The Star, 4 Sept 2008

By S. Indramalar
Women need to make male colleagues their allies.

WHEN she conceded defeat to Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential nomination last June, Hillary Clinton addressed the millions of women who had backed her and said: “You can be proud that, from now on, it will be unremarkable for a woman to win primary state victories, unremarkable to have a woman in a close race to be our nominee, unremarkable to think that a woman can be the president of the United States. And that is truly remarkable.”

Hillary Clinton’s near success of becoming commander-in-chief shows us that the proverbial “glass ceiling” has been penetrated.

Rhea Duttagupta, a boardroom consultant believes ‘the glass ceiling doesn’t exist any more’. This is not to say that the battle for women in the workplace is over.

Rhea Duttagupta, a boardroom consultant based in Britain, said: “I think the glass ceiling doesn’t exist any more. It’s not about ‘women against men’ and we shouldn’t be saying that we are victims of a male-dominated corporate world.

“What we have to address is how we can make men our allies, our coaches, our mentors and learn from them, and at the same time teach them how women work. Show them how stupid they can sometimes be in the way they view women.”

Duttagupta was one of the speakers at the sixth Women’s Summit organised by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry recently.

Born in London, schooled in India and now settled in London, Duttagupta was only 32 when she became director at PricewaterhouseCoopers in London. However, Duttagupta shocked her family and friends when she decided to leave her illustrious career to start her own consultancy, Corporate DNA Consulting.

“They all thought I had gone mad but it was something I had to do. While it was great to get the directorship, it was just so hard fighting the struggle, playing the politics and the games that were going on. You know, the male club thing. There was no glass ceiling but I felt like I was in an aquarium,” she explained.

Though boardrooms are still predominantly a male domain, Duttagupta felt more and more women are being given places in boardrooms of big corporations.

“But, it is not merely because of the softness of their (men’s) hearts. They need us economically.”

More women, more money
Duttagupta cites recent findings which reveal that companies with three or more women in top management score higher on organisation culture and companies with a higher proportion of women in their top management perform better financially.

Catalyst, a global non-profit organisation that works with businesses to build inclusive work places and expand opportunities for women and business, revealed in its study The Bottom Line: Connecting Corporate Performance and Gender Diversity that Fortune 500 companies with the highest percentages of women corporate officers experienced, on average, a 35.1% higher return on equity and 34% higher total return to shareholders than those with the lowest percentages of women corporate officers.

These findings suggest that companies that recruit, develop and advance women in an effort to diversify their leadership make better decisions, produce better products and have several key business advantages over more male-dominated companies.

According to its data, the number of companies with more than 25% women in leadership positions more than doubled from 30 in 2001 to 68 in 2007.

Also speaking at the summit was deputy chief executive of CIMB Investment Bank, Datuk Charon Mokhzani, who cited CIMB as an example of a successful financial organisation that had many women in top positions.

He asserted that it was complete fallacy that women cannot face confrontations, citing Britain’s first female prime minister Margaret Thatcher; the late Benazir Bhutto, female prime minister of Pakistan; and former Bangladeshi prime minister Khaleda Zia as examples to drive home his point.

“As boys, we learn from a very young age not to push too far or it might result in going outside for a fist fight.

“Women don’t know about this because they have never had to face this situation. So, they push and they push and push.” said Charon to the amusement of his audience.

Playing the game
The mistake many women make, said Duttagupta, is to assume they have to make themselves more masculine, both in terms of dress and demeanour to get in (or stay in) the boardroom.

“I used to wear dark navy pinstripe suits, pull my hair back in a bun and have a firm, manly handshake. But really, it was all a waste of time. We don’t realise it but women have more personal power than men. Ironically, most are too scared to use it.

“Women have to have political savvy and authentic leadership … be yourself but be compelling,” she said.

Though it was scary, the 34-year-old is pleased with her decision to start her own consultancy.

“I have learned so much in the last two years … CorporateDNA has given me so much more than I got in my 12 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers.”

As a management consultant, Duttagupta travels the world to advise and assist clients with their various challenges, such as developing talent management strategies, succession plans and leadership development.

One thing women can take from their male counterparts, she said, is confidence in their ability.

“Women are too modest and insecure. Often, what stops them is the fear factor … fear of failure or that they are not good enough.

“We have found that 70% of women rate their own performance as equivalent to that of their co-workers, while 70% of men rate themselves higher than their co-workers. And on a same project, you will find that men demonstrate 100% ambition even if they only have 50% of the required skills. Women tend to play by rules and build comfortable relationships to prevent uneasiness at the workplace.”

Duttagupta however feels women need to learn that it is alright to be selfish, sometimes.

“Do you know what all successful women have in common?” asked Duttagupta. “They don’t conform, they don’t always comply and they have never compromised on their purpose. Don’t get caught up with the rules. As long as it does not compromise your core values, you should learn to play these political and boardroom games too.”

