Work-life balance, best part of their job, advice for others: Bosses on this year's ET Women Ahead list share insights

What I enjoy most about work:
For me work is the ability to create impact and feel that one has contributed to the ecosystem. The industry that I currently work in is heavily based on emotions and the ability to create change in a space that has a total mismatch of demand and supply.

What I have learnt about work-life balance:
For me, it’s about being organised. It is also about taking all the help one can get. I have a very supportive husband and a superb team who make my life as a businesswoman, wife and a mother very enjoyable.

How companies can improve gender diversity at the top:
It starts with being aware of the benefits of having women in your workplace. Statistics show how productivity and overall business performance increases when women are involved.

My advice to other career women:
Love what you do, be financially sensible, and find moments to take care of yourself.

What I enjoy most about work:
Partnering with the CEOs of our group companies to help shape the strategic direction and drive impact.

What I have learnt about work-life balance:

We have to make conscious choices to prioritise one over the other depending on the situation. As a working mother, I completely understand and appreciate the multiple hats my team members wear; I strive to provide them a work environment where they are able to balance both their professional and personal lives.

How companies can improve gender diversity at the top:
It starts with intent. Companies have to truly believe in the need for gender diversity. It has to be a business priority. Once intent is solidified, the levers are — establishing targets, fair hiring and promotions and having champions of diversity.

My advice to other career women:
Find something that you love, be authentic and fearless.

What I enjoy most about work:
Coming up with innovative processes to make our niche chemicals. I enjoy reading about green, clean and lean chemistry. I take pride in our excellent record in environment, health and safety.

What I have learnt about work-life balance:
Is actually easy to achieve if you stop believing in face time. My most innovative and out of box ideas have come to me when not in office.

How companies can improve gender diversity at the top:
Most women leave the workforce some point after having children. To encourage women to take higher leadership roles, companies need to demonstrate that quality time at work is more valued than quantity time. Providing flexible work hours and reduced emphasis on after-hours networking are some ways organisations can achieve this.

My advice to other career women
Take risks; women tend to be more risk averse and while this has its benefits it also limits our potential.

What I enjoy most about work:
The opportunity to make a difference for the better, and to leave a legacy that stays even after you are gone. I love the fact that my work allows me to work with great people. P&G people are really fabulous!

What I have learnt about work-life balance:
The biggest thing is to ask for help – from whichever quarter possible. We often try to put all the onus of this balance on ourselves as mother and wives. It is amazing how it is easier to manage this balance when more people pitch in and give their best.

How companies can improve gender diversity at the top:
Treat diversity like we do any business goal and plan. First declare the vision and the objectives. Then set measures, and finally have a clear plan to get there with the entire organisation engaged on these goals and plans.

My advice to other career women
Balance is a process rather than an end state. It’s barely ever that the scales are perfectly balanced — the two sides keep alternating in the quest for equilibrium. One needs to get comfortable with this oscillation and keep an even keel.

What I enjoy most about work:
Every transaction brings with it a new set of challenges. I learn something new every day.

What I have learnt about work-life balance:
Work-life balance needs discipline. Most of all, it needs a support system. I have relied heavily on my support structures - my husband, my in-laws, my parents. Support is equally important at work, especially during the period when one has young children. I was fortunate to have amazing mentors at the firm, who encouraged me, supported me, and allowed me the flexibility I needed in those critical years.

How companies can improve gender diversity at the top:
Women mostly leave after they get married and at the time they have children. Focusing on re-entry as opposed to just early entry is one of the most critical pieces in improving gender diversity at senior levels. It has certainly worked at my firm.

My advice to other career women
Seek out challenges. Seek out mentors. Seek out support. Everybody’s circumstances are different, so don’t be afraid to pace yourself. Take things one step at a time, in a way that allows you to sustainably build a career.

What I enjoy most about work:
To create. To enable people to create. To fight for what we create. I have never mistaken my visiting card for my job. My job was, is and will remain, making sure the best idea wins

What I have learnt about work-life balance:
At any given moment one part of my life weighs heavier than the other. There are times when my family needs me more than my work and vice versa. I like to be absolutely present in the moment and true to the moment. In the end, people don’t count how much time you spent at office or at home, but how you made them feel, when you were around them.

How companies can improve gender diversity at the top:
By making it a priority. Believe it is important and you will find a way to achieve it.

My advice to other career women
Excel at your work. Have a dialogue when something is bothering you. Being a woman, a wife, a mother, are all great qualities and only add to the wonder of what you can bring to an organisation.

What I enjoy most about work:
Three things that give me tremendous energy — conversations and decisions around top talent development; problem solving discussions on how to up our game when it comes to execution and the regular step backs with my leadership team to think about the big picture and where our business is headed.

What I have learnt about work-life balance:
Balance for me is about believing that I have the choice to spend my time the way I want; it is about keeping all the balls moving through the air without having to wonder what would happen if one were to drop; balance is about having no regrets regarding how I choose to spend my time.

How companies can improve gender diversity at the top:
Make it a priority in the same way that hitting the numbers and increasing shareholder value is a priority.

My advice to other career women
The rules were written by men for men but it is within our power and abilities to imagine a place for ourselves in this world. I believe that women now have a better chance than ever before to demonstrate their value to an organisation, and an increasing number of organisations are realising the value that women add.

What I enjoy most about work:
As laws change, business conditions change, clients’ expectations change, I am constantly learning something new even after 20 years in this profession. I never get bored.

