A winner in the Leader category for MAW 2026, Sharon’s philosophy is built on a deep respect for the people who toil under the sun every day. She discusses the weight of emotional intelligence in manual labor, why she personally connects with her team every morning, and her commitment to ensuring that those who spend their youth tilling the land are supported through their twilight years.
Q1: What role does emotional intelligence play in your leadership? Can you share an example of how this has impacted a decision around employee engagement or wellness?
A1: Emotional intelligence plays an incredibly important role; it is a core leadership capability. It drives higher engagement, lowers turnover, and strengthens collaboration. A real example of this was our internal debate about remote work, triggered first by the pandemic and now by the Middle East crisis.
The decision doesn’t lie only in what is good for the company budget. If you look at it just as a budget constraint, it is easy to decide to let everyone stay home. But when you use emotional intelligence in decision-making, you have to ask: “Does this actually benefit the employee?” We had to consider if staying home would keep people as productive and mentally well as being in the office. It is about balancing budgetary constraints with the actual wellness of the people.
Q2: What’s the one thing you do every morning to ensure you’re mentally prepared for the fast-paced world of HR leadership?
A2: Every single morning, without fail, I start with prayer. I ask for guidance and spiritual well-being from my divine connection to handle the day.
Second, I make it a point to connect with all of my direct reports. You could say this is a bit “OC” or controlling, but I want everyone to be on top of any situation that might arise. It is a quick “hi, hello, how are you?” It isn’t about breathing down their necks; it is about letting them know that the support is there whenever they need it. It keeps us all grounded and present.
Q3: What values guide you as both a leader and a person? How do these align with the company culture you strive to cultivate?
A3: When I found my calling in HR, I was guided by one specific thought: Make people better versions of themselves. HR isn’t just about menial administrative tasks like counting leaves or policing cash advances. It is about culture, well-being, and learning.
In a massive agricultural company like Dole, if we help employees become better versions of themselves, they start seeing the bigger picture. They follow the SOPs correctly—whether it’s how they put fertilizer in the land or how they till the grass—because they take pride in the work instruction. When people grow personally and professionally, you don’t need to “police” them. You see less absenteeism and lower litigation costs because the employees are invested in their own excellence.
Q4: In your opinion, what’s the biggest misconception companies have about employee engagement, and how do you challenge that mindset?
A4: The biggest misconception is that engagement is an “HR program.” It’s not; it is a daily leadership behavior. If the leaders aren’t engaged themselves, you cannot expect the employees on the line to be engaged either.
We also focus too much on just measuring how engaged an employee is—like whether they might resign in a few months. But we forget to ask “Why?” Why is an employee disengaged? Why do they feel disconnected? It could be because they are a 40-year-old in a group of 20-year-olds. HR needs to see these real-life dynamics to ensure engagement is properly implemented.
Q5: As you look forward, what new initiatives or projects in employee well-being are you most excited to explore?
A5: I am incredibly passionate about “Physical to Total Life Care.” Because Dole is so labor-intensive, our people work under the sun and are exposed to the elements every day.
A large portion of our demographics are males aged 50 to 59 who have been with the company for 20 to 30 years. They have spent their youth at Stanfilco, and we want to make sure that during their twilight years, they are taken care of. This is more than just HMO coverage. We want to ensure their mental health is resilient and that they are supported emotionally and physically. We want our people to know that the company will take care of them in the same way they take care of the land every single day.
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