Much as it is a cliché, you need two hands to clap. As much as women need to ready themselves for leadership, men need to realise what equal opportunities at the workplace really means.

Highly qualified women are still finding it hard getting their male bosses to see them as capable leaders and not capable women leaders.

In closing his presentation at the panel discussion, Charon unwittingly revealed the general mindset of male bosses.

“I have a quandary which I hope you (the audience) can help me solve. Do we treat women and men as complete equals? If I have a job in a remote and unsafe area, do I send a woman? Or if I have a job that requires working late all the time, do I offer it to a woman … what about her family?” he asked.

Though he was trying to be considerate, Charon’s innocent question highlighted what the struggle for equal opportunity was all about. Give women the choice. Don’t decide for them.

The answer, according to Duttagupta, is for women to work on the male psyche and working alongside them.

“Stop saying that you are victims in a male corporate world. Women have great strengths. Team up with the men and show them your strengths while learning from theirs.”

To quote Hillary Clinton: “There are no acceptable limits and there are no acceptable prejudices in the 21st Century.”

glass ceiling, Rhea Duttagupta, The Womens Summit 2008

New Straits Times, August 23 2008

Women don’t have to adopt male traits to show they are competent and able to lead, says talent management consultant Rhea Duttagupta

 

DROP the manly handshake, wear more colours, and let your hair down instead.

That was what talent consultant Rhea Duttagupta did three years ago when she decided to break out of the corporate mould and be her own boss.

“Ten years ago, I would always wear dark suits, wear thick, dark glasses, bun my hair up, try not to look attractive, and shake hands like a man,” says Rhea.

“I did all these things, and they were such a waste of time.”
She was one of the speakers at the summit who shared her experiences in scaling the corporate ladder and making it big.

She made it so big that she became the youngest female director at Pricewaterhouse Coopers, London, at the age of 31.

Years of working with men at the professional services firm allowed Rhea to learn not just the consulting trade, but also the trick in dealing with male counterparts.

It took her a long time, but she finally realisedshe didn’t have to ‘be one of them’ in order to work effectively.

Instead, all it took was forging strategic partnerships.

Rhea, however, wasn’t one to stay put at where success deems her to be.

Two years later, in an ‘unthinkable’ move, she left the firm to set up her own consultancy, CorporateDNA Consulting Ltd.

“People thought I had lost my mind. Some friends even suggested that I see the doctor because I didn’t make sense.”

But Rhea realised that a lot of tasks in the corporate world were limiting her time in meeting clients, something she enjoys tremendously.

Today, the 34-year-old British-Indian runs a successful leadership, high performance and talent management business for a global clientele.

“I work in Japan, Saudi Arabia, UK, Greece. Never had a problem with male management board. I’ve been known to be bold and direct. I’ve asked men to leave the room when they were being difficult.”

Women sometimes can be the biggest blocks to their own success because they suffer from low self-esteem or self-doubt, says Rhea.

For one, women are far too modest compared to men.

A research shows that seven out of 10 women rate their performance as the same as their co-workers, while seven out of 10 men rate themselves as much higher.

Women have also been found to have lower ambitions.

“If men have half the skills, they would go for 100 per cent of their vision. If women have 80 per cent of the skills, they wouldn’t do anything until they have the remaining 20,” says Rhea.

“We want to be too perfect before we become big. That’s not good.”

Another common trait amongst women is a conservative career drive.

The number of men who want to move up the ranks almost doubles that of women, research shows.

Women also spend too much time building comfortable relationships, which are mutually supportive.

“It’s important to take risks and start investing in some strategic relationships with someone we know who doesn’t rate us well or doesn’t hold a high opinion of us.

“How can we build a relationship and change that person? Lets get out of our comfort zone. Build more strategic, partnership type of relationships which can be a difficult start but have a great ending.”

THERE are 8.5 million women in Malaysia in the productive age of between 15 and 64. Less than half work. Only 45 per cent, or 3.8 million, are in the workforce.

In Sweden, the figure is 78 per cent, Denmark 77 per cent, and the UK 70 per cent.

> In government-linked companies, women make up 14 per cent of the board of directors. It’s only 5 per cent in the private sector. The government’s target is to have 30 per cent of women in the highest level of policy making.

> A little less than half of 73 million active entrepreneurs spanning across 34 nations are women.

> About half of all businesses are owned by women, with a success rate of 75 per cent.

> In Southeast Asia, 18 to 30 per cent of self-employed workers are women. In Malaysia, some 60,000 women-owned businesses are registered each year.

> Women in micro credit lending have a success factor of beyond 95 per cent.

> Corporations and countries will need more than 3.5 billion people by 2010 to fill knowledge positions, and 4 billion by 2020, according to Accenture data. There will be a shortage of 32 to 39 million people.

