Women As Leaders Playbook

In the 11th edition of The Leaders’ Cafe - LinkedIn Women as Leader’s Playbook, we had Aishwarya Rao , Lead, Gender Equity Network, Accenture , Australia as our guest speaker She shared key lessons from her personal journey as a woman leader and learnings on what organisations can do to build an inclusive culture.

Sandra Colhando - When you reflect back on your leadership journey, what are some of the things you're most proud of in your climb up.

Aishwarya Rao - The reflections that I want to share here today, across my 15 year journey, is the setting up of flat organisations, teams that are self driving teams and empowering that collective culture where people can thrive and bring their best selves to work. And something a leader must leave behind in terms of legacy must be of significance, it should not be necessarily of individual success. And that's what I believe in.

I'm really proud of having created teams that are flexible, transparent, full of people that are so passionate, wanting to make that visible difference.

Sandra Colhando - Has there been a particular moment, as you're working with your team, where you felt alone, or you felt isolated in your struggle? And you felt that I don't know who to look up to? And how did you overcome that if you did go through that.

Aishwarya Rao - Probably five or six years ago, when I was looking up to leadership, there weren't a lot of people like me, in the business and or in the industries that I was operating within. And that what you cannot see you cannot be so there have been moments where I have thought, oh, it would be wonderful to see someone like myself up in the organisation and to aspire to be like them. 

I have a strong support system including career counselors, mentors, and coaches who I can rely on during moments of self-doubt. While I am proud of my accomplishments, I didn't get here alone. As you climb the ladder, it's easy to feel isolated, but having a support network is crucial. Mentors and coaches have championed me on my journey and I am grateful for their guidance. 

Sandra Colhando - The beauty of complexity lies in the simplicity. And when you feel lost, asking help, could seem so simple, but that's probably sometimes the biggest challenge that you put yourself through,

What do you do when in those moments, you don't have the support system? What are you telling yourself in those moments? So is there something that you do yourself to get out of that temporary blip?

Aishwarya Rao - Oh, well, I'm going to give you two responses. One is, I use this app called Balance. I have been using it for a few years now. And it has been fantastic. So there has been no 3am moment because I go to sleep after meditating. And I wake up and do my meditation. So it's been a wonderful app. I think we'll all benefit with that kind of systematic meditation.

I think you'll have to actively work on getting yourself out of your head, like, you've got to shift the conversation, you've got to look at it differently. That's the only way to do it. And often, I feel like we get ourselves into situations, which we need not. I would say tap on to your friends' cohorts, your peers, because they're also probably going through similar challenges. And I think you may not have the courage to go up to your manager or to your boss, to your people leader and say, Hey, this is what I'm facing. But I feel like you might be able to have that conversation with your peers, with your colleagues. 

I'm going to give you two responses -  I use this app called Balance and second is I think you'll have to actively work on getting yourself out of your head, like, you've got to shift the conversation, you've got to look at it differently. 

Sandra Colhando - Yeah. And I resonate with what you said in terms of even if you're not comfortable going to your leaders and having this conversation, but you know, your colleagues and people around at work. Because in the women leadership programme that we run, we've heard so many women professionals talk about the biggest takeaway from programmes like this is, of course, the skills and behaviours, etc. Keeping that aside, is the power of many that I am not alone in this journey, that I'm feeling like an imposter like everyone else is, I'm going through the same pains that everyone else's, and I feel so much better, knowing all of us are. And so it's such a relief. And I think half your burden is gone there that I'm not doing it alone, that you know, a lot of other people around me were experiencing that. So it's a good, safe space to have that kind of conversation.

I want to shift gears towards external challenges. What are some of the biggest external challenges that women leaders face at the workplace today? And how do you think one can overcome that?

Aishwarya Rao - Stereotyping is common and workplace structures can hinder people's ability to thrive and belong. Organizations and leaders have a responsibility to create equitable and inclusive cultures.It's important to call out inequitable practices in the workplace and give others opportunities to be recognized as leaders. Delegation should be done by trusting others' abilities rather than just assigning boringtasks. Leaders have a moral obligation to not contribute to external challenges people face in the workplace. It's important to recognize and create an inclusive workplace for people who identify as non-binary.

In the workplace, I do think we've got those obligations as leaders in order to make sure that there is no external challenge in the future -  that's the place we are creating.

Sandra Colhando - Absolutely, and we are looking at value sharing that we're looking at, you know, an environmental organisation that's truly inclusive, irrespective of your background, gender, race, etc.

What are the things organizations may be missing out on if they don't have enough women in the leadership table?

