Why is holistic and sustainable leadership development such an essential building block in today’s organisations? For Dr Sharon King Gabrielides, this question became the foundation of a journey that continues to shape leaders, teams and organisational culture across South Africa and beyond.
When she began her doctoral studies at The DaVinci Institute, her goal was clear. She wanted to create value for her business, her clients and society at large. What drew her to DaVinci was its emphasis on applied learning, a philosophy that links academic insight with meaningful, practical impact.
“The reason I chose DaVinci was because of the applied nature of the learning. I wanted to be able to say, ‘This is the benefit to me, my business and my clients.’ Otherwise, I would not have invested the time and energy. It was never about the title; it was about creating something that truly adds value,” she explains.
Her research demanded depth and rigour. By the end of her studies, she had engaged two data analysts to process and triangulate extensive datasets, a commitment that added significant robustness to her findings. “It was demanding, but it was worth it,” she recalls.
From Learning to Practice
DaVinci’s doctoral programmes are built on the expectation that research should solve real organisational challenges. For Dr King Gabrielides, this principle has defined her professional path.
Soon after completing her studies, she was approached by a leading South African Bank to assist with the principles of holistic and sustainable development to support a company-wide culture transformation initiative. Her doctoral research was the perfect foundation.
“They knew my doctorate focused on holistic and sustainable development. I’d shared my framework, which was published in the International Journal of Management and Business by Rutgers University, deemed the gold standard in leadership, and they came back saying, ‘Can you workshop this with us?’”
The resulting engagement drew heavily on her DaVinci research and the holistic and sustainable development model she created. Seeing her work shift mindsets and practices in a large organisation affirmed exactly what Dr King Gabrielides had set out to achieve.
“It was so fulfilling to see how the research added such value and translated into real change. That is what I did my doctorate for. It is something I use every single day,” she says.
Living the DaVinci Philosophy
Dr King Gabrielides’ experience reflects DaVinci’s core educational philosophy: research should not remain on paper. It should transform systems, organisations and communities.
At DaVinci, the doctoral journey is designed to be personal, purposeful and practical, producing scholar-practitioners who apply knowledge meaningfully in their own contexts. Sharon believes a doctorate should be pursued not for prestige, but for its potential to drive systemic, sustainable change.
“It is disheartening when people see a doctorate as just another credential. I was attracted to DaVinci because the expectation is to resolve challenges systemically and holistically, to make a meaningful difference,” she reflects.
Co-Creating Sustainable Change
Today, Dr King Gabrielides continues to work passionately in the fields of leadership development, culture transformation and holistic growth strategy.
“I am excited because I love what I do. The doctorate gave me the tools to show the return on investment that our work at Key Steps provides for our clients and how we partner to tangibly make a difference. And that is what I plan to keep doing,” she adds.
Her journey stands as a powerful reminder of how DaVinci alumni transform research into living practice, creating sustainable value for individuals, organisations and society.
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