When Businessworld asked me to write about the shifting focus on women leaders, from ‘Bollywood to the boardroom’, it set me thinking. From Friday night openings to Monday morning admin briefings, from reading movie scripts to medical journals, from a life driven by perception and performance to one steered by passion and purpose... mine has been a unique, blessed journey. And I have learnt much along the way. The past prepares you for the future. Working as a professional in (what was) a rather volatile industry, my days as an actor taught me composure, crisis management and self-belief — all intrinsic to steering operations at work and coping with life’s ups and downs. One of my biggest takeaways: people are your greatest assets and your interactions with them your finest classroom. Time spent with the cast of the film industry — from co-stars to camerapersons, junior artistes to light boys — was an exercise in grounding. And breathing life into characters with divergent realities honed my insight. Today, these experiences serve me well in communicating and connecting with a multitude of people, from heads of state to homemakers, writers, artists, doctors, silvers and, of course, my own teams. The rewards: mutual respect, intellectual growth, delegation and collaboration, essential to the success of any organisation.
Indeed, no journey takes place in a vacuum. I have been empowered by my parents and family, husband and children, who have all provided me with a force-field of support and love. However, no relationship can define you. The fact is, we all dream alone, our triggers are our own and the ability to craft our destinies, ultimately, rests with us. Further, ‘leadership’ by its very nature is an individual impulse.
It is vital that women understand this. In my view, every woman has infinite capacity and ability to create, nurture, transform and lead, with her emotional intelligence, adaptability and intangible strengths. No matter her background, circumstance or story, she holds this latent power in her grasp. Unfortunately, years of marginalisation have made Indian women forget our innate worth. The WEF’s Global Gender Gap Report, published in 2015, ranks India a dismal 108 out of 145 countries. Our country is consistently adjudged among the most dangerous for women. And a study by New York-based Centre for Talent Innovation lauds Indian women as superwomen despite facing “the greatest barriers to both personal and career growth”.
Evidently, we fall abysmally short when it comes to women’s empowerment. It is time for holistic and concerted change that addresses every life stage. This includes eradicating female foeticide; promoting reproductive, neonatal and paediatric healthcare; ensuring education, hygiene and safety; removing gender bias at work and home; and enabling financial empowerment and independent living in the silver years. And while we lobby for institutional change, we must also draw from our own reservoirs of strength and take ownership of our lives. Only then can we engage with the world outside with resolve, and fulfil our aspirations —from Bollywood to the boardroom, science and sports to social service, staking our claim in our communities, neighbourhoods and the global village as true leaders.
Ambani is chairperson of the Mumbai-based Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Medical Research Institute
Guest Author
Ambani is chairperson of the Mumbai-based Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Medical Research Institute
