The International Women’s Day theme for 2019 is #BalanceforBetter. The choice of the word balance is pertinent. A gender-balanced world is a better world. A world where both men and women have an equally important part to play. A world that will come together through collective action.

Collective action is born from sharing stories and starting dialogues. In today’s blog I share five mantras that have come to shape me as a woman leader:

#1 Stay strong, stay positive

As we take increasingly bigger responsibilities in life (at home and at work), I have personally found several moments of anxiety, where I felt if I can really do it?. The internal confidence and trust in your capabilities is the key to stay strong and know that I can do it (whatever it takes). This inner strength comes not only from within but also from your loved ones who are rooting for you (your parents, spouse, or friends). We all have to find the source of this strength to truly push the envelope (and especially more as women).

Most of our workplaces also require us to be ‘always on’; and often enough several women leaders speak of the micro-aggressions they face in various shapes and forms and the unconscious biases that surrounds us all. While we are working to change it soon, I recommend to focus on assuming positive intent. This enables how you react to the situation with a collaborative and solution-orientation that yields better productivity for you and helps you build a workplace that enables you to reduce such behaviour systematically.

#2 Find your champions

Your confidence, impact and positivity will help you to keep marching ahead but “champions” can change your trajectory. I have been fortunate to find champions (both men and women) in my career who have positioned me for success and taken a bet on me. This seems straightforward, but finding champions is not easy and is a long-term career investment. My recommendation – 1) Do more than expected to get noticed; 2) Show your ambition, hunger and energy; and 3) Build lasting relationships.

#3 We can have it all but not in one day

This is one mantra I have heard in several leadership talks (from highly accomplished women) and am now truly living it myself. I have had several phases where my priority was work, or fitness, or being a new mom, etc. I have found I can not achieve all of work, family and personal priorities in one day (but I CAN achieve them over a month). For me, the new framework is brutal prioritization, switching habits to optimize for new constraints (e.g. work lunches vs. dinners, audible vs. read a book with baby) and focus on overall mental well-being. Your family and your partner have a huge role to play, but that deserves another post.

#4 Give back

This is the most important part — I personally owe so many people along the way and strongly believe we all should ensure we keep this chain of giving going. It is not just an altruistic task, it is the best way to stay relevant to the next generation and have a pulse of the organization. It not only makes me an approachable leader but also provides me a view where I can contribute more to my role. And finally, there is a certain happiness when your small efforts can help someone achieve their dream (e.g. be it a business school application, mentoring a start-up or advising how to navigate a tough work situation).

#5 Embrace the I

Be your authentic self – which means define a core set of values and beliefs that you stand by consistently at all times. In today’s dynamic environment, that requires us to engage with a variety of stakeholders, it is important to be your genuine self (and in some ways someone people can trust). We all grow and adapt and learn from specific situations but the key is you have to be true to yourself, to be your best all the time.

 

Nandini Maheshwari is the Head of Business Development for Uber in India & South Asia and co-leads the Women of Uber Employee Resource Group (ERG) in the APAC region.