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A woman first
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Indira Nooyi says being a mother matters most to her
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MASCOT FOR ‘MOM’ Indira Nooyi juggles many roles
Now we know. The CEO of a billion-dollar global firm she may be, but Indira Nooyi rocks the cradle before she rules the Pepsi world. Asked about her priorities in life, Nooyi, mother of two daughters, said, “The order is mother, CEO and wife.&#
8221;
Nooyi admitted to being confused at times by the roles she chooses to play. But her reply, putting momdom first on her list must have warmed a lot of hearts and brought her more admirers. What if she’s been voted the fourth most powerful woman in the world by Forbes magazine? The crack at that power came only after she’d taken regular care of her daughters. It reminds you of the time Indira Gandhi was “mother” to India’s millions and now Ms. Bhutto is “sister” to her co-citizens.
There are other women doing their bit in small/not-so-small and significant ways. They fend off armed robbers, storm down streets in activism, zoom up onto space and learn to shoot in the Army.
Women have broken into exclusive male clubs; have no qualms about being bosses (and bossy) in the workplace. They have fought for laws that are more equitable, have bought and sold businesses for enormous profits.
All this has given rise to talk of blurring gender roles, vanishing sexual stereotypes. Are they, really?
Credit women with more intelligence. Women may have a found a new assertive voice, but not at the cost of their wisdom. By going to the “other” side, women actually lose their edge, what is uniquely their strength. Women know how to play their cards well. They come to the workplace well-dressed, stay relaxed and smile. They’re nice even when they cobble crusty business deals.
They don’t have to be “cut and dried”, they don’t have to be “macho”. They just have to be themselves. Don’t a lot of jobs go to them simply because of these “feminine” qualities? It will be sad if women opt for “everyoneness” and “personhood”. Smart women won’t.
Indira Nooyi talked at length about spending time with her daughter, about packing her suitcase for a trip. She said her mother was her mentor.
See? Nooyi simply endorsed the fact: I am a good mom, so I’m a great CEO.
GEETA PADMANABHAN
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