Female Disruptors: Deloitte’s Simona Spelman On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry

As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, we had the pleasure of interviewing Simona Spelman.

Simona is the US Human Capital leader, where she leads ~9,000 practitioners who help our clients courageously navigate through disruption related to the work, workforce, and workplace to help make work better for humans, and humans better at work.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

My journey is rooted in my Sicilian heritage. When I was young, my family immigrated from Sicily to the U.S., driven by my parents’ desire to provide my brother and me with a better education. This exciting yet frightening experience of adapting to a new country without knowing the language instilled in me the values of resilience, agility, and reinvention, shaping my personal and professional life. It also taught me to give myself a lot of grace and allow room for growth.

I am also a first-generation college graduate. I deeply cherish my family’s sacrifices to ensure my brother and I received a quality education. Upon graduating from Rutgers University as a finance and Italian major, I was offered my first job in consulting, marking the beginning of my career as a technologist. I found immense joy in resolving technology-related challenges for my clients. This propelled me to pursue this path further, ultimately shaping my career.

Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?

As the leader of Deloitte’s Human Capital practice, our mission is to make work better for humans and humans better at work.™ We strive to remain at the forefront of issues that impact work, workforce, and workplace across all industries. In this ever-changing world, we are provided endless opportunities to be disruptive. My experience in high-tech roles has primarily shaped my career; however, taking the leadership role in our Human Capital practice has given me another opportunity to reinvent myself. It’s provided an avenue to bridge the gap between technology and the workforce, which is something we continually advise our clients on. With disruptive technologies like Gen AI, it’s more critical than ever to consider the changing nature of work, including how skillsets will evolve and what this means for us as humans. Rather than solely focusing on technical skills that would potentially become outdated, Deloitte emphasizes enduring human capabilities like curiosity, empathy, and imagination, which are at the core of our disruptive work. These enduring human capabilities, combined with technological innovation, allow us to push the boundaries of what’s possible. Together, we’re harnessing the power of our collective humanity to help reshape the future of work.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? And then what lesson did you learn from that?

While I consider myself a technologist now, the path to calling myself one is quite a humorous story. In my first job, I was asked to code something where, despite four years of textbook knowledge, I was out of my depth. You can imagine my feelings at that moment — it was anything but fabulous.

My first coding task was estimated to take about four hours. After I hit my last line of code, the compiler came back with a shockingly high number of errors. There were probably a hundred times more mistakes than there were words in my code. From that point, I went line by line, painstakingly reviewing and correcting my work until I was sure I had got it right. This funny yet eye-opening experience taught me a very important lesson I’ve carried with me ever since. Always allow yourself the time and space to learn and grow whenever you’re starting something new, be it your first job or your twentieth. Approach the learning process in a way that suits you, even if it’s different from how others might do it. And most importantly, be kind to yourself. Give yourself permission to make mistakes and learn from them because that’s the best gift you can give yourself.

We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?

I’ve had many people guide me throughout my career, but one person who stands out is Haissam Issa. He was the partner in charge of the business unit within Deloitte, where I worked as a senior manager. Haissam believed in me at a time when I was trying to find my path. I was working toward a promotion from senior manager to principal, and despite not knowing me very well, he saw something in my passion and skillset that resonated with him. He introduced me to what he considered his ‘board of directors,’ who worked with me to understand how to tell my story in a meaningful way. Transitioning from the Core Business Operations practice to Human Capital was a pivotal moment in my career. This opportunity arose because of a discussion amongst leaders about who could lead an emerging offering within our Human Capital practice. Haissam advocated for me and championed my capabilities in front of his peers, knowing full well that my promotion would result in him losing a key leader for his practice. In prioritizing my career growth and journey over his immediate needs, he demonstrated an exceptional act of selfless leadership. This had a profound impact on me. Haissam taught me the importance of putting the interests of others above my own, a lesson that I carry with me in my role today. His impact on my career has been significant, and I always strive to emulate him in my interactions with others.

Can you share 3 of the best words of advice? You’ve gotten along your journey. If you can give an example for each.

Three pieces of advice I’ve cherished throughout my journey are to be an active listener, give oneself grace, and learn to be agile.

Active listening is about fully engaging in the conversation and striving to understand. An example of this is how I’ve adapted to our new Zoom world. I make a point of being present during calls and going on camera to show my focus and commitment. It’s not just about listening to respond but listening to comprehend and allowing others’ points of view to shape or change my own.

Giving oneself grace is about being kind to oneself. For instance, there have been times when I’ve been hard on myself after a meeting or when I felt I didn’t perform as expected. But by reflecting on what I was going through at that moment and learning from the experience, I’ve learned to give myself grace.

