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CONVERSATIONS WITH SENIOR PRACTITIONERS
By PMI India

Project management needs more women in leadership roles. We spoke to senior practitioners in the country for their views on correcting the gender imbalance.



   
What key qualities must a project manager have, to move from a manager to a leader?
Through my project management career that has spanned a decade, I have moved from managing a project to leading it. This transformation has not been easy and has not happened overnight. A major learning is that you have to unlearn and start doing things differently. What got you to a certain stage in your career will not get you to the next stage. So invest in learning, keep up-to-date with technology changes, and start working towards acquiring domain knowledge along with soft skills.

If you were to champion for more women in leadership positions in organizations, what would be your pitch to a CEO?
I am a strong advocate of gender diversity and believe in creating a balance for a better outcome. 
 
However, I have done poorly on the diversity ratio at home — with a husband and two lovely boys, the family diversity ratio is 1:3. Women have a different approach to problem-solving and decisionmaking, and this kind of diverse thinking is what strengthens a business and propels it forward.

What must organizations do to help women move to leadership positions?
Organizations now understand the benefits of having more women in leadership, but there is still a huge gap. Organizations need to make a conscious effort to eliminate the unconscious bias at every stage – hiring policies, the interview process, promotion policies, performance appraisal… Policies and procedures need to be put in place to bring women to the same starting line as their male counterparts. Once this is done, the race to the finish line will be based purely on performance.

What is your career advice to women project managers?
As a working professional with a total career spanning 18 years (and grey hair to prove it), I will take the liberty to advise next-gen women project managers. Do not fall into the trap of the superwoman syndrome. Allow the men in your life to take equal responsibility of running the house. Build strong support ecosystems. Don’t forget to take out some ‘me’ time, and use it to contemplate and reinvent yourself. That is the secret to staying relevant in the ever-changing workplace and continue to add value – to the profession and to yourselves.



  
What key qualities must a project manager have, to move from a manager to a leader?
Authenticity, growth, collaboration, and performance are the four key leadership attributes.

If you were to champion for more women in leadership positions in organizations, what would be your pitch to a CEO?
Woman leaders have a unique skill to integrate different aspects and bring in adaptive leadership and emotional intelligence. Being in a leadership role is a privilege, and women leaders handle this responsibility well by bringing different perspectives to the table. Bringing more women to leadership positions will help an organization in promoting a culture of diversity and inclusion. A great workplace culture brings the organization success.
 
What must organizations do to help women move to leadership positions?
Evaluate the gender diversity balance in leadership positions and make policies that help achieve balance. Identify talented women employees, train them for leadership roles, and provide them with opportunities to exhibit their talent. Institute a flexible and empathetic approach in the organization.

What is your career advice to women project managers?
Ambition – Be relevant in the era of disruptive technologies. Accountability – Be clear about your role and perform to your full potential. Alignment – Move from an ‘I-centric’ approach to a ‘we-centric’ one, as you learn to collaborate. Accelerate – Be agile and focus on speedy delivery.


  
What key qualities must a project manager have, to move from a manager to a leader?
Leadership and management are two distinctive and complementary systems, and one needs to keep shuffling between the two roles. However, the trick lies in knowing when to switch roles. Managers try to optimize the organization and its people to meet strategic goals, whereas leaders drag the organization and its people into a strategic future. Leaders must imbibe integrity, honesty to self and others, passion, commitment, and clarity in thoughts. They must communicate well, be able to take decisions, be creative, and strike to innovate and explore new ideas.

If you were to champion for more women in leadership positions in organizations, what would be your pitch to a CEO?
Gender diversity in a corporate environment will translate to greater innovation, better products, better decision-making, and higher employee retention and satisfaction. All these will be possible since women do not connect head to head but heart to heart, and that is where all change management takes place. Women also boost an organization’ s happiness index. You will observe a sustainable growth, going forward, in organizations that have a majority of women in leadership positions.
               
What must organizations do to help women move to leadership positions?
Organizations must respect the role of women as mothers and teachers of their children. They are nation builders. Organizations must have friendly policies to create a healthy environment for women’s growth. Sabbaticals, exam leave, management development programs, work-from-home options, part-time work, and special leave for family illness will increase women’s confidence and help them achieve their career aspirations.

What is your career advice to women project managers?
Be self-aware, stay focused, and listen to your body — because you will not be of any help to others if you run out of steam. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable; don’t be afraid that you are not perfect. Raise your children in such a way that they will hold women in the highest esteem.

PM Fundas

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