Build coalitions, accept help gratefully

Some years ago, at the Computer History Museum in California, I saw an exhibit called ₹One Word’; one word various entrepreneurs identified as core to their success. It made me wonder what mine would be. I finally decided on courage’.

Courage – to be different, to speak my truth, to try new and unfamiliar paths, and to be curious. This is what defines me.

At the start of my career as a system analyst, I was enchanted by the way a vertically integrated steel plant brings together disparate functions and disciplines. I liked how software controlled both the technical processes and the business operations. The practical challenges of being the only woman in a batch were ever present – but the friends that I made from shop floors to the security department formed my safety net. The desire to understand the big picture, and the purpose of the whole enterprise, continued into my years in Isro. I suffered from imposter syndrome – and found that going overboard on preparation helped me ace design reviews and post flight analysis. Isro also taught lessons in ownership, and leading from the front when things go wrong.
A journey, not a ladder: I do not like the expression career ladder – mine was a journey, perhaps up a winding mountain road with great vistas. I define success by diversity of experience as much as by career progression.

I moved to IT services and to the US, in 2003, picking up OOPs and Agile along the way. The transferable skills of systems thinking, program management and team management came in good stead. Additionally, I embedded myself in organisational initiatives in HR, finance and recruiting. Holistic understanding served me well later when I took up delivery for an entire business unit. While most of my portfolio was BFSI, it also had healthcare and manufacturing. Driving innovation by recognising the higher order problems and patterns that can be applied across industries was the most exhilarating aspect of that period.
Understand people: Leading with empathy is my mantra to my teams; if we understand what a client’s concerns are, or what a distressed team-mate is complaining about, we are halfway to resolution. I had to unlearn some lessons, discard ‘machoistic’ statements like “can’t go wrong on my watch” and accept that failures too are part of a resilient journey.

I relocated to the UK to lead delivery for Europe two years ago. The challenges of leading a multinational and multicultural geography are different, yet similar in the technical solutions, and the underlying needs they serve. I embraced the AI-led paradigm shift in IT but I read widely on the future of problem solving, the ethical implications of AI, and human creativity.Many have helped: I would not have been able to do any of this on my own. I am inspired by everyday heroes who handle life’s dilemmas with grace and dignity. Family, friends and mentors have generously supported me on hard days. If there is one input I can give young women – it would be to build coalitions and to accept help gratefully.
Rekha Vijayalakshmi is SVP of global client delivery at Mphasis