During the conference I was inspired about the write-up, and inspirational discussion.
Growing up, Deepa Purushothaman saw very few role models that looked like her in the corporate world, but she refused to let it stop her from reaching her full potential. The first Indian-American woman to make partner at Deloitte, Deepa made a point of becoming a national inclusion leader within the organization, whole-heartedly invested in addressing the diversity gap from the top down and helping clients do the same.
She talked about how she felt about being call "twofer"... a person who belongs to two minority or underprivileged groups and can satisfy two quotas or appeal to two political constituencies.
Deepa says that the idea that diverse talent is hard to find is a myth. We need to expand our definition of what a leader looks like and consciously seek out diverse talent. Sometimes it's that companies are not looking for talent in the right places, but the truth is that they may not recognize the untapped potential in the talent that they already have.
I am excited to read her book...The First, the Few, the Only: How Women of Color Can Redefine Power in Corporate America
At SWE thr firechat was two-fold: first, drawing from cutting-edge research and methodologies, it will help you evolve your definition of leadership and leadership rules—an early step to creating a company culture that fosters belonging and true inclusion. Then, it will give you concrete and actionable strategies for finding, retaining, and advancing all people within organizations.
My favorite statement of the discussion: "power of me--power of we"
I am honored to be an awardee throw SWE, and able share experiences with other women like me.
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