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The Economic Times Women Ahead 2017
Study Partner: SpencerStuart
One of the questions we asked everyone on the Women Ahead list this year is ‘what can corporations do to improve gender diversity at the top?’ The answers were as varied as the women on our list. Some said companies just need to treat women the same as men and diversity would follow. Others spoke of the need for specific policies and procedures that ensure women don’t lose their career track when they take a break to have children.
One thread that ran common to all the responses was the need for role models. Corporations need to place women on their Boards and in key management positions, they said, else all the talk of diversity remains just talk.
Being a role model isn’t easy. The biographies of some of the most successful women professionals of yesteryear show they made major sacrifices to make it to the top. But young people want their role models to have it all: an exciting career, a happy family life, wealth, fame, leisure. Which brings us to the other question we asked the women on our list: ‘what have you learnt about work-life balance?’
Also read: ET Women Ahead: Workplace diversity possible only with high-visibility, female role models
Once again, the answers varied widely, depending on the person’s age and the vintage of their organisations. Start-up entrepreneurs and professional executives, for example, look at work-life balance very differently. But all agreed that every individual needs to find their own fulcrum and it changes with time.
Now in its third year, The Economic Times Women Ahead listing, based on an extensive study carried out by consulting firm SpencerStuart, presents much-needed role models from India Inc for India Inc. Picked by a very exacting jury, the 26 women featured here have made an impact, not just in their companies, but on society in general. A few of them are already well known, while others have come into the spotlight for the very first time. All of them have a long way to go in their careers and we expect to be hearing a lot more about their achievements in the years ahead.
When we asked them what advice they had for other career women, they offered up a smorgasbord. Seize the day! Choose a line of work you love and enjoy. Learn to prioritise. Communicate your needs. Lean on to every support you can get. Find mentors. Put your head down and work hard. Don’t underestimate yourself. Pay it forward. Keep calm.
There’s something here for everyone. Not just for our women readers, but the men as well.
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(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News, Budget 2024 Events and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.)
Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online.