Leadership often emerges from navigating through challenging circumstances, providing individuals with opportunities for growth and development and showcasing leadership qualities. Adversities can catalyse leaders’ emergence and evolution, shaping their paths in remarkable ways.
As a woman leader and entrepreneur, Chandrima Gupta Mullick shares her wisdom and encouragement with aspiring young women leaders, urging them to believe in themselves and their dreams. She emphasises that leadership is not a fleeting journey but a continuous learning and growth process. To embark on this path, individuals must remain open to lifelong learning, embracing every opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills.
Assertiveness and confidence play pivotal roles in expressing thoughts, opinions, and views as a leader. Chandrima Gupta Mullick highlights the importance of developing these qualities, enabling women leaders to make their voices heard and drive positive change within their respective domains. She believes that failures should never deter one from pursuing their dreams. Instead, failures should be seen as invaluable lessons, propelling individuals towards success. Chandrima Gupta Mullick’s journey reflects her determination to create a lasting impact. Initially aspiring to become a professor of Law, she followed a conventional path by working as a senior legal adviser and preparing for NET exams. However, she soon realised she was chasing someone else’s dreams, leading to a profound turning point.
Recognising her calling, Chandrima Gupta Mullick began an entrepreneurial journey, co-founding Ivan Infotech. With a vision to bring the convenience of technology to businesses and create innovative solutions, she aimed to inspire and nurture more leaders along the way. Through her courageous decision to carve her path, she became a beacon of inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs and women leaders in the business environment.
Fostering the Environment of Equality
Chandrima believes that the biggest challenge a woman leader faces today is the lack of equal opportunities. This doesn’t mean women are lagging. Chandrima emphasizes the fact that women should be treated as having similar cerebral opportunities.
Chandrima believes, “If you have the zeal of disrupting the environment and the way people think, just keep going until you have made it.”
The way women are disrupting the trajectory of growth and development in the country, Chandrima envisions that soon the country will be in a position where a woman won’t get introduced as a ‘Woman Entrepreneur’ but just an individual in business doing her job and working towards making her dreams come true.
Strive to Create a Global Impact
The most significant achievement of Chandrima’s career to date is that she has been able to aid in putting the name of her company on the global map, as its footprints today are present in 23 countries of the world and having successfully accomplished the task of more than 3000 businesses around the globe.
Her future goals always revolve around her work. Ivan has the goal of reaching 50-plus countries of the world, generating 500 jobs for men and women.
As an entrepreneur, decision-making is one of the most crucial skills, and when it comes to a woman entrepreneur, the factor becomes even more critical. Before making any decision, Chandrima considers several factors and tries to collect as much information as she can to ensure clear objectives.
She makes sure to assess the associated risks and evaluate the potential benefits. Modern business is a dynamic environment, and evaluating every factor and being flexible with them is therefore necessary. Society often expects women to prioritize emotions over rationalism, but Chandrima believes in balancing to bring out the most impactful decision.
“I believe the key factors that drive effective decision-making include clear objectives, taking calculated risks, financial implications, alternative options, and the main factor being what it is that we want to achieve,” Chandrima states.
Evolution as a Leader
In a leadership position, the trick is not to be afraid of failures or setbacks but to see them as valuable learning experiences. Chandrima approaches them with resilience, determination, and a growth mindset. Each setback teaches her invaluable lessons about adaptability, perseverance, and the importance of staying focused on long-term goals.
She understands that failure is not a reflection of her abilities but an opportunity to grow stronger. The obstacles act as steppingstones to refine her strategies, seek alternative solutions, and foster innovation. By learning from failures, she continuously evolves, builds resilience, and develops the skills needed to overcome obstacles, ultimately propelling her toward greater success.
Embracing Equality
India is forging ahead, planning for the future of its generations, and embracing a shifting global landscape. A remarkable transformation is taking place, marked by an increasing receptiveness towards women entrepreneurs. Not only is society becoming more inclusive, but families are also creating space for daughters to choose entrepreneurship, enabling them to shape their own lives and positively impact those around them, becoming providers in their own right. Chandrima gracefully balances her roles as a daughter, wife, and mother, deftly juggling multiple responsibilities. She attributes her success to her family, particularly her husband and daughter, recognizing their unwavering support as the driving force behind her journey. Without them, she firmly believes she would not have achieved the heights she occupies today.
It is precisely through these personal connections that Chandrima has developed her vision and initiatives. Central to her mission is the unwavering commitment to supporting and empowering more women entrepreneurs. By providing equal opportunities in the workplace and treating individuals based on their merits rather than any social class or gender divide, she aims to enable women to pursue their dreams and reach their full potential.
Creating an Inclusive Ecosystem
Chandrima believes that to empower a larger number of women to pursue leadership positions in India, there’s a need to create an inclusive ecosystem that promotes gender equality and empowerment. This begins with raising awareness about the benefits of women in leadership, showcasing successful women role models, and challenging societal norms and biases.
She feels that women interested in leadership roles should have access to mentorship programs, networking opportunities, and skill-building workshops tailored specifically for women. What’s more, implementing policies that ensure equal opportunities, fair wages, and work-life balance will further support women in their leadership journeys.
There is no alibi for excellence, and that is the only way to overcome gender bias in any workplace and in any industry. What needs to be done is that women should be given equal opportunities to showcase their abilities to perform, be it in any industry.
Advocating for Equal Opportunities
Exceptional leaders perceive themselves as being in a role of serving their team members. A leader needs to inspire their teams to bring out the best in them, and at the same time, they have to be approachable to employees at all levels of the organisation. Chandrima’s approach to leadership has been simple. She tries to cultivate an environment of trust and loyalty within her teams, recognising and appreciating their achievements while also openly acknowledging and learning from her mistakes. She has experienced first-hand how important it is to create a positive environment to have a highly engaged and productive workforce.
She takes this responsibility seriously, making every effort to offer women in the IT field the guidance, support, and encouragement they need, tailored to their unique professional journeys.
Knowing the challenges, she feels it’s her responsibility to provide a safe and inclusive space for discussions. Her mentorship approach involves sharing her experiences and expertise, offering constructive feedback, and empowering women to build networks and access opportunities.
As a leader, Chandrima believes in fostering self-belief, promoting skill development, and advocating for equal opportunities, ultimately enabling women to achieve their full potential.
Read More: Click Here
