The best way to get a seat at the table is to pull up a chair, says former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi

Times are changing, while there are boundless opportunities for all those who seek to move forward in their careers, the onus of making a difference largely rests with motivating oneself to take initiative and action to pursue one's goals.

“I believe the best way to get a seat at the table is to pull up a chair,” said the former CEO of PepsiCo, Indra Nooyi, in her latest video post on LinkedIn. The 66-year-old business executive often dubbed as one of the most influential voices in the corporate world, shared an 18-second clip on her Instagram.

Nooyi, who has successively ranked among the most powerful women in business by Forbes and Fortune, in her short message highlighted the importance of actively seeking out opportunities to participate and using every opportunity to share one’s talent and unique perspective with the rest world.

“Don't wait to be invited because the invitation may never come. Actively seek out opportunities to participate and take every opportunity you can to share your talent and unique perspective,” said Nooyi who is the first immigrant and woman of colour to head a Fortune 500 company.

Throughout her career, Nooyi has highlighted causes such as improving diversity and inclusion in the workplace and the need for better care facilities for elders and children.

The highly successful businesswoman was born in Madras (now known as Chennai) Tamil Nadu in 1955. She graduated from the Madras Christian College and pursued management from IIM-Calcutta and later moved to Yale University in the US to obtain a master’s degree.

Nooyi launched her book ‘My Life in Full: Work, Family, and Our Future’, in which she recounts the events that shaped her life and the conundrums of striking a balance between work and family. The award-winning business executive also highlighted how providing support to young family builders will realise the economy’s full potential.

Through her book and life, Nooyi has called the attention of male CEOs, businesses, and government leaders attention to the cause of prioritising the care ecosystem.