> A total of 1,300 companies have set up an internal mechanism to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace since the introduction of the Code of Practice on the Prevention and Eradication of Sexual Harassment about a decade ago. The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry is rallying to make it a law instead of a recommendation.

Rhea’s 19 laws for women navigating the leadership maze

> Political savvy: Accept that politics is there. Positive politics can be a good thing as long as ethics and values are not compromised.

> Being authentic: Value judgements – women are feminine and soft – make it hard for most women to be authentic. It’s all right to use
intuition in the world of business.

> Teaming with men: The more women see men as us versus them, the harder it is to reach solutions. Understand them and get them to
understand you.

> Building your PR: PR is about visibility.

> Perfectionism — no! Women are too focused on the details that they
lose sight of the big picture.

> Making your words count: Deliver as promised. Choose language
wisely.

> Managing your emotions: Know when to let go and not bear grudges.

> Knowing what you want: Be clear of your goals.

> Being comfortable with power: Power is not about control or structure, it’s how one influences another.

> Focus on your strengths: Focus on strengths instead of
weaknesses. Soon, you’ll realise your weaknesses don’t matter
anymore.

> Courage & risks: Women need to follow their gut instincts and be more open to taking risks

> Embrace conflict: Manage conflicts instead of letting conflicts scare you.

> Think success: Have a positive mindset.

> Different is good! The more you celebrate differences, the more creative the organisation will be.

> Learning to say NO: Women are too accommodating. Before you take on more requests on your plate, consider saying no.

> 60/40 rule: Being smart is 60 per cent interpretation and 40 per cent information.

> Lead with integrity and truth telling: Have the courage to voice up when something is not right.

> Make mistakes: The more mistakes you make, the faster you learn. Move on.

> Ask for help: It takes humility to do this, but it’s one of the best ways to team up with men.

breaking the glass ceiling, CorporateDNA Consulting, Rhea Duttagupta, Teaming Up to Make a Difference

Register now to participate in the Learning Lab led by Rhea Duttagupta of Corporate DNA Consulting.  

NAVIGATING THE CHALLENGES OF LEADERSHIP

A maze or a labyrinth is an image with a long and varied history in ancient Greece, Asia and Medieval Europe. As a contemporary symbol it conveys the idea of a complex journey towards a goal worth striving for.  Passages through labyrinths are not simple or direct and for women who aspire to navigate the maze and reach the top, routes to the centre of the maze exist, but they are full ot twists and turns. 

But getting to your desired destination IS attainable and worth it - all it takes is the ability to master a number of codes or laws that take you there.

Rhea Duttagupta is an international leader and corporate entrepreneur. She will introduce her 19 laws of WNLM (Women Navigating the Leadership Maze(c)) for corporate women. 

These are rich with examples, lessons. interactive input and real experiences.

These include:-

LAW 5: Political Savvy

LAW 2: Being Authentic

LAW 8: Teaming with Men

LAW 4: Building Your PR

LAW 9: Making your words count

LAW 6: Managing your emotions

LAW 1: Knowing what you want

 … and others. Come along to discover more.  

This Learning Lab will be held in Ballroom 3, on the 1st floor of the Sime Darby Convention Centre at 2.30 pm. Registration is limited to only 120 pre-registered participants. Send in your online or faxed registration form today.

Corporare DNA, Rhea Duttagupta

 

The following is a 2006 interview with Rhea when she was a Director at Pricewaterhouse Coopers, London. She has now started her own consultancy - Corporate DNA Consulting. The interview was handled by Nishma Gosrani for the news feature Crème De La Crème.

Rhea Duttagupta is a Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers in London. Born in London, she grew up in India before settling back in the UK. A lead practitioner on talent management and organisation development, Rhea dedicates her professional success to over ten years of international management consulting experience in cross cultural contexts (US, Middle East, East Asia, Japan, Europe, UK and India). Her clients include UK and US corporates and others including His Highness, the Crowne Prince of Dubai. She is known for her trusted advisor status with management boards, women in leadership roles and senior management teams.

A regular commentator and speaker, Rhea has featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Economist and The Conference Board. A keen writer, her first book on leadership is underway in 2007.

Featured in the 100 must inspirational women of the year, Rhea is involved in a number of humanist activities –Champions for Change by the List foundation, Asian Women’s achievements, Arab Women’s Network, and others. She has recently given twelve international scholars from the London School of Economics, an excellent insight of the UK corporate world from a female-leader perspective.

What first attracted you to the field of talent management?
The word talent has meant something for me right from childhood. It is a word I often heard at home and school. It was associated with “passion”, “not being more of the same”, “being different”. And then, unusual as it might sound my interest in art inspired me more on talent. Most paintings are more of the same; it took real talent for a masterpiece to stand out. Organisations are no different. There is a plethora of mediocrity and that can help to play the game, but to win the game you need talent, people who are “more than” and “better of” and “truly different”. Yet there was hardly anything to identify and nurture these scarce resources. I wanted to do something on shaping talent management with a real edge - that was my drive.

