Simply Imagine. Simply Transform. Simply Be.
Today, as chief digital officer of Microsoft Commercial Solutions Areas (Global), I’m passionate about doing more in the future to empower women and girls to rise to their full potential. We’re at a critical juncture in the world, and I believe we have a distance to go. But systemic change is possible, and it starts with each one of us.
I developed this belief early. As a little girl growing up in India in an environment where gender specific roles and expectations prevailed, my grandfather taught me to Simply Imagine what is possible by challenging the status quo. He taught me to be curious, listen and learn, and most important, always dream big. It is hard to distill a lifetime of life lessons that we have learned from our elders; here is a link to an article that shares information I have been sharing with women and others to give them courage and hope: 2021 | Simply Imagine | LinkedIn
Today, I believe the following four key steps can advance women well beyond the current status quo:
- Representation matters. We need more women on boards making a difference in corporate America. I recently was honored to join WEX Inc. as a board director. I accepted this position in part because of the company’s CEO, Melissa D. Smith.
- Mentoring and encouraging others opens doors. It’s imperative that women open doors for other women, and that means making ourselves available for mentoring and guidance—giving women insights, hope, and the inspiration to believe in themselves.
- Future skilling makes it real. We simply need more women in the workforce, and that starts with taking concrete steps to prepare our youth through future-skilling.
- Advocating for ourselves. The biggest challenge facing women today is they don’t advocate for themselves. What are the barriers, and how can we help women understand their value and make self-advocacy happen? For more on this topic, please see my in-depth article in this issue of Profiles in Diversity Journal.
Women with the right mentorship should feel empowered to SIMPLY IMAGINE what’s possible.
Women have the power to SIMPLY TRANSFORM the workplace at all levels, in all roles, across the planet.
And women, given the right opportunities and in the right environments, can SIMPLY BE their authentic selves at work so they can shine.
Thank you, Diversity Journal, for naming me a Woman Worth Watching 2021. I look forward to seeing what we all can do, together!
Voices of Women Worldwide & VOWW-TV Inc., congratulates Bhavana … having read your “story” and accomplishments.
With all thats happening in the USA today … your need as “chief digital officer of Microsoft Commercial Solutions Areas (Global), to passionately do more in the future to empower women and girls to rise to their full potential.” And you wrote “We’re at a critical juncture in the world, and I believe we have a distance to go. But systemic change is possible, and it starts with each one of us…”