Asia: The future is female. This was the title of an article I 'Ac came across a few years ago in The Straits Times, Singapore's leading newspaper. A thought-provoking title, it struck me as being a timely and relevant theme to explore and write a book about. The article intrigued and excited me in equal measure, raising questions on areas that I discuss in this book.
While there is much literature on women in leadership and how to engage, lead and lean in, it is largely through a Western lens. How Women Work: Fitting In and Standing Out in Asia pays homage to women's outstanding success in this part of the world, as seen through an Asian lens.
Asia is complex and continues to evolve. On one hand, many Asian countries display broad cultural preferences such as respect for hierarchy and tradition. Harmony and humility are placed at a premium. Patriarchal mindsets are prevalent, and in many places, women are still expected to fulfil their primary responsibility of looking after their home and hearth. Yet, there are women who run dynamic businesses and have successful corporate careers. This book examines what it means to be a successful woman leader against the backdrop of these cultural values.
When I first mentioned to friends that I was going to write a book on women in Asia, there was much excitement. Almost everyone thought it was an interesting topic and had a suggestion on what areas I should focus on. My initial thought was to work with a theme on the lines of 'The Good Women of Asia'. When I mentioned this to friends, I was asked probing questions on what I meant by 'good' women. I explained that this tentative title related to the ingrained mindset in many Asian countries where women are expected to behave a certain way and to be good daughters, wives, mothers and colleagues. I wanted to take a look at women's success through the prism of sociocultural values, a theme close to my heart and professional interest.
But Asia cannot be painted with a single brush. There are nuances in different hues and shapes that dot the cultural landscape. In addition to the universal challenges that women in the workplace encounter, this book takes a look at how cultural values and conditioning in this part of the world impact women in terms of the way they work, lead, communicate and succeed. The narrative is a compilation of women's success and leadership laced with cultural insights across the countries of Singapore, India, China, Japan, Thailand and the Philippines.
Some of the themes that are discussed in this book relate to what women do, differently perhaps, in terms of building credibility and trust, communicating tough decisions and managing teams. We also celebrate the best of women in leadership, in terms of fleshing out some attributes that facilitate their success and help sustain their drive. Additionally, we discuss what works and what doesn't work across parts of Asia and how women leverage their strengths and work around the gaps.
How Women Work attempts to address questions like are the rules defining women leaders in Asia unique or different from those prevalent elsewhere and if so, in what ways? What are some perceptions and biases that working women encounter and, importantly, how have successful women navigated these mindsets?
While working on this book, I spoke with leaders men and women from China, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, India, Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka. I also spoke with some expatriates who had lived in Asia. Many of the women are senior leaders, directors or CEOs of multinational corporations or local organizations. I had conversations with experienced HR executives, consultants and entrepreneurs who run family businesses. I also spoke with a few millennial women founders of businesses. The conversations with women leaders helped paint an insider perspective whereas the conversations with male leaders provide an outsider perspective. Both sets of perspectives one experienced and lived, the other observed are relevant and help connect the dots for this book.
I have endeavoured to distil and synthesize these varied observations and experiences to provide a balanced perspective, which I believe is one of the highlights of this book.
An ode to what women do well, and celebrating how they rise and shine, the book has stories of success and struggle. Contained here is an interesting assimilation of personal accounts and real-life experiences from China to India and Japan to Thailand. This is such a dynamic and diverse region with many lessons to offer. As one of my interviewees mentioned, 'this book provides a collective perspective' of diverse women's voices and journeys.
If leadership traits are gender-agnostic, the question that arises is what is the need for a book about women's leadership? For women in the workplace, the starting point is different, the journey is riddled with unique challenges, and the end point doesn't look the same. That's the reality for many women across the globe; the intention is not to single out gender for its own sake. Also, while working on the book, I realized that men and women in a corporate world or as entrepreneurs who haven't seen or experienced the struggle or the biases first-hand can be blasé about this book's premise and the larger theme.
How Women Work is a compilation of the lessons to live and work by for both women and men. While some of the stories are as seen and narrated through a female perspective, they are certainly relevant and relatable to a larger audience. How Women Work is about leaders who are also women; it encapsulates the good, bad and ugly of what that entails. The idea is to enable a sense of appreciation about the journey and outline what it takes to get there this book has been a step in that direction.
The book explores the significance of good women' in contemporary times, given the prevalence of women who push boundaries and live life on their terms. The reader may find that some themes overlap in the book; leadership traits can't be compartmentalized in tight boxes sealed with a bow!
