Women need to realize their potential, continually grow to get leadership roles: CMD at WIPS National Meet 2022

Women need to take the decisions they find important at individual level for the welfare of the organization, continually improve personally and realize their full potential to elevate to leadership roles and achieve self-actualization, ONGC CMD and Director (HR) Dr Alka Mittal said on 11 February 2022. Dr Mittal was speaking during the CMDs' Session on the theme "Self-actualization - a step towards power-sharing" at the 32nd National Meet of the Forum of Women in Public Sector. The session was also participated by CMDs of other CPSUs and attended by hundreds of aspiring PSU employees.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Mittal said WIPS provides women employees role models they can look up to and added that this platform is to discuss how women in public sector are doing in their respective domains. The CMD noted that the number of women in public sector is growing. "More and more women are joining the public sector and they are rising up the leadership ladder," she said.

CMD and Director (HR) Dr Alka Mittal during the CMDs' Session at WIPS National Meet 2022

Deliberating on the theme, she said that self-actualization is at the pinnacle of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Pyramid. "We are fortunate enough that we are blessed with the other basic needs. We have safety, security, emotional security, social connect with people and self-esteem. However, self-actualization is achieved after a process that happens over a lifetime. You cannot wake up one day self-actualized," she said.

Dr Mittal noted that to become self-actualized, women need to take the decisions on individual level that they think are important for their organization or their family and tap their full potential by continuously growing. "Self-actualization doesn't come when you are at the top of the organization. You have to choose to become self-actualized. You need to reach your true potential. It is not about the power your role brings to you, but about the difference you can bring. Once you feel you can make a difference in the lives of others, and you intently do it, whether at workplace or home, you have become self-actualized," she said.

The CMD said that shared power and shared leadership are key to team success. "If you are empowered and you make your team feel empowered, they will be able to achieve much more. The kind of joy you can bring to your workplace is unimaginable," she said. Dr Mittal said that women bring richness to an organization and noted that companies these days are more conscious of the needs of women professionals joining their organization.

ECI CMD HK Joshi speaking on theme 'Self-actualization - a step towards power-sharing'

Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) CMD HK Joshi, speaking on the occasion, noticed that there are a lot of commonality among the members of the panel. She said that self-actualization is not an easy path. "Self-actualization is when you stop thinking about yourself and start thinking about others. This is a journey and a part of your personality, which is developed throughout your career," she said.

Mrs Joshi said that to become a leader, one must rise above all the other needs of the if you got to be a leader, you got to rise above all the levels of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Pyramid and be able to think about others over themselves.

Engineers India Limited (EIL) CMD Vartika Shukla said that self-actualization is an internal process, but is also conditioned by various external factors and experiences. "To achieve self-actualization, you need to keep developing skills, be more inclusive, consciously look where improvements need to be made and move up the pyramid. You need to and be able to take business calls in the interest of the organization," she said. Regardless of the career path, she said that self-actualization is two-folds for the most part: To take on more responsibility and delegate it, while making conscious efforts to execute them. Mrs Shukla said that an organization sees the performance, skills and talent of a person, not their gender.

EIL CMD Vartika Shukla speaking during the session

All three women CMDs noted that they have never left gender consciousness. Mrs Joshi said that women have to rise above the gender issue and start thinking of themselves as only professionals. Echoing the same sentiments, Dr Mittal said that ONGC leaders promote women employees doing well in their fields.

A glimpse of the session in progress

The CMDs' Session was moderated by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) Associate Director (OS) Rajee Guptan. Concluding the session, Mrs Guptan said that the deliberations reflect that PSUs are gender neutral and champion women empowerment.