The Journey Is Bigger Than the Title

I never considered my journey to be a leadership journey.

There was no specific day when I set a goal for myself saying 'I want to be a leader'.

Life took its course, responsibilities grew, demands arose,

I saw challenges, met people who taught me a lesson or two and

I encountered situations that made me reflect on my work.

In my own way, I have created organisations, not just built institutions, learnt people management, opportunities, and hopefully made a difference beyond my expectations.

Where It All Begins

I have always believed that our experiences shape our leadership style.

What we see and do as individuals stays with us.

Our thoughts, the responsibilities we carry, and situations, that we find ourselves in.

Healthcare for me has never been limited to managing a hospital.

When a patient walks into a hospital, they bring along their fears and doubts with them.

Their near and dear ones come with questions, sometimes with fear and uncertainty and a lot of trust.

I have always believed in respecting that trust.

That has remained one of the core ideologies behind my work with Motherhood Women’s & Child Care Hospital and the Motherhood IVF network.

As the organisation grew so did our responsibilities, offerings, teams and presence in the market; however, the basic ideology of creating healthcare spaces that makes people feel that they are in the right place to get the best out of clinical expertise & technology without losing the human touch remained the same.

Every centre that we set up had its own challenges and unique learnings.

Same with diverse teams and communities that we cater to.

That makes this journey all the more exciting.

Building More Than One Institution

With time, I began to understand that healthcare is a vast ecosystem, beyond hospitals and patients.

It includes treatment, prevention, education, clinical and non-clinical skills, physical and mental wellbeing; you name it!

That thought led me to the inception of Midas Touch Cosmetic & Skin Care Clinic.

I have always believed that cosmetology is not just about looks sometimes it is about self-confidence too and making people feel good about themselves.

Another important facet of my leadership journey has been education.

I have always believed that to have sustainable healthcare we need to invest in quality education and empower healthcare professionals.

That is how the Motherhood Training Center was born, a space where doctors and nurses could gain practical experience and update their skills in specialities like IVF, sonography, laparoscopy, embryology etc.

I strongly believe in sharing knowledge and if somebody benefits from the knowledge that I possess, it will not make sense if the same knowledge is not transferred to somebody else.

Same with opportunities, if I get an opportunity, I owe it to myself to create another opportunity for somebody else.

That has been a great learning for me as a leader.

Being a Woman in Leadership

Being a woman in leadership has been an exciting, challenging yet fulfilling experience.

There have been times when I have had to justify my decisions, there have been times when people doubted me and yes, there have been times when I doubted myself too.

I think that has been the norm for most women in leadership positions.

However, as I grew in my understanding of leadership, it became easier to handle such situations.

Today, instead of justifying everything, I have learned to differentiate between what needs to be justified and what doesn't.

I have learned to let my work do the talking, which doesn't mean that I do not listen to criticism, if I receive genuine feedback I believe it is our responsibility as leaders to listen and take it onboard wherever applicable.

There are times though, when we have to stand our ground and take a firm decision, even if people do not agree with us.

Sometimes the decisions are not easy to make or implement, but if we believe in what we are doing and we take responsibility for our decisions, we owe it to ourselves and others to implement it with confidence.

I believe my journey as a leader has helped me evolve in terms of focusing on the bigger picture and not getting stuck with just proving myself.

What Keeps Me Grounded

With growth comes growth, loads of new opportunities, responsibilities and at times even more pressure.

That is when our values keep us grounded.

For me, integrity, empathy, accountability and continuous learning have always been important.

I believe these values should not just stay as guiding principles, but we should also showcase these values in our day-to-day actions.

I also believe that a leader cannot know it all.

There are people in my team who are experts in their fields and have vast experience, there are young professionals who sometimes challenge the status quo, question established ways of working, and bring in completely new perspectives.

I think it is important for leaders to embrace those differences, and understand that they do not possess a monopoly on ideas or solutions.

One of the biggest learnings for me has been understanding that it is not always necessary for me to do everything, rather I should invest in creating a team of people who can take ownership and responsibility.

It has not been an easy learning, but it has been one of the most important ones.

When people start taking ownership, doing their part with a certain degree of independence, I believe it not only empowers them but also empowers me as a leader because I can focus on areas that need my greater expertise.

Work Beyond the Hospital

My work with the Motherhood Foundation has been my eye-opener for social work.

Through the Foundation, I have been able to create a difference in women's health, children's wellbeing, mental wellness, preventive healthcare, community awareness and fight substance abuse.

We have conducted hundreds of programs and sessions that have benefited a large section of society, ranging from communities, schools, colleges, various organisations and groups.

Some of the programs were big while some were small; however, I have stopped measuring impact through just sheer numbers.

Sometimes a single conversation can make a difference.

Maybe a young person connects to you during a programme and takes something away from the conversation that they will carry forward in life.

Sometimes a family becomes more aware of a health issue and takes it seriously; sometimes a person who was not able to discuss a mental health concern feels empowered to talk about it.

All these little things matter and that is how I look at social responsibility.

The Work I Want to Continue

Today, I do not look at expansion as my primary target, though it will always remain a vision.

I look at gaps; I look at dis-connects.

There is a need to bridge the gap between education and practical training, between healthcare and preventive healthcare, between knowledge and the availability of resources.

I believe there are talented people who need a platform and sometimes people just need someone to give them an opportunity or a little push of encouragement.

I believe my work speaks for itself; however, it is important for me to acknowledge that every organisation, whether it is Motherhood Women’s & Child Care Hospital, IVF centres, Midas Touch, Motherhood Training Centre or the Motherhood Foundation, each has its own vision and purpose.

The common thread that binds them is the thought of creating something useful for others, making organisations that create value.

What Success Means to Me Now

My notion of success keeps evolving.

Maybe previously I looked at success in terms of scale, reach and achievements.

Today, I look at success in terms of impact.

If a doctor benefits from the training that we provide at our training centre and becomes more confident and competent; if a patient feels valued and cared for; if a person receives the right advice at the right time; if a young woman becomes more aware and responsible about her health. If a person does not have financial capacity but receives the support that they need, I think that is an achievement. If my team grows from within and someone becomes a leader because of their potential and performance, I feel proud. If someone evolves from just being an employee to an owner mindset and takes responsibility for decisions and problems, I believe that is truly success.

I also believe that healthcare communication needs to change; people need to feel that they can ask questions and be responsible for their own decisions.

Listening is as important, if not more important, than talking.

If I look at something that I have created and it is doing well even without me, I think that is truly success because it shows that it has evolved beyond just my association with it.

Still Learning

My journey is just beginning and I have a long way to go.

I want to create more and I want to learn more; however, I know that there is always room for improvement.

I do not believe that leadership is a destination but a continuum, which means that it is a never-ending process of learning.

I believe that good leadership is all about asking ourselves some simple questions.

How can I really make a difference in somebody's life?

How can I invest in my team's growth?

How can I create opportunities for people around me?

How can I mentor my team in a way that they evolve without depending on me?

How can I do something that continues to have value even after I am not there?

These questions matter more to me than titles.

I do not want my journey to be defined by the institutions that I have created.

I would rather be remembered for creating opportunities, mentoring my team and impacting the lives of people rather than just organisations.

For me, that is the meaning of rising.