What does leadership mean to you?

“When did you first experience the value of diverse teams? There is an inertia associated with creating something different, how did you get over it?” “Did you always know you wanted to be a leader?” “What did you aspire to be when you were studying your engineering degree?” so went the questions from the bright and eager students of Indraprastha Institute of Technology Delhi (IIITD). These were 21-22 year olds, largely in their second or third year of undergraduate engineering degree. These are also the managers and leaders of tomorrow. And, that is what had convinced me to share my story and how the concept of leadership had evolved for me in the last decade.

My first tryst with the idea of leadership was back in school, possibly around age 11-12, where I aspired and became the ‘school monitor’. I was very proud of my responsibility which was to maintain order within the class between periods. Later, it took the form of hostel secretary in undergrad – I thought that was the hardest job as it meant leading peers. How does one balance ‘bossing people around’ with ‘being nice and trusting’. As I transitioned to professional setting, I decided that one needed a job title to be a leader. A CEO was a leader. Head of Business Unit was a leader. The women leading a protest of 100,000 people was a leader. In my head, one needed a title and huge following to be a leader. It is only in the last year that I understood that the position and number of followers only magnifies the impact one can have, it does not make one a leader. One can be leader in their own right by leading a pack of 5. The Sherpa who guides 5 mountaineers through a snow storm is a leader. Same is the captain of the badminton team that leads through the tournament.

This meant that if I believe in gender parity and sustainability, I could lead the way in the communities I live in and the people I interact with. And, that’s how I ended up at IIITD (and IITM previously) to share my journey till date, the successes and failures I had and the choices I have made. I want to expose our youth to the idea of an inclusive and sustainable leadership in the future. After all, there is no one else coming. We are the change.