Page 39 - november 2021

MADHURI’S MUSINGS
daughters. She truly loved her challenging roles and
was a passionate problem-solver. “Hard work is in
my DNA”, she says.

DRESS FOR SUCCESS GIVING BACK IS KEY

Ms Nooyi said she slowly over time learnt that Ms Nooyi’s compassion is reflected in her
playing the CEO role also meant dressing the part. desire to keep giving back to meaningful
From initially being most comfortable in sarees, she causes. All of her academic institutions in
developed her style of sporting business suits in her India and the US that she is a proud product
characteristic elegance, acknowledging the help she of, have benefited from her very generous
received in shaping her corporate wardrobe to what contributions which have gone a long way
it is today. in enhancing the infrastructure for the next
generation of learners.
VALUE YOUR MENTORS AND YOUR
HELPFUL COMMUNITY CIRCLE PURPOSE IS YOUR LIFE’S DRIVER

Ms Nooyi has acknowledged every one of her Her strong message of living a life of purpose
supervisors, executive assistants and household resonates through her book. “Performance with
helpers (who worked behind the scenes) to keep Purpose” was her mantra for Pepsico’s success
her boat afloat. She admits that nothing can be and she reiterates that purpose translates not
accomplished in isolation and is very thankful to her just to work and business, but life itself.
mentors who supported her career growth, including URGENT CALL TO LEADERS
companies who granted her paid maternity leave and “I think the fundamental role of a leader is to
paid-time off during difficult times. She is grateful look for ways to shape the decades ahead, not
to her mom for being a strong rock of support and just react to the present,” she says. She makes
ensuring she left “her crown in the garage” when she an urgent call to business leaders that we
walked into the house.
need stronger support structures for families to
SUPPORTIVE ROLE OF MEN balance work and home priorities. To retain

Ms Nooyi is vocal about male supervisors who broke strong talent in corporate America, we need
norms to support her, (most certainly recognizing more flexibility and support systems that help in
her extraordinary potential). This included a senior balancing priorities, rather than choosing one
executive picking up her daughter from school, the over the other. She says, the question is “how
CEO chartering a plane for the team to meet in we can make it easier for all family builders,
her office when she was 9 months pregnant, and not just women, to integrate work and family.”
another supervisor offering her 6 months time-off I loved that she says this is not a “feminist”
to tend to her ailing father. Her husband busted the approach but that of an “economist”.
most common stereotype about Indian husbands. He Kudos to the girl from Chennai, India who
was her sounding board who encouraged her career broke many barriers and glass ceilings to
growth, making tremendous sacrifices himself and become a powerful woman of substance and
juggling his successful career to support Ms. Nooyi’s. an iconic global leader who continues to
It’s evident that her husband was her backbone, a spread her message and make a meaningful
remarkable individual who shackled tradition and impact to society and the future generations.
norms of the typical Indian husband/dad.

DesiPages DFW | November 2021 VOL 33 | 39