ET Women's Forum: Kiran Nadar, Dutee Chand reveal tips to achieve a milestone

There are as many routes as there are obstacles on the road to success. A few women achievers reveal their tips to reach a milestone.

Play it right: Kiran Nadar, founder, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art “Brilliant hands come once in a while. Don’t bank on those. Focus on reducing errors and playing error-free.”

Get family support: Dipali Goenka, CEO, Welspun Group “I deal with women at all levels. We have blue-collar female employees at our factories. [Each of them] is leaning in in her own capacity. Family support is very important. Every week to ten days I travel for work, and I can see how family support is far more important than economic and financial status.”

Fight to win: Dutee Chand, athlete “It’s always been a fight for me to reach the ladder of success. I had to fight to prove that I’m a woman, as I had higher levels of the male hormone. On the race track also, it’s the same as I am up against athletes who are better trained than me. My family and coaches have been my pillars of strength.”

Have perspective: Shobhana Kamineni, EVC, Apollo Hospitals “When you are siblings, you look at disputes with the point that I have to resolve it. You can’t wish away your siblings. They will always be there. So, when you have a perpetual relationship, the way you design your work and responsibility will keep that perspective in mind.”

Make wise decisions: Arundhati Bhattacharya, former chairman, SBI “When you are running a company, and you are able to take decisions that benefit its stakeholders, that indicates that you have freedom. At any point of time, no matter what position you are in, you have to ensure your decisions are in their best interests. Very often, you are not a totally free agent. You can never be. Even in a company, you are subject to the board and you are subject to various other regulations.”

Take the risk: Radhika Ghai, co-founder, ShopClues “‘Small steps keep you going’ is the mantra I follow. It has helped me in building the company. As a boss I have always asked employees to follow their passion, right up to execution. Having an idea is one thing but backing up your ideas involves taking risks. That is something I constantly tell my team.”

Love your work: Zahabiya Khorakiwala, MD, Wockhardt Hospitals “If I can continue to create value in my work and maintain a work-life balance, I don’t need to ever consider giving up my work. In short, ‘If you love it, why leave it?’”

Motivate your team: Rani Rampal, Indian hockey captain “I’ve played with various players and it’s not about the number of goals or how I play. It’s about how I manage to make the girls play their best hockey. Ours is a team sport.”

Designate me-time: Ana Rodriguez Nogueiras, global CEO, Lladro “While most Spanish people wake up around 7.30 am, I am up an hour early at 6.30 am. I dedicate that one hour to my needs, my chores and my thoughts in peace and quietude. Everybody in the house knows that they need to leave me alone in that period. After that hour, I am ready to meet all the needs and demands of my family as well as my profession.”