It was great to hear Indra Nooyi, former CEO of Pepsi, share how she succeeded in her career at the Ascend National Convention in DC. Ascend is the largest, national non-profit organization focused on developing and promoting Pan-Asian leaders.
Indra mentioned that as a minority (woman and Indian) employee, her work is often discounted. She was able to get to parity by showcasing her competence and being more prepared than anyone else. This need to perform above and beyond just to be considered was echoed by Sol Trujillo, former CEO of Telstra, US West, and Orange.
In addition to being competent, Dr. Nooyi offers the following career advice:
“Invest in communication skills”
As she reflects on the success factors for her career, she emphasized that “packaging is important”. Being able to navigate a difficult problem and meeting and to influence stakeholders to be on board with your ideas are core leadership skills. Confidence is perceived as competence and if you want to be taken seriously, you need to communicate impactfully.
How are you honing your communication skills? What does your packaging say about you?
“Put your hand up for the most difficult assignments …”
“… and deliver on it.“ You’re not going to get the right visibility by fixing easy situations. If you want to get noticed, make positive things happen in challenging areas. Just make sure you’re ready to tackle these tough assignments (see Indra’s point about being competent). Failing to turnaround a bad situation will not help you establish a strong reputation.
What is the most difficult task facing your firm right now? How can you ready yourself to be a part of the solution?
“Embrace life-long learning”
In the past, firms trained the front lines and briefed senior management. With major shifts in technology and business, senior management must stay ahead of their competitors by constantly learning and using that knowledge to develop better strategies. Firms are now training their executives so they can brief their teams. Change management is becoming the norm and it’s forcing all leaders to “read more and question more”.
What was the last thing you learned? How are you staying informed of new technologies in your industry?
During this talk, Indra emphasized how her Asian values and support system contributed to her success. She recounted how her mother would help her at home and on occasion, her mother would give feedback to her during a business call about how she’s handling the call. Despite having every right to ignore her, Indra would acquiesce and follow her mother’s guidance as a sign of respect. She recognized that if she wanted her parents’ support, she needed to play her role as well.
This story taught me two important lessons: Leverage your heritage as a strength and be kind to your parents (especially when it’s not easy to do so).
