Sometimes, a bit of self-reflection is the best way to level up your skills 🪞
One of South Africa's most visionary BPO leaders, Cheryl Paarwater from Call Lab BPO, is here to share some excellent advice for teaching employees about the power of self-mastery 🏋
In our chat, we cover:
🫶 Emotional regulation as a leadership tool
🔗 Links between self-awareness and leadership success
🌍 The potential to re-shape South Africa's BPO sector
🧑💼 Why new training methods will define the industry's future
Check it out below.
---
Q: At the BPESA conference this year, you spoke about self-reflection and emotional regulation as a way to empower leadership in BPO. How does this approach differ from conventional leadership training?
A: In our business, we emphasize self-mastery. Sure, academics and technical skills are important, but we want our leaders to have the tools to pause, reflect, and address what’s happening internally before reacting to issues. That requires a deep understanding of oneself, which isn’t something most people inherently know—it’s something you have to learn.
Traditional programs teach functional skills—metrics, scheduling, strategy, and the like. Those are necessary, but they don’t address the human side of leadership. Our program is different because it focuses on mindfulness, emotional regulation, and self-mastery.
Participants work through structured modules on mindfulness, meditation, and managing emotions. They listen to motivational talks, get one-on-one coaching, and take part in group accountability sessions. It’s a holistic journey, not just "training."
Q: What impact has this approach had on your employees and the business so far?
A: The results at Call Lab have been amazing. Some participants already had some self-awareness, but the program made it practical. Others had massive transformations—they’re carrying themselves differently, having more meaningful conversations, and leading with confidence.
Let me give you a real example. One of our employees went through our Leadership Lab program. On his first birthday with us, we got him a cake and sang for him, the usual. He got emotional and later told me that it was the first birthday cake he’d ever had. Imagine that—in his twenties, and he’d never had a cake.
Fast forward to today, he’s one of our most promising leaders. He came to me recently and said that this approach to emotional regulation had changed his mindset about leadership principles. He began applying those principles in his role as an agent and started thinking about his team as his "business." It shifted his perspective entirely. People like him remind me why I do this work—it’s seeing the tangible change in someone’s life.
Q: Do you think this approach addresses the leadership challenges in South Africa’s BPO sector?
A: First, I want to push back on the idea of a "leadership gap." It annoys me when I hear people say we lack talent. We have incredibly capable people here. The problem isn’t a lack of ability—it’s a lack of investment. You can’t expect a harvest if you haven’t prepared the soil and planted the seeds.
Some companies think they need to bring in senior managers from other countries. While I understand the logic—bringing in expertise to train and build teams—I don’t think it’s necessary for the long term. We have the talent here. What we need is to equip people with the skills to lead. If companies were more intentional about leadership development, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.
Q: How do you see this approach to leadership nurturing playing out globally? What’s your advice to other leaders in the BPO space?
A: The future is about human connection. AI will handle metrics, scheduling, and other operational tasks. But you can’t automate empathy, appreciation, or a sense of belonging. People want to work in places where they feel valued. That’s the differentiator.
For leaders, this starts with self-awareness. You can’t care for others if you don’t care for yourself. Leadership is about making people feel like they’re part of something bigger, and by focusing on human connection during the training process, you can build organizations where people can find that connection and thrive in their careers.
---
Connect with Cheryl on LinkedIn here to continue the discussion.
Learn more about Call Lab here.
You can also read our field report on South Africa here.
---