By Priya Ramesh
As a female executive, have you encountered unconscious gender bias? Do you find yourself having to answer the quintessential “work-life balance” question time and again that ONLY female executives get more so than their male counterparts? If your answer is YES, keep reading. Recently, I caught up with Amishi Takalkar (pictured above), the CEO of Nailbiter, a global data analytics provider that specializes in quantitative video-based market research. Amishi has deep expertise in Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) research, data and analytics. She has been recognized as one of the most promising entrepreneurs under 40 by the Young Entrepreneur Council and is regularly published in Forbes, Huffington Post and leading CPG industry publications. She is passionate about market research and followed that passion to start her entrepreneurial journey last July as the CEO & Co-Founder of Nailbiter. During our chat, when I congratulated her on becoming a CEO, she shared the mixed reactions she received on her CEO announcement. There were more people questioning her decision than congratulating her for taking the bold decision. Amishi’s situation is unfortunately far too common. Female executives are more often criticized than celebrated for making it to the C-Suite. The situation is even worse when the woman comes from a cultural background in which she is first expected to be a good homemaker. Like me, Amishi is also from India so I could relate to some of the gender bias she faced as she began a new chapter in her life as a startup CEO. Here’s my Q&A with Amishi Takalkar on how she overcame unconscious gender bias both within and outside her organization to make a mark as a CEO.
What made you decide to start your own venture?
I have a passion for using data to solve seemingly intractable problems. While I have had a rewarding career at big companies such as Frito Lay and AOL, I didn’t get to choose what types of problems and solutions I could work on which led to my decision to start my own venture. It feels great to now lead a successful start-up but the irony is I now end up spending more time on non-data related activities such as talent acquisition than on data solutions.
How did people respond to your announcement of becoming a CEO?
With great surprise! People who know me professionally would likely not think of me as someone who would be leading a company. So the reactions I got were mixed, not an overwhelming, “Yes! you got this!” For better or worse, we live in a world where CEOs are perceived to be of a certain type. I probably did not check 9 out of 10 of those boxes. Personally too, my close family and friends were surprised with my decision, wondering if and how I would be able to give time to my family and two young daughters. This seemed to be the biggest concern than congratulating me on pursuing a path that not a lot of immigrant women have ventured into. What has been positive, however, is how quickly people have embraced and accepted and offered to help in unexpected ways. Interestingly, one constituency that was not surprised were my clients and it felt good to see that reaction, especially from other professional women in the industry.
What are some observations you have made as a CEO who is a woman AND an immigrant?
I have come across all kinds of biases – implicit and explicit. Most times the other person does not even realize that they are treating you differently than your male counterparts. I was culturally stereotyped and found myself having to explain why I chose to run a company rather than share what market problems my company would be solving. That’s a big difference in how a man in my position would have been treated. I have learnt to best give the other person the benefit of the doubt and not ascribe any motivations. It is not easy, however, it is very important to stay positive and try not to constantly think about societal biases. At the same time, I also think it is wrong to purposefully ignore clear instances of bias and those I do address head-on.
Do you find yourself communicating differently as a CEO in comparison to your male counterparts?
I am a sensitive person and initially I did try to hide it but over time I have come to embrace it. Some CEOs do confuse sensitivity with weakness but I think with courage, sensitivity can be turned into a strength. My sensitivity has helped me establish a culture of mutual respect at Nailbiter that empowers open communication.
What advice do you have for other women who aspire to run their own business?
Know what you want and have a good reason to want it! All CEOs work extremely hard – female CEOs have to work much harder. My day starts at 4 AM because I don’t want to compromise and lose focus on my family and my health. After a full day of work, I still want to make time for the kids, read and put them to bed before getting back on emails. There are a lot of days when you question your choices so without a strong reason it is easy to give up.
The truth is that we all have unconscious biases that shape our communications style. It’s key to become conscious of the unconscious. I have coached executives on effective interpersonal communication and my advice to female executives has been to skillfully call out implicit bias when it strikes. Engage with the person who is unaware of his/her bias and take the time to educate. Be proactive in your effort to break stereotypes. One of the most-repeated questions female executives get when they are being interviewed or speaking at an industry event is, “How do you manage work-life balance?” This question is a classic example of a stereotype, the societal bias that it is a woman’s sole responsibility to also be a good Home Minister while she runs a business. The best answer is, “Are you asking the same question to my male counterparts? If yes, I will answer that question.” See what you have done with that answer? You have skillfully called out the implicit gender bias.
Let’s chat if you or your organization can benefit from interpersonal communications training that helps you gain clarity and confidence as a leader. Drop a note at priya@ceocommunications.co.