Women’s unity lays the groundwork for advancing diversity in the labor market

For Aline Carvalho, safer and more productive work environments depend on encouraging transparency (Alexsander Ferraz/AT)

The current labor market calls for women to unite in promoting protagonism and advancing diversity, ending linear career paths, and transforming the traditional leader into one who gives voice to the collective. With this perspective, Norsul’s Director of People, Management and Fleet, Aline Carvalho, opened the 1º Encontro Mulheres a Bordo 2026 this Tuesday (5).

In the talk “Career building: education and development in a world in constant reconfiguration”, the executive emphasized that advancing diversity depends on collective action by women. “The great revolution will happen through the unity of women. (...) Take ownership of your own path.”

Regarding shifts in corporate concepts, Aline noted that the current scenario breaks with the binary logic that has historically guided decisions in the world of work. “You’ll have one side saying ‘it’s very good,’ while another says ‘it’s very bad.’ It can be good and it can be bad. We were not shaped for this ambiguity. We like to say: ‘it’s right or wrong.’ We struggle with the gray zone, and there is increasingly more gray zone.”

Fragility and unpredictability

According to her, this environment is amplified by systems that appear stable but are, in practice, fragile and unpredictable. “A war breaks out today and destabilizes the entire world. A viral post can destroy the reputation of a company built over decades”, she illustrated, highlighting the breakdown of the linear relationship between cause and effect. “This is our backdrop, this is the world we are immersed in — it makes us uneasy. But it is what we have.”

For Aline, the problem is that companies and professionals are still operating with outdated models inherited from the industrial era. “Who wants change? Everyone. Who wants to change? No one.”

She criticized practices such as rigid strategic planning and annual targets that quickly become obsolete. “We can no longer think about the future by looking at the past”, she said, noting the difficulty of keeping budgets up to date in a volatile environment.

Another central point was the deconstruction of the traditional leadership model. The executive questioned the archetype of the ideal leader. In her view, protagonism should be collective. “What is the leader’s role? Step out of the spotlight. Let the collective energy emerge.”

Transparency

Aline Carvalho also advocated transparency as the foundation for safer and more productive environments. “We are all exposed within the company — everyone can see what everyone else is doing. Avoiding difficult conversations does not solve the problem”, she said.

In her view, psychological safety does not mean comfort, but rather the ability to face difficult dialogues with confidence. “It is so safe here that I trust I will have very tough conversations.”

Development

In terms of professional development, the executive reinforced that continuous learning is no longer a differentiator but a basic condition for survival. She highlighted the impact of artificial intelligence, which goes beyond operational tasks. “It is not just automating bureaucratic work—every career will be affected.”

In this context, she stressed that in today’s market, professionals with skills such as resilience, critical thinking, and adaptability stand out.

When addressing careers, Aline proposed a break from the idea of a linear trajectory. “A career manifests itself as a unique, multiple, and dynamic path”, she defined, adding that “more than following a corporate ladder, it is necessary to build original paths, with room for changes, experimentation, and even setbacks. Don’t wait to be invited — go there and step in.”

In closing, the Norsul director left a message to the audience: more than seeking ready-made answers, it is necessary to cultivate discomfort and reflection. “The idea is for us to leave here with a sense of discomfort”, she concluded.