What was the problem you were grappling with?
As a working mother, the challenges are many but for me the toughest was emotional pain or ‘mom guilt’. During my stint in New York (while she was with the State Bank of India), I had to endure a year-long separation from my young daughter. Emotionally, it was challenging. However, for every transfer after that, I decided she would be with me.
On returning to India, I was asked to take up the General Manager’s post for eastern UP. It meant I had to move to Lucknow and my daughter, who needed special care, would have to move schools. I felt it would be challenging to find a school that met her needs. So, I decided to turn it down. But when that request was not accepted, I began to contemplate giving up my job—it felt like the only choice. Fortunately, I’ve had some great mentors who have helped me navigate these challenges.
Whom did you approach for advice and why?
I’ve been fortunate enough to have had wonderful mentors. M.S. Verma, who had recently completed his tenure as SBI Chairman then, was one such person. He is someone I look up to and whose wisdom helped me navigate through some significant arcs in life. What was the advice you received?
He told me to accept the offer and look for a suitable school for my daughter in Lucknow. “Giving up takes a few seconds. You type three lines and press send. But what is the hurry? You are about to enter the most interesting phase of your career and have worked hard to get to this,” he reasoned.
How effective was it in resolving the problem?
I accepted the merit of his (Verma’s) advice. Soon after, we found a suitable school for my daughter. Although I had to set up a support system to take care of her when she was unwell and I was inaccessible, I could stay true to my career path. His words of advice have stayed with me in the face of future trials. I extend the same advice to aspiring young leaders, especially women. Giving up is the easiest thing to do; fight a little harder.