Leaders

Women have risen to top positions among businesses across diverse industries and have taken the world by storm. Given the multitude of capabilities women possess compared to men – such as hardworking, multitasking, efficient managerial skills, adaptability, and ability to learn new skills with ease – many organizations prefer having women in top management teams. ‘A man builds a house, but a woman makes it home’ – goes an old saying. This is very much true, as it is the women who take care of the entire setup whether it is a household or an office, and make sure everything goes on smoothly. Thus, women are the true leaders with in-born leadership & managerial skills. Poonam Agrawal (Executive Director, Airan Global) is one such eminent personality in the Asia region who has been leading her firm to success through her self-made industry expertise, hard work and innate managerial skills. Below are the excerpts of an exclusive interview of Women Entrepreneur with Poonam.

Tell us about your educational background and career so far.

Despite not being from the IT & ITeS industry, management was something I grew up closely with since my childhood. I understood the importance of hard work, which I first learnt from my father and later again from my husband. A man with high values and respect, my father was a first-generation entrepreneur who started his transport business in Gujarat after migrating there. Easily blending and socializing with other people was another thing that I learnt from my father. My father wanted me to be a doctor and hence I took-up science. However, as I was more interested in Chemistry and Pharmacology, I did my M.Sc. in Organic Chemistry and was even the topper of my state.

What are the various challenges that you face in your current role? Tell us about the responsibilities that you handle at Airan Global.

Being the Executive Director of a multinational corporate puts one through a multitude of challenges – some operational and some unexpected ones. I personally believe that being patient and sharp are key to overcome any operational difficulties. However, having a long-term vision to anticipate and identify the problems that might occur in the future is very much essential a business professional to succeed. When faced with challenges, one has to be patient, think logically, trust your team, communicate with each other, exchange ideas, and most importantly, act fast on those ideas.

At Airan Global, I involve myself actively in all the departments and contribute towards the strategic & decision making of the company. I focus regularly on HR & Accounting and supervise a payroll of over 2000 personnel. By creating a work culture where every employee including the ones in the management team are friendly and easily approachable, I try to be a role model among all women in our company.

As a seasoned industry leader, what are some of the principles that you imbibe to be a better leader?

Transparency, trust & bonding, always being available, and being ready to go that extra mile are some of the principles that I strictly abide. My thoughts & ideas must be extended to my team exactly as they are. I believe it is very much important to share both professional & personal bond with our teammates as a leader. This in-turn builds the trust among us all, thus creating a conducive environment where not just new ideas but even their personal problems can be discussed among the employees and the management. You cannot expect the employees to work extra hours without the leadership team also doing so. Hence, it is very much important for people in leadership positions to go that extra mile and inspire employees to do so.

While logical thinking is one of the main necessities for any business leader, he/she must also keep the emotional aspect in mind. Although logic and emotions are often identified as opposites, it becomes very much easy to manage people once you can co-relate their emotions with logic. Also, for an entrepreneur or a business leader, work must be the topmost priority and they must be available 24x7, no matter what. This quality takes them a long way in their career. I do follow this strictly, but that does not mean I am self-less. All my hobbies and leisure are things that I enjoy even more with someone, be it friends, family or my team. This has helped me in aspects such as relationship building and learning.

"Logic & emotions are often identified as opposites, it becomes very much easy to manage people once you can co-relate their emotions with logic"

Reliability and dependability are two things that are often confused. I would like to be a reliable leader, because a good leader will always have a team that can rely on him/her any time, but not become dependent on them. As a human, it is very common to forget minor things, and sometimes even the major ones. However, once the leader keeps track of even the minutest things without forgetting, a lot can be achieved, and this quality even spreads to the employees as well, thus making the entire work process more efficient. I strongly believe that being presentable and having a consistent style makes one memorable, which results in your network growing beyond your expectations.

What are some of the significant milestones you have achieved in your professional journey so far? Also, what is the driving force behind your success?

I always attribute the success I have achieved to my family, who have always stood by me and supported me. As for the milestones I have many a times managed very high volumes of work in very short timeframes. Also, our company’s payroll has never been delayed even by a day under my supervision. However, successfully raising two wonderful kids while simultaneously working on a daily basis is something which I consider as my biggest achievement so far.

What is your advice to youngsters who aspire to be future entrepreneurs and business leaders?

Give your family the first priority while making any decision, and never forget the morals & values that you were brought-up with. Don’t be afraid to work hard, and enjoy it instead. Maintain a bonding with your employees that goes beyond the work environment. Lastly, stay focused and always be available.

Poonam Agrawal, Executive Director, Airan Global

QUICK FACTS:

• Educational Qualification: M.Sc in

• Organic Chemistry (state topper)

• Success Mantra: Always be available

• Business Leader you Admire: Sandeep Agrawal (MD of Airan Group)