Indra Nooyi was from small conservative Chennai in India. When she came to the U.S., she barely had money in her pocket. She was determined to pursue for her dream in the U.S., and she knew that if she failed, she failed.
Indra struggled to put together US$50 to buy herself a western suit for her first job interview out of Yale. Incidentally, she wasn’t comfortable trying out a formal western outfit and ended up buying trousers that reached down only till her ankles. After she got rejected at the interview, she decided to be herself and stick to what she was comfortable with -- a traditional Indian cloth -- sari for her next interview. She got the job and has followed this philosophy for the rest of her career. This is why I admire Indra. As she says, “I’m so secure in myself, I don’t have to be American to play in the corporate life.” Her courages and confidence are the greatest treasure in her success.
Indra struggled to put together US$50 to buy herself a western suit for her first job interview out of Yale. Incidentally, she wasn’t comfortable trying out a formal western outfit and ended up buying trousers that reached down only till her ankles. After she got rejected at the interview, she decided to be herself and stick to what she was comfortable with -- a traditional Indian cloth -- sari for her next interview. She got the job and has followed this philosophy for the rest of her career. This is why I admire Indra. As she says, “I’m so secure in myself, I don’t have to be American to play in the corporate life.” Her courages and confidence are the greatest treasure in her success.
If you want to reach the top of a company, I agree that it can only happen in the United States, but you have to start off saying that you have got to work twice as hard as your (male) counterparts.
Despite the monumental successes of her career, Indra Nooyi remains a quintessentially Indian woman who takes central responsibility of a mother and a wife. It is definitely tough to be a mother and a corporate executive at the same time. Nooyi said, “you can walk away from the fact that you’re a corporate executive, but you can’t walk away from the fact that you are a mom. In terms of being a mother and a corporate executive, the role of mom comes first”. She believes that her husband has been a great source of strength for her. And she also believes that her family and her belief in God empower her every day.
Belief. Love. Confidence. Courage. This would be the story of Indra Nooyi.
Belief. Love. Confidence. Courage. This would be the story of Indra Nooyi.