Leading with Heart: Colgate-Palmolive’s Prabha Parameswaran On The Power of Authentic Women’s Leadership
An Interview With Pirie Jones Grossman
Increasing Team Engagement and Motivation: By leading authentically, you can foster a culture where people feel valued and invested in their work, ultimately leading to increased idea generation and advancements in innovation. I’m always encouraged to see our Chairman, President and CEO, Noel Wallace, post on LinkedIn when he’s visiting our team in offices around the globe — it’s authentic positivity that highlights the extraordinary work being done.
In today’s dynamic world, the concept of leadership is continuously evolving. While traditional leadership models have often been male-dominated, there is a growing recognition of the unique strengths and perspectives that women bring to these roles. This series aims to explore how women can become more effective leaders by authentically embracing their femininity and innate strengths, rather than conforming to traditional male leadership styles. In this series, we are talking to successful women leaders, coaches, authors, and experts who can provide insights and personal stories on how embracing their inherent feminine qualities has enhanced their leadership abilities. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Prabha Parameswaran.
Prabha Parameswaran is Group President, Growth and Strategy at Colgate-Palmolive Company. Prabha provides strategic oversight of the Company’s professional skin health businesses and also oversees its global innovation and commercial growth functions including R&D, Global Category & Innovation Groups, Design, Digital Marketing & Commerce, Analytics & Insights, Supply Chain, Information Technology, Sustainability and M&A.
Previously, served as Colgate’s President, Europe Division and as President, Africa Eurasia Division. Prabha joined Colgate-Palmolive India in 1995 and progressed through a series of marketing and management positions across Asia, Latin America, Europe and Africa Eurasia. Leading teams through challenging environments, championing innovation and gaining market share are hallmarks of her global career.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion about authentic, feminine leadership, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
I have always been curious — wanting to learn new things and have new experiences. Early in my career, I was fortunate to find an opportunity with Colgate-Palmolive, a company that invests in developing talent in part by providing global experiences. I began my journey in India and now nearly 30 years later have worked across five continents in different roles that have allowed me to immerse myself in diverse cultures, manage varied business challenges, and work with an array of people with unique perspectives. These experiences helped me grow personally and professionally. It’s embedded in me the value of empathy, of embracing diversity and of continuously learning and adapting.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
Colgate-Palmolive is a purpose-driven company with a caring, inclusive culture that you experience every day, everywhere in the organization. You could go to any of the 200 countries and territories we operate in, and experience our unique culture and values. I can attest to having often lived in countries where the language and culture were not known to me, but my colleagues made me feel comfortable and at ease.
For example, when I relocated to Mexico, I did not speak Spanish and it was my first time in Latin America. Business previously was conducted in Spanish but when I joined the team, everybody made an effort to speak in English — even if they were not fluent — to make me feel included. It made me want to reciprocate by learning their culture and language, both of which were super enriching experiences. And I also learned a key leadership lesson, which was not to be afraid to ask for help and not to be fearful of appearing foolish — learning comes from humility.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success?
I have four, which I like to call my “Four C’s” to help guide me — Curiosity, Clarity, Courage and Connectedness.
Being curious: Being an eternal learner, which I have already spoken about here. With that comes strong listening skills and a willingness to unlearn and not be afraid to admit what I don’t know. It is a humbling experience but is the first step to learning. Needless to say, without learning you do not grow.
Clarity: It’s easy to get caught up in day-to-day tasks or be overwhelmed by competing priorities, but clarity helps you stay the course. Having a focused vision and clearly defined goals ensures you understand what’s most important, make better decisions, and communicate effectively. In my role, navigating such a wide range of functions requires not just curiosity to understand the nuances of each, but also clarity to focus on what’s important.
Courage of Conviction is my third “C.” It’s about standing up for what I believe in and having the courage to be authentic and comfortable in my skin. It’s also about standing up for my team so they have the confidence to speak up and do what is right.
Finally, Connectedness. This is about bringing people together to have a shared purpose and creating an environment in which each individual is contributing to that purpose. It’s also about helping people connect, feel safe to share their diverse perspectives, and feel that they belong. At Colgate, we call this the Power of WE.
As a woman in leadership, how have you navigated and challenged gender stereotypes, especially in situations where traditional male-dominated approaches are the norm? What strategies have you employed to remain authentic to your style?
My personal strategy is to find ways to be my authentic self. Because when you truly feel comfortable with who you really are, anything is achievable. For me, authenticity in leadership starts with having a deep understanding of your values, your strengths and your vulnerabilities, and having the clarity and courage to stay true to yourself.
I remember when I first stepped into the role of leading one of our divisions. It was a high-stakes environment with a leadership style that differed from mine, but by staying true to my authentic approach of active listening and empathy, I was able to build trust with the team and drive engagement.
Being an active, empathetic listener and respecting diverse thinking has helped me gain acceptance and buy-in, even in challenging environments.
How do you utilize emotional intelligence and active listening to create an inclusive environment in your team or organization? Could you share a specific instance where these qualities particularly enhanced team dynamics or performance?”
At Colgate-Palmolive, we take our culture and our values seriously. We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where people feel empowered to be their authentic selves — where they feel valued, part of a global team, and supported to be courageous — to think big and get things done. I’ve benefited from our caring, inclusive, courageous culture and am fiercely committed to strengthening it.
