I believe women have a more empathy-driven management style
Published on : Tuesday 08-03-2022
Deepshikha Kumar Anand, Founder – SpeakIn.
What was the inspiration that prompted you to pursue this career path?
Growing up, I fancied the idea of learning from people who had achieved great success in their lives. That kind of learning, I felt, opened up your mind and your horizons. I went on to study at ISB and then worked globally, but when the entrepreneurial bug bit me, I gravitated towards this learning paradigm. If you want to be a lawyer, it should not just be about studying law for a few years; it should equally be about learning from the best legal practitioners there are. Likewise for a doctor, or a corporate manager, or even a journalist. This, combined with my fascination for networking, brought about SpeakIn. Your network and your exposure to different achievers drives you towards excellence. Today, SpeakIn is Asia's largest network of thought leaders, industry influencers, and subject matter experts. We have a consortium of over 18,000 speakers who we connect with businesses using our SaaS-enabled edtech platform. We have more than 350 clients in eight countries.
Can you recall your early days – say the first few days at work – and anything you would like to mention about that?
I was born in a typical Delhi middle class family where you aspired to a 9 to 5 job. You were expected to be good at studies and become a doctor or an engineer. Or you had to take the civil services exam. If you failed at all of those, you tried your hand at a business venture. We were much siloed in our thought processes in those days. But, generationally, things are changing now. I spent nearly 15 years in business consulting with top organisations like Ernst & Young, Accenture and J D Power, Singapore. But my heart was in my own business venture. It’s not been easy but it has been hugely rewarding. When your passion and your work come together, magic happens. I’m not exaggerating when I say that the only time I am not working and breathing SpeakIn is when I sleep.
For a woman, it is a matter of finding the right balance between the jobs and managing the home – how do you manage this?
I think that issue is somewhat overstated and blown out of proportion, and it is a vestige of the past. A few decades ago women all over the world, especially in Asia, were not serious about their careers. That has clearly changed now. I have not had to sort of sit down and determine how I will balance my work and home life. It comes naturally. Also, women are by nature and temperament more resilient. They are also adept at acknowledging that they can’t do it all on their own. At SpeakIn we have a small but committed team and it is not difficult for me to leave a lot of things to my colleagues. I believe if you delegate tasks and share responsibilities with your coworkers, spouse and family, you can easily find the balance that you are talking about.
What challenges (or privileges) do women stereotypically face, based on their gender?
In response to that question, to begin with I believe gender stereotyping is wrong because it limits an individual’s capacity to develop their personal abilities and make career choices. We need to move away from these gendered expectations. It is gratifying to see how increasingly the corporate world is offering sizable maternity leave to women executives. Many other progressive things that are happening are the ones I would rather focus on.
Have you ever missed a career opportunity or promotion due to gender?
Personally, in my career, I don’t think I have, but I recognise that these are the things that are often stacked against women. At SpeakIn, 70 per cent of us are women, so you could say we dominate the work policies and men don’t have much say (laughs). Sizeable maternity leave to women executives.
Are workplaces today more sensitive to gender issues than say, a decade ago?
Undoubtedly. That’s evident at all levels. Even in terms of how workforces are referred to. There was a time companies spoke of their manpower. That’s almost gone. Now we talk of human resources. Representation of women in organisations is growing significantly, although one could argue it is happening slowly. Depends on how you look at it. I believe a workplace which truly believes in encouraging talent, will promote inclusion and mutual respect irrespective of gender. A diverse workforce creates a culture of sensitivity and inclusion. It has become imperative for organisations today to become an ‘equal opportunity employer’. That’s progress.
Which women's 'cause' needs to be challenged and changed, first?
For me the first thing that must change is access to education. That must be equal for men and women, girls and boys. And it is far from that. The barriers to the education of girls are obviously more prevalent in developing countries like ours. Poor families often favour boys when investing in education. Worldwide, 129 million girls are out of school, including 32 million of primary school age, 30 million of lower-secondary school age, and 67 million of upper-secondary school age. Education is hands down the great gender equaliser. That’s what we need to fix.
