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Episode Description

In this episode of the Women Emerging Podcast, host Julia Middleton challenges the widely accepted notion of meritocracy with two accomplished leaders, Catherine Ruggles and Nosipho Damasane. Together, they dissect the structural barriers that often hinder true equity and discuss the realities of leadership beyond the illusion of a level playing field.

Catherine brings a deep understanding of corporate leadership and organizational development, shedding light on how biases and systemic advantages shape professional trajectories. He unpacks the hidden dynamics of workplace success and why talent alone is not always enough.

Nosipho, a seasoned executive with extensive experience in infrastructure and logistics, shares her personal journey navigating male-dominated industries. She offers powerful insights into the importance of sponsorship, networks, and challenging ingrained biases to create truly inclusive opportunities for women.

Through their thought-provoking discussion, Catherine and Nosipho debunk the myth of meritocracy, emphasizing that leadership success is often a mix of privilege, opportunity, and advocacy. This episode is essential listening for anyone seeking to understand how to break barriers and foster more equitable workplaces.

About the Guests

Nosipho Damasane

Nosipho Damasane is a trailblazing executive in the infrastructure and logistics sector. She has led large-scale operations and champions diversity, mentorship, and leadership pathways for women in traditionally male-dominated industries.

Catherine Ruggles

Catherine Ruggles is a leadership and talent development expert with extensive experience in corporate strategy and organizational growth. His work focuses on cultivating inclusive leadership models and dismantling barriers to workplace equity.

About the Host

Julia Middleton

Julia Middleton is the host of the Women Emerging podcast and a best-selling author of “If that’s leading, I’m in” as well as two previous books: “Leading beyond Authority” and “Cultural Intelligence”. She is deeply committed to helping people from all backgrounds to find their own approach to leading.

In 2020, Julia launched Women Emerging and in 2022 she lead an expedition of 24 women to find ‘an approach to leading that resonates with women’. She now leads expeditions with women all over the world based on 4Es methodology, discovered in the first expedition.

Prior to that, Julia was founder and, for over thirty years, Chief Executive of Common Purpose, which grew to become one of the biggest leadership development organisations in the world.
Julia is also an Ambassador for the Aurora Prize based in Armenia, on the boards of Alfanar Venture Philanthropy in the Arab World and Equality Now which operates globally, and on the Advisory Councils of Fundacao Dom Cabral in Brazil and Synapse in Pakistan.

Born in London and brought up in New York, Julia was educated at French Lycées and graduated from the London School of Economics. She is married, with five children and lots of grandchildren.