How to Build A Fulfilling Career

Ready to craft a career that truly matters? Sonia Gupta 's journey from navigating the dot-com boom to leading transformative projects at Accenture reveals the power of saying yes, prioritising time and lifting others. Her insights on how to lead with authenticity and purpose, as shared on the #RewriteTheRules podcast.

What if the secret to a fulfilling career wasn’t finding the perfect path but saying “yes” to the unexpected??

“You don’t know what you don’t know. Say yes a lot before you figure out what makes you, you,” says Sonia Gupta, Managing Director of Growth and Innovation at Accenture Singapore, sharing her journey in a recent episode of the Rewrite The Rules podcast.

Sonia’s story, from the dot-com boom to leading transformative projects across industries, is a masterclass in curiosity and purpose. Her journey offers practical wisdom for anyone looking to not just succeed but thrive in their professional life.?

Here’s how you can craft a career that matters, inspired by Sonia’s insights.

Tip 1: Say Yes, Learn More

Imagine standing at the crossroads of opportunity, unsure of which direction to take.?

Sonia has never hesitated—she said yes. Whether it was distributing Coca-Cola in rural India or diving into the chaos of the dot-com boom, she embraced challenges head-on. These experiences, however unconventional, built a foundation of resilience, adaptability, and self-awareness that shaped her career.

“I had no reason to have the confidence I did, but it was such a wonderfully life-affirming phase of my life.”

Her story is proof that showing up is often the first step toward discovering untapped potential.

Practical Ways to Embrace Opportunity

• Step out of your comfort zone. Say yes to roles or projects that intimidate you—they often lead to the most growth.
• Engage deeply with your industry. Attend meetings, shadow colleagues and read industry reports to grasp the bigger picture and connect your role to the larger mission.
• Reflect after every experience. Ask yourself: What worked? What didn’t? What energised me? Keep a journal of these insights to shape your future decisions.

Tip 2: Lead with Empathy and Clarity

But saying “yes” isn’t the only part of the equation. Once opportunities start rolling in, you’ll need the skills to lead effectively.

“Leadership is not just about being good at your craft; it’s about learning to manage through people.”

When Sonia transitioned from being an individual contributor to leading teams, she realised the game had changed. It wasn’t just about her skills anymore but her team’s growth and development, too.

Sonia believes leadership is as much about empathy as it is about clarity. By genuinely understanding her team's needs and connecting them to a bigger purpose, she has built trust and collaboration at every step. She sums it up perfectly: “It’s not about being in charge—it’s about bringing out the best in others.”?

Practical Ways to Lead with Empathy?

• Watch and learn. Keep a close eye on leaders you admire. Notice how they tackle challenges, inspire their teams and make decisions. Steal what works, tweak it to fit your style and make it your own.
• Ask, don’t assume. Regularly ask your team for feedback on your leadership. What’s working? What’s not? It shows you care and helps you grow.
• Communicate the bigger picture. Don’t just tell people what to do—explain why it matters. Connect their tasks to the team’s goals and make them feel part of something meaningful.
• Spot and build on strengths. Take the time to understand what fires up each team member and give them the space to own their genius.

Tip 3: Make Time for What Matters Most

In a world that glorifies being busy, Sonia’s take on time management is refreshingly real. Balancing a high-pressure career with family life taught her a hard truth: time is the only currency you can’t earn back.?

For Sonia, it’s not about cramming more into your day but being intentional with the moments you have.

“You can choose what you do, but you can’t choose what you like to do.”

Whether at work, with her family, or focusing on herself, she prioritises the things that truly matter.?

Practical Ways to Manage Your Time Like a Pro

• Audit your week. Keep track of your daily activities for a week to spot where you’re wasting time. Are there meetings you can skip or tasks you can delegate? Use this data to cut the fluff.
• Say no with confidence. Be selective about commitments. Politely decline tasks, projects, or invites that don’t align with your priorities or values.
• Schedule your non-negotiables. Block out time for family dinners, workouts, or creative hobbies in your calendar, and protect these slots fiercely.

Tip 4: Seek Goal Models, Not Role Models

No career journey happens in isolation. Learning from others—and choosing the right inspirations—can shape your unique path.

But the idea of finding the perfect role model can be daunting—and Sonia believes you don’t need one. Instead, she champions the concept of goal models—people who inspire specific aspects of your growth.?

This shifts the focus from mirroring someone else’s success to crafting a personal mosaic of skills, values, and strengths.

“There’s something to learn from everyone—whether it’s a senior leader or the tea lady in the office.”

Practical Ways to Find Your Goal Models

• Find micro-inspirations. Look for standout traits in colleagues, leaders or peers—like creative thinking, communication skills or calmness under pressure—and emulate them in your own way.
• Learn from the unexpected. Keep your mind open to lessons from unlikely sources. Sometimes, the administrator's resourcefulness or a junior colleague’s fresh perspective can spark the biggest insights.
• Make it actionable. Once inspired, turn it into a tangible habit—whether that’s asking better questions in meetings or practising a leadership skill you admire.

Tip 5: Lift Others as You Climb

Learning from others goes hand in hand with supporting them. For Sonia, leadership is less about being in the spotlight and more about shining that light on others.?

“Leadership isn’t about titles—it’s about the cultures we create.”

Her leadership mantra? Lift others as you climb. Whether it’s mentoring a colleague, fostering inclusivity, or simply recognising contributions, she sees every interaction as an opportunity to strengthen the team and create an environment where everyone can thrive. “Success is not about what you achieve alone—it’s about what you help others achieve,” she shares.

Practical Ways to Lift Others as You Lead

• Be a hands-on mentor. Take time to guide and support younger colleagues. Share your experiences, answer questions and help them navigate challenges.
• Foster open communication. Create an environment where people feel safe to voice their ideas, concerns and aspirations. Encourage team members to bring their full selves to work.
• Invest in their growth. Advocate for training, stretch projects or opportunities for your team to expand their skills and reach their potential.

By embracing challenges, saying yes to opportunities, and lifting others as she climbs, Sonia exemplifies how intentional choices can shape a thriving career.

If there’s one key takeaway from Sonia’s story, it’s this: “What is intended for you will come your way.” You can do your bit by reflecting on your goals, taking bold steps forward and fostering environments where everyone thrives.

For more game-changing insights into leadership, explore Rewrite The Rules, an inspiring book by Ritu G. Mehrish and Rajita Saxena . Packed with actionable strategies drawn from the experiences of over 200 women leaders, this book is your guide to building confidence, balancing priorities and redefining success.?

“Rewrite The Rules is an empowering narrative that celebrates the resilience and confidence of Asian women leaders.?

– Sorada Sonprasit , CEO, PUBLICIS GROUPE, Thailand?

Ready to take your leadership journey to the next level? Order your copy today and start rewriting your own rules for success.

—————————————————————————————————————

The Rewrite The Rules community is dedicated to helping women leaders at every stage embrace growth and celebrate this journey. We should all seek motivation to seize meaningful opportunities that impact our individual leadership journeys.

For deeper insights into Sonia’s remarkable story, check out the full episode here. If you want to hear and share inspiring stories of women across Asia, reach out to me by email or on LinkedIn.