(From L-R) Wendy Clark, Sheryl Sandberg, Marissa Mayer, Indra Nooyi, Chanda Kochchar
A leading marketer of one of the largest brands globally was recently introduced as "the mother of three children, it is a surprise she gets to sleep at all. Ladies and gentlemen, Wendy Clark (Senior Vice-President, Coke)."
This is a situation that most women executives, no matter at what level, always grapple with. How to do it - balance high profile jobs with its own demand and stresses, with an equally demanding family life? It seems there are no rights or wrongs and there is definitely no method or a single mantra these successful women go by. But over the years, this is what some of the top women executives have learnt.
- Balance is a false goal. Integrate work and family into one bin- don't let them play tug of war.
- When at home, take the time to "be with" your kids. Turn off the devices, and make the kids turn off their devices too.
- Sheryl Sandberg, COO, Facebook | Mother of two children and Author of Lean In, a book about women and work-life balance
- Try to mold long hours of work around the needs of the family
- Restricting office time to 9 am to 5:30 every day, having dinner with the kids when not traveling, and working from home after they go to bed.
- Women should choose a spouse who will support their ambitions, not only by offering words of encouragement, but by doing half of the work at home, from changing half of the diapers to doing half of the laundry
- Marissa Mayer, CEO, Yahoo | Mother of a son
- New beginnings - professional, personal, or come what may - are always uncomfortable, but being open to them is the only way to grow. In the end, we are all capable of so much more than we think.
- Indra Nooyi, CEO, Pepsico | Mother of two daughters
- Always pick the right husband - supportive of your career
- Chanda Kochchar, MD and CEO, ICICI Bank | Mother of two children
- More than physical strength, one requires mental strength
- Build relationships within the family and among friends; so that children have several people to look up to and not just their parents.