Shiney Sharma’s business career started while working as a school counselor, helping children in Alexandria, Virginia, balance their educational, social, and emotional well-being. While not a typical route to corporate leadership, Sharma says counseling gave her the ability to understand people, read social cues, and bring together stakeholders. A career as an education curriculum sales executive followed, which led her to pursue an MBA from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and become a Fellow at Carey’s Center for Innovative Leadership.
“There’s a saying, ‘it’s just business.’ But it's not, it’s people,” said Sharma. “Sometimes when people think about business, they don't think of the humanity piece of it. It's very human-centered.”
For Sharma, the CIL Fellows program provided an opportunity to build upon her previous experiences and push the boundaries of her career path.
“As a leadership center, we are invested in thinking about how to help people grow in ways that advance their own professional careers,” said CIL Faculty Director Christopher Myers, the Peetz Family Professor of Leadership.
Throughout the 10-month, cohort-based fellowship program, students participate in an in-person residency course before continuing to engage regularly in small peer group meetings and virtual connect sessions. Fellows also participate in immersive treks to experience leadership in action, including behind-the-scenes tours of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California
“The treks are designed as immersive leadership experiences that give Fellows a behind-the-scenes look at how high-performing organizations operate in complex, fast-moving, and high-stakes environments,” said CIL Executive Director Mike Doyle. “Whether we are exploring space operations, elite sports teams, science, or improvisational comedy, these settings spark curiosity and create space for reflection. Participants see firsthand how leaders build trust, make decisions under pressure, and adapt alongside their teams in real-world environments.” said CIL Executive Director Mike Doyle. “Whether we are exploring space operations, competitive sports, science, or improvisational comedy, these settings spark curiosity and create space for reflection. Participants see firsthand how leaders build trust, make decisions under pressure, and adapt alongside their teams in real-world environments.”
“We embed this CIL ethos that leadership is everywhere and try to expose students to experiences that they wouldn't get any other way,” added Myers.
Sharma says she was particularly inspired by the experience at the Johnson Space Center. She was awed by the complexity of NASA’s crewed spaceflight operations and the thousands of people it takes to put one astronaut in space, which gave her a new perspective on leadership.
“I think one of the things that CIL has taught me, going through this experience, is that I can still lead in different ways. Just because I'm not leading a team doesn't mean that I'm not supporting others,” Sharma said. “And I think that's a big part of leadership, too. It's not always about being the person making decisions. I think it's more so, how you show up for people on your team.”
Sharma says she was most impressed by the CIL Fellows community and her peer network. She says they were an incredibly supportive network for discussing problems and developing new ideas.
“I'm walking away with friends that I'm going to connect with for probably the rest of my life,” said Sharma. “We went through a similar experience, and it's going to be pretty amazing to have people whom I can reach out to and connect with to help me stay accountable. And hopefully I can do the same for them.”
With the new skills she’s gained, Sharma plans to start her own consulting business.