Aishwarya Rao - In terms of addressing that question, and I want to be very careful about not stereotyping genders over here. Creating a nurturing workspace where differences are respected is crucial for a successful team and some people are naturally good at creating that space. This quality is not limited to being a parent and can be brought by anyone. I do think that some people are really well positioned to bring that aspect to create flexible workplaces, because you're possibly multitasking and you understand the value of flexibility. Creating workplaces not limited by hierarchy, but rather allow for growth and opportunities to thrive. Intuition and the ability to network are advantages that can benefit everyone and are some traits which naturally come to some people.  Women, in particular, can do a better job of supporting each other in the workplace. By building nurturing, flexible, and intuitive workplaces, we can challenge traditional patriarchal structures.  

Some of the advantages are - 1. Creating Nurturing Workplace 2. Creating Flexible Workspace 3. Intuitive and ability to network

Sandra Colhando - Yeah, and the brilliant insights on behaviours as well.

I know there's a lot of work happening in women leadership, and you're doing work with women professionals. How can we champion this cause in organisations? What can we do specifically? What are some of the behaviours or some steps that we can take to build an equitable workplace?

Aishwarya Rao - It's important to be conscious of gender biases in the workplace, such as assuming women will handle "invisible" tasks like organizing events.Use inclusive language and symbols in presentations to avoid promoting alpha male stereotypes. It's crucial to distribute workloads fairly and not make assumptions based on gender, parenthood, or caregiving responsibilities. Organizations should have policies in place to support these responsibilities, and leader should communicate these policies to their teams to build trust and create a supportive culture.  By being authentic and mindful of these issues, you can help create a workplace where everyone feels valued and can bring their best selves to work.

Sandra Colhando - Who's your role model that you look up to?

My mum is a financial expert and my biggest role model. She taught me that just because you can do something, it doesn't mean you have to. Another role model of mine is Julia Gillard, the former Australian Prime Minister. I once saw her at an airport and she said, "even the Prime Minister has to go on a break sometimes". It was great to see her living by that message. I believe we all need to learn to take breaks and pause sometimes.

Sandra Colhando - Beautiful. And is there any book or TV show that you feel that it's a must read and great for women professionals?

Aishwarya Rao - There's actually a podcast that I started on this during the pandemic There's one called Women at Work. It's the Harvard Business series one. And it's really byte sized, like 25-30 minutes and it talks about anything from delegation, playing office politics. Those are the two things that come to my mind. But it's a fantastic podcast to listen to.

Sandra Colhando - How do you choose your mentors and coaches?

Aishwarya Rao - I think rely on your intuition, seek out honest and transparent coaches and mentors who can identify your gaps.They don't have to be from your field, but should be people you can easily connect with. Seek out mentors from LinkedIn or social collectives, such as friends, siblings or acquaintances. Choose mentors based on how easily you can communicate with them.That's how you should be choosing your mentors. 

Rely on your intuition, seek out honest and transparent coaches and mentors who can identify your gaps

Sandra Colhando - How important is sharing knowledge among leaders across companies to bring the best practices and use for making change at society level, particularly from a DEI perspective?

Aishwarya Rao - It's important to dismantle patriarchy and create inclusive organizations where everyone can bring their best selves to work. Some organizations are ahead of the curve, while others are just starting out. Sharing knowledge and best practices is crucial, and there are multiple organizations like TransforMe that bring together those working in DEI. It's not just the responsibility of DEI leaders within an organization; individuals can also exchange feedback and notes on creating a good culture at work.

Organizations should share their practices, and there are many BI forums that facilitate this. It's like sharing a party game idea and playing it at another party - exchanging best practices benefits everyone.

Sandra Colhando - Here is a question from the audience, there was a survey done last year, which examined that men were found 48% fatigued by the notion of gender equality, and 52% feel they are being discriminated against, with women being favoured for promotions and jobs on the basis of their gender. How do you address this attitude of male colleagues at work?

Aishwarya Rao - It is true that when we are having conversations constantly about gender equality in the workplace, it might sound as if we are discriminating against one gender. But I suppose the question comes down to establishing the intent of having these conversations. Why are we trying to create this because honestly, we have a banner up in one of our offices where it says none of us are equal until all of us are equal. As leaders, we have the responsibility to communicate this intent and be transparent about evaluation criteria and promotion goals. If gender equality is a part of the organizational and leadership behavior, it will not be looked upon as discriminatory. Communication with the right language is also important. If discrimination is perceived in the workplace, we must identify why and how to address it.

Sandra Colhando - Picking one last question from Audience Q and A, What do you think is the most important piece of advice for women who want to pursue a career as a leader?

Aiswarya Rao - My piece of advice is start off and acknowledge that you want to be a leader in your organisation. And it's completely okay to want that. And to work towards that. I think I think you've got to own it, you've got to own your story, you've got to this is coming from someone who has had so many self doubts. So that would be the advice I'd give myself and to you to say absolutely own that.