Is there any one personal characteristic or opportunity that you feel has opened the most doors for you?
At home, it’s been my mother and my upbringing. Striving to give me a privileged childhood while being separated from her husband in the 70s/80s was not easy. But she always encouraged me to excel in school, and nurture my interests in art, dance, and writing. She put up this wonderful poster in my room which inspired me over the years “You only live once, but if you live right, once is enough”. So that was a great starting point.

Professionally, in the last decade of my consulting career, I have been extremely fortunate to be exposed to an extraordinary range of boardroom and leadership experiences across cultures. Above all being around very senior leaders (clients and colleagues) who have genuinely invested their personal time and energy, and acted as mentors, inspiring me and allowing me to make mistakes, and learning from them.
As for personal characteristics, there is a relentless hunger in me to make the most of life, a heartfelt curiosity, and to lead and push the boundaries – I am glad I was born that way! Sometimes it can be rather frustrating, because it makes you restless, but it is also the one trait that opens endless possibilities for me.

Do you believe women find being a leader harder than men and does culture, race and nationality play a big part in this?
This is a difficult one because being honestly it’s not something I have experienced personally. At the same time I have seen other women, including close female clients and friends, face challenges. It’s almost something about having to always go that extra mile to prove themselves relative to their male counterparts. So whilst fully empathising with the issue, I would hesitate falling into a stereotype because some men can also be fantastic natural leaders and some women are less able. And vice versa.

Saying that, women need to believe in themselves more. I think it’s very much to a woman’s advantage to make use of the resources she has within (I think we are lucky in having more innate resources than men) to make her mark and be top of the game. It’s about self belief, conviction drive, and humility.

From my perspective, the corporate world is craving for some fresh thinking; some differentiation, some new insights and my gender, culture, race and nationality have always enabled just that! All three elements have created fantastic opportunities for me and the timing couldn’t be better. My advice to all women is to cherish their differences and be proud of what makes them unique.

What was the most difficult decision you have had to make in the course of your career?
Nothing really difficult during my career, except perhaps an early acknowledgement of the journey and what that would entail. I remember I cried on my first day of consulting, ten years ago, it seemed like a mountain to climb. I realised in a complex fast paced world it would be very important for me to define my own path (rather than taking its own course) acknowledging the effort and energy that would take. When I look back, I am happy I acknowledged the journey early on and decided to be persistent and not take my eye off the ball. I am lucky I married this year at 32 after having got my directorship and we don’t have children yet – because when I do, I don’t think I have to compromise on my career (or it will be less of a challenge!). I am so proud of women who can do both at the same time.

What do you believe is the biggest obstacle or barrier to more women reaching the top in business?
Two things – First of all, the old school male-world mindset still exists in some organisations and the historic biases are frozen into the corporate psyche, although it’s rapidly changing and that’s fantastic!

Secondly one of the biggest obstacles to women being on the top is women themselves! Women need to believe more, ask for more and feel less underprivileged. Again my mantra to all high potential women is “Be yourself. Be proud of being a woman”. Sometimes it’s their own perceptions which reinforce the challenge, rather than reality itself, which, from my perspective is rapidly changing!

Where did you experience your greatest challenge in business? What did you learn from the experience?
Two observations. A more serious one first. Traditionally management consultants were seen as business doctors who go and fix a problem. My greatest learning working with senior leaders across different cultures was in recognising early on, consultants and clients work in partnerships to diagnose and solve a problem together. They work in mutual partnership and for mutual favour. That helped me be more successful
A slightly less serious one – many years ago, I was in a boardroom delivering a presentation and one of the male members said “That was good, Rhea, not just a pretty face”! What was seemingly a compliment reinforced the male stereotype I talked about earlier. The comment made me conscious and I became uncomfortable of my looks especially when in a board room. I started wearing dark glasses to impose a harder look! I soon realised this was all in my mind. When you have substance and intellect, appearances don’t matter. The learning was “be who you are and with confidence and style”.

What have you done that you are most proud of in your life, professional and/or personally?
Personally and this may sound insignificant I have struck a better work/life balance after getting married. This wasn’t easy but the results are rewarding.

I have also made the time to start writing a book on my experiences of leadership as a women and blending some themes across cultures. It’s hard to find time but I am disciplined about writing a few pages a week (!)

Professionally I am happy with becoming a director at 32 and consulting with board members, and above all helping men and women get to the top – it provides me with a lot of meaning.

Corporare DNA, Rhea Duttagupta, Teaming Up to Make a Difference, The Womens Summit 2008