Being agile is about having an open mind and the ability to change course quickly when necessary. In my past 12 years at Deloitte, I’ve had to pivot several times. For instance, when I was asked to take on the Human Capital as a Service offering, it was a big shift from my comfort zone of being a systems integrator and technologist. But this agility has led to amazing experiences and growth.

We’re sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?

We are really focused on the work trends that will shake things up next, and they are pointing toward the idea of human sustainability. Many organizations value not only environmental stewardship but also the idea of human sustainability, which means creating value for current and future workers and, more broadly, human beings and society. Human sustainability has moved up steadily higher on the corporate agenda, with 79% of business leaders agreeing that the organization has a responsibility to create value for workers as human beings and society in general. The majority of executives Deloitte recently surveyed say their company is advancing human sustainability in some capacity, and workers are looking for their companies to take action on it. The time is ripe for organizations to accelerate their efforts. The focus on human sustainability and well-being could also influence career moves, with 82% of C-suite respondents saying they would be more likely to take a job with a company advancing human sustainability, even if it meant accepting a pay cut. Our leadership team dives more deeply into the topic in Deloitte’s 2024 Global Human Capital Trends report, which is now released.

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by women disruptors that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?

One of the toughest challenges for women disruptors has persisted for quite some time now, and it’s the common misperception that strong, confident women with a voice are seen as aggressive or bossy, all of which can make it challenging for them to succeed in their roles. However, I’ve been fortunate to have champions who have celebrated me for who I am, helping me overcome doubts and negativity when they arise. Yet, this reflexive tendency among women to make themselves smaller continues to exist due to these viewpoints. They may find themselves in rooms where decisions are made and perhaps not be as bold as they would like. Women should be the ones who are not afraid of challenging the status quo or being the thought leaders in the room. It’s a hurdle that continues to exist but one that we should tirelessly work to overcome.

Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?

One impactful podcast that comes to mind is Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead, specifically the episode with Jon Meacham on the Soul of America. Interestingly, I happened to listen to this episode after a particularly difficult meeting I had the day before. The podcast discussed how exceptional leaders take time to process and reflect on their interactions rather than just experiencing them. This resonated with me as I had spent most of my night dissecting and reflecting on the meeting, trying to understand my behavior.

The podcast inspired me to reflect further on the conversation and reach out to the other leader involved in the discussion. This led to a better outcome and an even stronger relationship than before the conflict. The episode reminded me that good leaders help their organizations embrace a more human way of working by evolving their own mindsets.

What struck me was the importance of self-evaluation in my leadership journey. It’s about accepting that I may not always show up as I intended in a meeting or on a topic but understanding my state of mind during that interaction. It’s not about blaming others for their actions but reflecting on how I could have handled the situation differently or influenced a different outcome. This self-reflection is something I believe we often overlook, but it’s an aspect I intend to carry with me as I continue to evolve as a leader.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire 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. :-)

Right now, we are starting a movement tied to our “Promise” within Deloitte’s Human Capital practice. The Human Capital Promise is a commitment made by our team of approximately 9,000 practitioners, grounded in nine key attributes, such as leading with humility, empowering others, and challenging the status quo. The ripple effect of this promise can be felt throughout the community, demonstrating that promises, when shared and upheld collectively, are powerful and contagious. I have seen the impact of this promise in the business I led before, and now we’re introducing it across our whole practice. These promises are personal; they come from you, are made by you to others, and are reciprocated in kind. This unique approach encourages leaders to determine what these promises would look like in their teams. When these promises are in place, they create a safe environment where people can perform their best work. They feel empowered to contribute in ways that benefit our clients, organization, and each other. This infuses a collective sense of purpose into our work and can help address any disconnection people may have felt before. This approach has transformed areas of our business before, and I believe it will help us outperform others in a challenging market.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

My favorite “Life Lesson Quote” is from Nelson Mandela, “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.” This quote has been incredibly relevant throughout my life journey. As someone who moved to a new country at a young age, and English being my second language, I’ve faced numerous challenges and uncertainties. There were countless times when fear or self-doubt would creep in. However, this quote reminds me that it’s okay to feel afraid. It encourages me to face my fears head-on, enabling me to overcome the obstacles I encounter and continue moving forward. If I had truly understood the essence of this quote at the beginning of each new chapter in my life, I could have saved myself many sleepless nights worrying about the outcome.

How can our readers follow you online?

You can visit Deloitte’s Human Capital Blog and Insights2Action page for more of our team’s insights. Additionally, you can follow me on LinkedIn.