Inspiring...

From FT.com

"ICICI Bank, India's largest private financial institution, on Friday named Chanda Kochhar as its new chief executive, one of a growing number of women who are joining the top ranks of the sector.Ms Kochhar is a member of an elite group of women bankers in India who are running institutions including HSBC, ABN Amro, JPMorgan, UBS and ICICI's insurance arm.

The 47-year-old sari-wearing banker, who started with ICICI as a management trainee, replaces one of the country's most respected senior bankers, KV Kamath, who will become non-executive chairman....."

Ms. Kochhar is quite an amazing, impressive person. She has made many lists, including the 50 most powerful women in the world list.

Newsweek had a great article in 2007 titled "What I Learned - Whether they're running universities, political campaigns or major corporations, these 10 remarkable women have found their own ways of overcoming obstacles." Ms. Kochhar was one of the ten people. In the article, she writes ".....I have not stopped learning lessons. First, don't have fixed notions. Bankers are always typed as corporate or investment, but I have grown with the bank and helped set up every new business: infrastructure financing, commercial banking, retail credit. When I was offered retail credit, it was a totally unknown area in India. I knew as long as I was willing to learn I would be able to do it. Accept challenges; don't run away from them.

There is no substitute for hard work. You can't think that things will work out of some brilliant, fantastic analysis or some lucky break. My work required long hours: so be it. It has required that I travel so much: so be it. It has meant less sleep: so be it. You can't say "I want to be successful" yet "I will work only five days a week because the other two days I will have to be with my family." For women especially, if they really want to prosper, they have to prosper on a level playing field, not by asking for special treatment. At this level I don't think I am working for ICICI. I am ICICI, and ICICI is me. It is an immense sense of responsibility that I bring to my work.

I have learned that if things go right, as a leader you should share credit with others. If something has gone wrong, then as a leader I must own up to it. Instead of brooding, start a course correction and provide a broad shoulder to your team. That reduces the damage to morale and energy, and brings you back into action. I believe the shoulder of a leader should become broader and stronger when there is a challenge. I also make it a point when traveling abroad to wear only saris, because I don't feel the need to change my personality if I am entering someone else's boardroom. Also, if you wear a sari you stand out and get noticed. So I am not only comfortable in a sari in the World Economic Forum meeting in snowy Davos, I am proud of it as a dignified Indian outfit."

Thank you for making that last statement, Ms. Kochhar.