Women in Leadership: Insights from Lekha Nirmal, Co-founder and CEO of P-Mech Technologies
As part of Engineering Talks, I had the pleasure of hosting Lekha Nirmal, an inspiring figure in the technology and engineering fields. As we celebrate Women's Day, I want to share the invaluable advice she offered to women aspiring to leadership roles. Here are the five key points Lekha emphasized:
𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Excelling in your field starts with a robust understanding of your technical area. This knowledge is the cornerstone of confidence and expertise.
𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: Technical skills are crucial, but so are soft skills and emotional intelligence (EQ). Women naturally possess high EQ, a vital asset in leadership and communication.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗽: Whether at work, home, conferences, or networking events, voicing your thoughts and ideas is crucial. Encouraging women to speak up challenges societal norms and fosters confidence.
𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: Having mentors, be they from your academic days or industry experts, provides guidance, support, and inspiration. A mentor-mentee relationship is a two-way street that demands engagement and openness from both parties.
𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗶𝗻 𝗢𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳: Self-belief is a powerful driver of success. It's about pushing through the tough days with resilience and waking up each day with renewed faith in your capabilities.
As Lekha poignantly put it, "Every day is Women's Day." This underscores the importance of recognizing and celebrating women's achievements and contributions every single day, not just on March 8th.
Lekha's journey and her advice serve as a beacon for aspiring women leaders in technology and engineering. It's a reminder that through dedication, perseverance, and support, women can break barriers and ascend to leadership roles, shaping the future of our industries.
Let's all take a moment to reflect on these insights and spread the message of empowerment and leadership among women. Here's to celebrating the achievements of women today and every day!
𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻'𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆
#engineering #womensday #womenempowerment #womeninengineering #womenengineers #womeninbusiness #womenfounders #mechanicalengineering #tanks #design #technology #iwd24 #iwd2024
Vice President of Client Services
3moThank you to everyone here and all of our partners who have the patience to work and grow with me while we figure it all out together. I don't think I would have been considered if I was not in an environment where I could be vulnerable enough to learn, trusted enough to try, and surrounded by people who genuinely care and have a passion for making it better!