When I am in a meeting, I actively observe the room because often there are people who have great ideas but are either shy or are talked over. By encouraging them to speak and actively listening, it has helped them gain confidence and I have seen how they can become great contributors to the discussions.
What role has mentorship played in developing your authentic leadership style, and how do you communicate authentically to inspire and empower both your mentors and mentees?
Building these leadership qualities is an ongoing journey at Colgate-Palmolive. I have reached where I am thanks to the many great leaders who have mentored me through my career. As both a mentor and mentee, I have seen first-hand how these influential roles can help drive growth and success for not only ourselves as individuals, but also for our organizations overall. To be a good mentor or mentee the key is to build trust, embrace transparency, and be genuinely committed to learning — being comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Mentors benefit just as much as mentees, and reverse mentoring can be incredibly valuable as well — especially in this digital world where Gen Z is leading the way. In fact, I have a Gen Z colleague mentoring me on Gen AI!
The strongest leaders continually seek opportunities to learn from others regardless of role or level and it doesn’t need to happen through a formal program; it can be an ongoing effort. By fostering a culture of continuous learning and mutual support, you drive individual and organizational growth.
Based on your experience and research, can you please share “5 Ways Leading Authentically As A Woman Will Affect Your Leadership”?
1. Creating Curiosity & Innovation: Encouraging a curiosity mindset and a willingness to explore new ideas is the best way to drive innovation and keep your organization at the forefront of progress. This commitment to fostering creativity has led to significant breakthroughs at Colgate-Palmolive, including our early adoption of AI technologies. We moved from being fast followers to leaders in digital transformation by partnering with companies like OpenAI and Google to experiment and push boundaries. Today, 100% of our salaried and clerical workforce have completed our digital transformation training program, and Harvard Business Review and Fast Company have recognized us for our leadership in AI. This shift has allowed us to use AI to optimize supply chain management, forecast consumer trends, and speed up product development. We know the best ideas can come from the most unexpected places, so we encourage our teams to constantly search for better ways of working, explore new approaches, and embrace technology to disrupt the status quo.
2. Inspiring Confidence through Shared Accountability: Leaders set the tone for the entire organization, and their priorities around emotional intelligence shape the culture. In 2020, as we developed our five-year strategic plan, we shared the strategy with all employees through a global webcast — as it happened it was the week before the pandemic shut our offices down! It was the first time we had introduced a strategic plan to the entire organization at once. This transparency and inclusion fostered a sense of shared accountability and purpose, enabling us to navigate choppy waters during the pandemic. When people feel included and heard, they’re more committed to driving success together.
3. Increasing Team Engagement and Motivation: By leading authentically, you can foster a culture where people feel valued and invested in their work, ultimately leading to increased idea generation and advancements in innovation. I’m always encouraged to see our Chairman, President and CEO, Noel Wallace, post on LinkedIn when he’s visiting our team in offices around the globe — it’s authentic positivity that highlights the extraordinary work being done.
4. Creating More Great Leaders: Effective leaders inspire and develop future leaders, creating a cycle of continuous improvement and excellence within the organization. Colgate-Palmolive’s Valuing Colgate-Palmolive People learning experience helps build a strong culture based on our purpose, values, and leadership principles including important concepts around integrity, ethical behavior, and the desire to do the right thing, which is the foundation for effective leadership. Empowerment through training and mentorship is essential for future generations to sustain the lasting, positive company culture we’ve helped to build.
5. Focusing on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: We aspire to have teams that have diverse experiences across all aspects of our business and at all levels, and we continue to make progress toward our goals. Within Colgate-Palmolive, women represent 38% of our workforce at the senior leadership level of management, which is higher than the global average. I am proud of our progress, yet I recognize there is still more we can do. We are focused on several areas, and I am personally engaged on these fronts.
Are there potential pitfalls or challenges associated with being an empathetic leader? How can these be addressed?
Empathetic people typically want to seek the opinions of others and learn from them, which can be a huge advantage when it comes to collaborating with others.
When making tough decisions, balancing empathy with objectivity and considering long-term impacts is crucial. I’ve had to make strategic choices about where to prioritize our investments to drive sustainable growth. It’s never easy, as these decisions often impact not only the business but our teams and local communities. As leaders, we must balance financial goals with human considerations — ultimately staying true to our purpose and values.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
Almost 50% of the world suffers from oral diseases, such as cavities, gingivitis, and periodontal disease — but this isn’t just about oral health. These conditions can impact a person’s overall well-being, and yet, not everyone has the resources to prevent and treat them. We need to address oral health disparities to achieve a future in which health is abundant and accessible for all. If I could influence people to do just one thing, it would be to take charge of their health and brush their teeth for two minutes twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste — and don’t forget to floss and rinse with an alcohol-free mouthwash. It may seem like a small ask, but it can have a major impact on your overall health and well-being.
Since 1991, our Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures initiative has reached more than 1.7 billion children and their families to promote the importance of oral health education and provide free dental screenings and treatment referrals. I’m proud of the incredible work the team is doing to create a world of bright smiles and even brighter, healthier futures.
How can our readers further follow you online?
Follow me on LinkedIn and don’t forget to follow Colgate-Palmolive to see how we’re reimagining a healthier future for all people, their pets and our planet.
Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
Leading with Heart: Colgate-Palmolive’s Prabha Parameswaran On The Power of Authentic Women’s… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.