Lessons in Authentic Leadership

A few months ago, I was recovering from the bad flu (that must not be named!), but the important event during that period was that I managed to finish reading Indra Nooyi's biography - My Life In Full. Needless to say, it was a fantastic, smooth read. A few things that amazed me though were how candid it was. First, she has not made any effort to present a rosy picture of the organisations or people she has worked with. Everything is so real and relatable. She is a role model to countless women in the corporate world, but she doesn't mince words in talking about the corners she had to cut in her personal life and the guilt she faced as a mother. Also, to have the courage and vulnerability to say that in the early days of her career, she powered through the work because they needed the money, is powerful as a leader. It was so heartening to hear that she found the corporate leverage so much later in her career and the early part of her career was tough – just like many of us.

The second part that really stood out for me is the importance of supporters in one's life. People make all the difference. The support she received from her mother in parenting her daughters or from her long-time manager - went a long way in building her confidence to go out and achieve what she did. This goes over and above organisational and systemic support. People around you make a huge difference indeed in enabling your success, and it is important to discern who those supporters and cheer-leaders are.?

The third piece that stuck with me was that her story is all about grit and hard work. These are true middle-class Indian values that we all have grown up with. There's no talk of luck, angel guardians, and perfection. She goes through her share of ill health and accident, her father's death, deliveries, job changes which didn't go well, and whiffs of racism. Her corporate success is a pure bi-product of one simple recipe - one that she talks about applying repeatedly and consistently. This is her ability to deep dive into a new project, get to the core of the subject and pour over even the most innocuous details. That is what has helped her succeed in such varied industries, from telecom to FMCG.?

I also couldn't help but?gush over a particular episode she shared about her first interview as a fresh MBA grad in America. She picked what she could best in her budget, later realising that those slacks and oversized jacket, along with unmatched shoes was a ridiculous choice for an interview. “I wanted to fit in,” she narrates to her director of career development, who asks her what she would wear to an interview in India.?A sari, of course! From thereon, she wore a sari, not just to her next interview but to work every day for several initial years of her career.

Every part of her story leaves me inspired to be better every day, to continue being gritty and learn new skills, to take on new challenges, and to have the confidence in myself to fulfil them. Most of all, it is a lesson in being a truly authentic leader.?