a leader, this adds empathy, character, depth, and heart.”
Once she started exploring the job market again, she connected with a professional at Principal who recommended a possible human resources role.
“During my interviews, the leaders were transparent with me about what they wanted to build, and that they wanted someone coming in with diversity of experience,” she said.
In 2021, Sharma joined Principal; she’s responsible for the human resources journey—acquisition, development, management—and business partnership in India.
One of her goals was to make a difference. Part of that, she well knows, is investing in and developing leaders of tomorrow.
“Building strong leadership makes us future ready, so we’re looking at how we can continue to train internal talent to move beyond their roles, collaborate, and add depth,” said Sharma. “We must invest time and pay it forward, so I try to do that now by helping emerging talent build their capabilities and pursue their aspirations.”
While Sharma’s career went through various phases, the persistence she learned in school helped her keep her focussed on her goal – “leave things better than you found them”.
“When I came back to work, it was bigger than personal aspiration. It was about creating, building, and transforming, and Principal brought that opportunity to me,” she said. “Our differences strengthen us, and each one of us at Principal plays a part in building a respectful, inclusive, authentic world.”
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