85: Tehseen Zaidi: Advocating for gender diversity in the workplace

Shownotes: What is it like to be brought up in a conservative, small town where girls are groomed from their childhood to just be good daughters, wives and mothers? For the 85th episode of The Elephant in the Room podcast I spoke with Tehseen Zaidi, Head Communications, Syngenta India. Growing up in a small town in UP, Tehseen was unlike her peers, she was opinionated and spoke her mind. She was influenced and supported in large measure by her father (her role model) who believed in empowering his girls, enabling them to fly and define their own journey. It was refreshing speaking to Tehseen, she was disarmingly candid - opening up about her personal life, her mantra’s to beating the imposter syndrome, her advocacy for gender diversity/women in leadership. We also spoke about 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👉🏾 Challenges women face in progressing to managerial and leadership positions including the barriers she faced in her professional life👉🏾 Self doubt/imposter syndrome (she has no time for it); negotiating pay rise and promotions👉🏾 The role of mentors and sponsors in supporting women to grow and lead👉🏾 What differentiates women leaders and the role of empathy in leadership👉🏾 Her advise for aspiring women leaders👉🏾 Balancing act: juggling a career, family and personal ambitionsThank you Tehseen for making time for this wonderful conversation and supporting women on their journey. Memorable Passages from the podcast: My Guest on The Elephant in the Room Tehseen Zaidi Head - Communications, Syngenta India👉🏾 Good afternoon Sudha. Thanks for the wonderful opportunity. It's always good to connect with like-minded people and speak your heart out on the subjects you really like. So thank you once again for the opportunity. 👉🏾 Well, the first introduction of mine will be someone who passionately works for women, and who always believes that women can empower each other.👉🏾 Professionally I've been a media professional for past 20 years. I've spent, more than a decade with NDTV, taking care of the crisis communications, proactive communications, PR, relationships and networking. Currently I'm working with a Swiss-based multinational called, Syngenta India private limited, where I'm heading their corporate communications department. Apart from this introduction of mine, I am a mommy to two boys, one who's going to be a teenager soon, and the other one who's six year old and a very, very naughty brat . I'm also a pet lover with a cat and two birds who coexist and love each other. 👉🏾 No, they roam around freely and coexist beautifully. 👉🏾 Well, that's a very interesting question Sudha. Yes, I grew up in conservative environment where the only future for a girl child was to get their basic education, which is still 10th or maybe till 12th. And then look beautiful, cook tasty food, sing well, be presentable and be a good wife. So that's how women in my town were treated.👉🏾 For me, it was different. I was a very stubborn child from my beginning. So when I was like towards my teens, my mother started teaching me how to cook good food because according to her, this was the primary responsibility of a girl and I will be judged if I don't know cooking.👉🏾 So that is where my rebel started and I said, No, whoever I'll be...