What I have learnt about work-life balance:
For me, it is about making enough “me time” so that I can recharge. One cannot be an effective leader if one is not taking the time to invest in oneself both as a person and as a professional.

How companies can improve gender diversity at the top:
Mentorship is crucial, especially for women.

My advice to other career women
The rules were written by men for men but it is within our power to imagine a place for ourselves in this world. I believe that women now have a better chance than ever before to demonstrate their value to an organisation.

What I enjoy most about work:
It brings immense satisfaction to see a new creation — a brand, a product or a new initiative — bring in a new experience, or excitement or happiness in the lives of lots of people.

What I have learnt about worklife balance:
If you enjoy your work and the life around it, life blends into work and work blends into life.

How companies can improve gender diversity at the top:
The world primarily consists of masculine and feminine energy. Yin and Yang, Yama and Kama, Shiv and Shakti compose the world. Organisations too must recognise that and balance the forces. Organisations that pursue creativity and innovation will always find value in diversity.

My advice to other career women
Do not allow your gender to define you.

For the first time in three decades, NASSCOM appointed their first ever women President, Debjani Ghosh, in April 2018. She has been a strong advocate of gender diversity in the workplace. Before taking up the NASSCOM responsibility, she had worked with Intel Corporation for nearly two decades. A veteran in the field of technology, her endeavour is to make the domain of technology a level playing field. She plans to stress on innovation and skill development to enable individuals and enterprises to make the most of AI and Machine Learning. Her appointment to this position is a huge step in the direction of including women in the higher rungs of technology, which is otherwise male dominated.

With the tech industry experiencing rapid growth, Deepa Madhavan believes that it's the right time for women to join forces to ensure a fair say in decision making. Before joining PayPal, Madhavan worked with Deloitte, and took a break to raise her three children. Deepa Madhavan, who has a Bachelors in Economics and a Masters in Computer Science, is also the force behind causes like 'Girls In Tech' and 'Unity'.

As her name suggests, Padmasree is a true warrior. A role model for girls, she is the former CEO of NIO U.S., a Chinese electric car company which is considered Tesla's biggest rival. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors at Microsoft and Spotify. In the past, Warrior has also worked with Cisco and Motorola. Motorola Inc received a National Medal of Technology in 2004 when she was the CEO of the company. With 1.46 million followers on Twitter, she continues to mentor scores of women who dream of building a career in the field of technology.

Roshni Nadar Malhotra is the HCL heiress and an IT stalwart. Born to Shiv Nadar and Kiran Nadar, Roshni was always sure of being a part of the empire that her parents created. She provides strategic guidance to HCL and is also closely associated with the philanthropic arm of the IT conglomerate. She manages to strike the perfect balance between her work, personal life and philanthropic activities with ease and efficiency. She became the CEO of the organisation at 28, and took a break when she became a mom to two doting sons. Promoting diversity in HCL is one of her biggest goals, and she hopes to see more women in the domain of technology.

Rubbing shoulders with the men from the big, bad world of tech, Ginni Rometty has managed to carve a niche for herself in the technology industry. In a men-dominated industry, Rometty has been heading the computer giant since 2012. She has successfully featured in lists like, '50 Most Influential People in the World' and '50 Most Powerful Women in Business'. Ever since her leadership in IBM, she has managed to lead the company on the path of success. It was reported that the company was in the pits when she took over in 2012. Her commitment to diversity and inclusion has resulted in a sea change in IBM's work culture. The company offers extended parental leave to women, makes it easier for them return to the workforce, and encourages them to learn new skills to advance their careers. Thanks to their path-breaking work, last year, the company was recognised by the prestigious Catalyst Award for advancing diversity and women’s initiatives. In the past 20 years, it is the only tech company to have been recognised in this category, and the only company that was honoured four times.

A best-selling author and an inspiration to girls all over, Sheryl Sandberg has remained strong even in the face of adversity. While Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg have been struggling with the perils of Cambridge Analytics, Sandberg has been the Rock of Gibraltar for the social media giant. She made it to the 11th position on Forbes Power Women list 2018 and 12th spot on America's Self-Made Women 2018. She recently faced flak for Facebook's involvement in a privacy battle and election hacking, but that hasn't stopped the Facebook COO from aggressively promoting corporate feminism, and advocating #MeToo at work.

With an estimated net worth of $300 million, she began her career with a startup that co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin established in her Menlo Park garage. Since then, Wojcicki has been an integral part of Google. She was the first Google employee to get pregnant. After that, she took the opportunity to change the parental leave policy at the company. Maternity leave was increased from 18 to 12 weeks in 2007, which reduced the attrition rate of new moms. She hires more women, both at beginning and senior levels to create a continuous cycle of female employees, which in turn helps in improving the work-culture, and reduces attrition in the company.

Whitney Wolfe Herd's dating idea struck gold, and now she has a fortune of nearly $230 million. The app is valued at $1 billion. Herd was also the co-founder of Tinder which she left after claiming sexual harassment by her ex-boyfriend and Tinder co-founder, Justin Mateen. She completely changed how dating apps work with Bumble. In a world of dating apps, she empowered women to reach out to their matches first. Although, she was told that the idea didn't have much steam, nothing could stop her. And, the company's net worth speaks for itself.

Renee James began her career as a R&D engineer, and left the company as the President in 2015. She spent 28 years in the company, and now has her own start-up Ampere which she spearheads as the CEO.