Are there areas at work that still restrict women when it comes to leadership roles?
The thing that annoys me the most is the belief that women don’t make for great leaders because they have a softer core, hence they cannot make hard-nosed decisions. That’s a stereotype that comes from notions of masculinity versus femininity. I have always dismissed that. A survey of 423 organisations in the United States done by McKinsey in 2021 found that women leaders more consistently ensured manageable workloads for their teams, provided emotional support, and checked in on overall well-being than men, and 87 per cent of companies called this labour critical. One finding from the survey resonates with me. It says: “Women’s pursuits or abilities are no longer viewed as detrimental, but [instead] as an advantage to their leadership abilities relative to men.” Women, I believe, have a more empathy-driven management style uniquely suited to modern realities. The management style is more nurturing, relationship-oriented, and tending to emotional needs.
What women-related myths or taboos need to be broken?
I have more or less answered this question in my preceding answer.
Do you have a mentor or a role model? If yes, you may state briefly how it inspired you.
Both my parents were government servants; I am the first generation woman entrepreneur from my family. Though being from a family where my mother too was an equal financial contributor and was independent, it did instil the spirit of independence, being a doer and hard work in me which is helping me today as well. My entrepreneurial role model is my mother. The spirit to engage multiple stakeholders throughout the family and her professional network, and the resilience to fall and stand-up shaped me never to give up and keep moving. She taught me to be a ‘Lady (be empathetic)’ and to be ‘independent (be able to fend for yourself)’ which have been the hallmarks of my entrepreneurial success.
What would be your message to the youth who are just starting their career?
I would say two things. One, see yourself as a lifelong learner. The day you feel you’ve learnt it all you start stagnating. We can never learn it all. Never. Two, view everyone you meet as someone who could lead you to a new opportunity. That’s the power of networking in which I strongly believe. Connections you make with people always stand you in good stead.
Describe yourself or your aspirations, dreams in 3 words.
Empathetic. Humble. Thought leader.
Often counted amongst the most-networked entrepreneurs of India, Deepshikha is at the helm of making a global mark with her startup – SpeakIn, Asia’s largest network of business experts and thought leaders. One of the most respected women entrepreneurs in the region, Deepshikha is the winner of 2021 Economic Times Most Promising Women Leaders, 2020 Google Digital Women Award in Leadership, 2020 Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs by Ministry of MSME Government of India and 2019 and 2017 Asia Women Icon Award Singapore, which celebrates Excellence in Entrepreneurship.
Deepshikha is a TEDx speaker. She is an author and an avid guide on building excellence in speech, Deepshikha recently finished her first book titled '101 Lessons to be a Damn Good Speaker!' – the official SpeakIn guide to becoming a five-star speaker. Most relevant for professional and aspiring speakers alike.
In sync with Deepshikha’s vision of creating an open talent economy, SpeakIn was founded in 2016, allowing businesses and individuals an access to handpicked experts in over 500 genres. Having completed its second round of funding in 2020, SpeakIn has expanded its network to over 12 countries in Asia from Singapore to Hong Kong, and from Israel to Indonesia.
With the core philosophy to create a large yet highly-curated network, Deepshikha works non-stop with speakers and industry experts globally to inspire, motivate and channelise expertise. Thought leaders like Dr Shashi Tharoor, Dr Subramaniam Swamy, Dr Bimal Jalan, Nandan Nilekani and more have spoken on the SpeakIn platform.
Deepshikha is a B.Tech in IT from Delhi University and is an alumnus of the ISB, Hyderabad and the Wharton School of Business. She is also a bonafide Member of TiE – Global and Young FICCI Ladies Organisation and continues to inspire young entrepreneurs with her zeal and her entrepreneurial spirit. Passionate about education, Deepshikha serves as an honorary faculty for leading Business Schools and writes actively on industry interests for Economic Times and association journals. Some of her most regarded writings are on inclusion such as the one on: Encourage, Engage, Prosper: Women in the Indian Industry.
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