Women leadership series - In conversation with Anumeha Verma

How would you introduce yourself?

I’m a generalist in both my personal and professional lives and don the hat that my personal or work family needs the most. Sometimes that’s a friend, other times a disciplinary parent, or a product manager or rebel leader. My creativity thrives in chaos and I love to use it for creating structure and organisation. Words are my first love and I’m an avid reader too.

Can you tell me a bit about your career journey? When did you first get into a leadership role?

My journey is similar to a lot of technologists in India. I studied Electronics & Comms engineering and landed an IT job. A few years later, I decided to go back to college and study HR and General Management. I was excited to join on the Digital Business side and thus joined Thoughtworks. I’ve been in Analysis and Product roles ever since, with a specialisation in Data & Analytics.

My first leadership role happened a couple of years into my career, while working with Tata Consultancy Service (TCS). I remember it being a lot of fun and also quite stressful as I walked the tightrope from a manager to a leader.

What were the top challenges you faced during your journey and how did you overcome them?

This might be the longest answer I give you. For I love a good challenge :)

There are a couple of challenges that are top of my mind. One was my inability to fail. As a leader, I felt it was my responsibility to keep succeeding so my team could look up to me. How could I fall in front of those that I lead? However, my mentor pointed out how that was stopping me from making the right decisions and more importantly, it was stopping my team from doing their best.

Over time, I’ve learnt to look at failures as learning opportunities. For example, I learnt to test our hypothesis and take calculated risks before making a big, new investment.

Another that I’d call out is the need for validation that some of us have. I’ve seen this in women more than I’d like, including myself. I’ve been hesitant to aim for the sky for I wonder if I‘ve got all the right skills. This excerpt sums it up nicely:

A chief information officer at a large bank told us about her experience receiving support from sponsors. When she first became eligible for promotion, she believed that she could apply only if all her skills matched the stated job requirements. But her sponsors counseled her that the leaders in charge of promotions considered some skills essential but saw others as skills that candidates could develop on the job. (I’d recommend reading the full article here)

Having friends and mentors around me, who give me honest and constructive feedback, has been my biggest career support. In my endevour to be a lifelong learner, I also think about my work quite deeply and reflect on what’s happening in my space and others.

What motivates you?

To see my team grow.

Nothing gives me more joy than watching those around me grow and reach their dreams. As a leader, I constantly strive to create both space and support for my team. Space for them to stretch themselves towards ambitious goals but also giving them support so they have the skills and resources to move forward.

I draw a lot of positive energy from my work. I really love what I do and that keeps me tap-dancing to work everyday.

Do you have a role model in your life? Can you name a few people who you look up to?

There are so many! But I’ll name three women for now:

My mum to start with. Her energy and excitement to learn new things never ceases to amaze me, even at her 60+ age.

I’m also thankful for having a lot of women at work to look upto. To name a few, Joanna Parke, Chief Talent Officer at Thoughtworks, for being such a great, empathetic leader and encouraging others around her to voice their opinions and Sunita M, General Manager at Thoughtworks, for being that leader whose candour can put anyone at ease and how she keeps her cool in the most difficult of situations.

What does leadership mean to you? How would you describe your leadership style?

To me, leadership is an everyday job. There are the ones who lead from the front and save the day in a crisis. But, to me, leadership is getting out there with our team and face the everyday challenges together.

What would be your advice to young leaders?

Hustle > Fail > Learn > Grow. Repeat.

Set ambitious goals. If some of these goals frighten you, it’s a good thing. That’s what tells you that you’re aiming high. Have trust in yourself and make your dreams come true.