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Looking back to look forward: In conversation with Shubha Iyer
Looking back to look forward: In conversation with Shubha Iyer

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“Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it, possibly without claiming it, she stands up for all women.” – Maya Angelou

Looking back at my journey so far, I had a great childhood in a highly accomplished family that encouraged my aspirations. When a little girl dreams of becoming an engineer, doctor or CEO, she seeks inspiration and comfort in the achievements of all the trailblazing women that came before her. For me, that inspiration came from my family as I grew up surrounded by working women and was always encouraged by their grit and perseverance, to pursue my ambitions.

My career has been an adventurous one, giving me opportunities to explore and work in new areas and roles. Particularly, Goldman Sachs has provided this rich experience with a great amount of trust and support structure. During this journey, there were quite a few experiences and lessons learned that have shaped my thought process on leadership, impact as well as diversity and inclusion at the workplace. 

Five key aspects that have been top of mind for me in any role I pursued since the beginning of my career are:

(a) What is the value that I can add to a particular task at hand or deliverable, irrespective of my job description– this has been instrumental in building strong relationships with colleagues across teams.

(b) Am I stretching myself? Am I taking calibrated risks and challenging status quo? Is there learning and development amidst the day to day? – These have enabled in keeping the roles interesting and challenging. 

(c) Am I doing what my team leads or team members should be doing? – This is a reflection on delegation and trust that I feel is extremely important as you grow in your career.

(d) Do I have the right support system to be resilient?

(e) Am I able to zoom out and reflect on whether or not I have made a difference to the domain?

 

These have been a steady set of reflections that run through my mind periodically and have helped me ask for different roles, discuss a need for change and execute on them in a way that spending 17 years at the same firm has truly felt like being on an adventure.

Now, speaking of diversity and inclusion - When I started out, I could not relate to why there was so much conversation around bringing more women into the workforce, and the lack of sufficient diversity across industries and boards. As I grew in my role, I realized there were fewer women colleagues, role-models and sponsors to represent, guide and champion for other women. In some cases, I also witnessed stereotypes around the leadership capabilities and expertise of women, which gave me an enhanced appreciation for the need to discuss the business case for a diverse workforce, as well as make concrete efforts towards it.

I recall an incident from an organization where I worked early on in my career. During the hiring process, I had a telephonic interview and was being considered for a certain level. In the final interviewing stage of an in-person interview panel, I was offered a position which was few levels lower than the one discussed initially. Needless to say, I was not happy and raised a concern, but to no avail. I decided to prove my mettle and within six months of joining, the organization concluded that the level offered during the hiring process was not in alignment with my skills and experience. An important lesson that I learned here was that it helped to be vocal about my concerns at the right place and right time with my manager.

Similarly, as I started to have the opportunity to be in leadership meetings, promotion discussions etc., the fewer voices of support became apparent, thereby invoking a mission to transform the composition of such groups. While we all have come a long way in women entrepreneurship, leaders, women on boards etc., there is still a long way to go. As the chief operating officer for engineering at Goldman Sachs, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, I am proud of the firm’s progress in bringing diverse talent, driving our businesses with multi-dimensional thought processes and investing in the advancement of diverse employees. Diversity has always been part of our core principles and we continue to build on the progress with further aspirational goals where women will represent 50% of global talent over time and 40% at vice president level by 2025.

Gender stereotypes are fairly common. As a result of social conditioning, we associate specific jobs and designations with a particular gender. This is further solidified by norms and culture that all of us are exposed to from a young age. How do we then counter the effects of social conditioning?

In my opinion, we should start early. The opportunities today are limitless and this message must be communicated to young girls and women, encouraging them early-on to pursue a career of their choice. Joining an organization is just the first step; fulfilling careers are built through internal support systems and strong allyship. Having a community, even just someone to talk to who has had a similar experience, helps you support one another and move the needle. To create a safe space for colleagues to connect, we have Inclusion Networks which offer employees support and opportunities to foster inclusivity.

Organizations also need to be committed to develop, retain and promote talented women at life changing junctures (marriage, parenting, returnship etc.). Goldman Sachs provides programs aimed at Vice President (VP) and Associate women to evolve their leadership style, construct their career vision and deepen their firm-wide connections.

A research report titled Women in the Workplace by McKinsey, explains how in the face of adversity during the pandemic, women leaders have risen to the occasion. This seems logical, given the volatile and uncertain times, where all organizations and industries have faced situations that call out for support and understanding. It is interesting to see how the definition of leadership, from traditionally presumed masculine traits such as assertiveness, has now evolved to include a fusion of traits that are typically associated with the feminine such as empathy and vulnerability. These traits are the driving force behind authentic leaders of today who go beyond their business-as-usual activities, to essentially become leaders who coach.

While every leader builds their own ethos and style of working, it is important to stay true to oneself and develop a sense of security and self-belief. Being secure about my capabilities and confident about making meaningful contributions to any role, has been a key strength in my career journey. That coupled with leaning in on mentors and sponsors to find gaps, give feedback and help me develop, has enabled me to contribute positively.

As I look back at my career journey, I remind myself that no mistakes are permanent; the key is to keep growing and finding opportunities to get out of comfort zone. Our mistakes, in hindsight, give us the greatest learnings. I leave you with a few nuggets that have helped me throughout my career journey –

 

  • Take pride in the role you play, however big or small;
  • Add value at every step of the way – no matter how important that step is;
  • Ask difficult questions and listen with an open mind – it aids in everyone’s growth including yourself;
  • Stand by your judgment and decisions – no need to second guess and of course as said previously –
  • Take as many along as possible and seek support for yourself too. All this will propel you to make a difference.

 

 

About the author:

k

Shubha Iyer - Managing Director, Goldman Sachs


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