#16 - Shakila Dabare: Leading with confidence early in your career

Shakila Dabare is a senior finance professional based in Dubai who is carving out her place in the world of finance as a young woman with remarkable clarity and confidence.

As a Senior Associate at Deliveroo with over eight years of experience in strategic growth and portfolio oversight, Shakila has built a reputation for managing high-stakes responsibilities in fast-paced, often male-dominated environments.

In this episode, Shakila shares her journey from imposter syndrome to truly owning her space in rooms full of experienced experts. She reflects on what it was like managing multi-million-dollar budgets in her twenties and the lessons she learned about leadership, resilience, and knowing when to push forward (and when to let go).

We also explore her practical “two circles” concept for focusing energy on what’s within our control, and why building a strong community of women is essential for lifting each other up. Shakila brings thoughtful insight, honesty, and a refreshing perspective on what it means to show up for yourself every single day.

In this episode, we talk about:

00:00 – Welcome and why Shakila’s story matters

00:51 – Growing up in the UAE and embracing diversity

03:40 – Choosing your inner circle and building intentional connections

05:40 – Managing imposter syndrome early in your career

07:26 – Advice for women in male-dominated environments

10:50 – Building self-confidence and showing up for yourself

14:05 – Lessons from mentors and rethinking failure

17:40 – Turning overthinking into strategic planning

19:50 – Adulting, finances, and long-term thinking

27:16 – The power of women’s communities and networks

31:09 – Finding your goal, your “why,” and what’s in your control

33:40 – Taking action: the “run after the bus” analogy

36:01 – Purpose, inner data, and closing reflections

If you’ve ever struggled with self-doubt, felt the pressure of responsibility early in your career, or wondered how to confidently hold your space in high-stakes environments, this conversation is full of practical wisdom and encouragement.

About the host

Sarah Perugia is an expert women-in-leadership coach and whole-person leadership transformation specialist, dedicated to empowering female leaders to thrive. With over 20 years of experience, she partners with organisations across the globe to develop and retain top female talent, strengthen the female leadership pipeline, and promote gender equality in senior roles.

Drawing on her background in acting, neuro-linguistic programming, and Positive Psychology, Sarah empowers leaders to advance their careers, build confidence, enhance performance, and ultimately flourish and thrive. Her offering combines tailored leadership development programmes with one-to-one executive leadership coaching to unlock their full potential.

If you’d like to learn more about Sarah and her work with women in leadership, you can find out more here: https://www.sarahperugia.com/women-in-leadership/

In this show, we cover

Young Leader, Women in Leadership, Diversity, Personal Growth, Imposter Syndrome, Self-confidence, Mentorship, Career Advice, Goal Setting, Purpose

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and more!

Contact and Connect

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-perugia-leadership-coaching/

Connect with Shakila on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shakiladabare/