Making of Icon

"One foot on the accelerator, one foot on the brake"brilliantly captures the turmoil every woman aspiring to do something remarkable goes through.

After having read Priyanka Chopra's "Unfinished", I was curious to read Indra Nooyi's 'My life in full".Two Indian-origin women created a mark in the US and had their voices heard globally. They, both come from different eras and fields and reading their journeys to date has been a very enriching and enjoyable experience. Though their stories are pole apart the common part is they both come from normal Indian families who know the importance of instilling values and good education as well as providing opportunities to daughters to grow and fly. They are not born with silver spoons but their parents are hardworking and have ensured to give their daughters a vision and confidence to excel through determination and dedication. Nothing comes easy and both had to work hard to create a place where they are today. They are immensely successful and are contributing to social causes in their way. Some may say we all work hard, we all work throughout the day but the challenges these kinds of people are ready to accept and take over define their success path. They trade off peace and family life for a higher purpose in life. It is a constant battle. Their vision and goals are not limited to one achievement but become a continuous process. Even though the process initially is for earning livelihood through work they love, gradually it becomes a lifetime commitment. Fame, success, money, power, accolades are visible but what has gone in achieving all these, what priceless moments are gone, what are their sacrifices no one can ever fully imagine.

Indra Nooyi's journey is a long one and the book takes us through her step-by-step progress from a kid in Madras school to the student at IIM Calcutta to the student at Yale. Her detailed corporate journey can surely provide insight to the young woman who wants to climb the corporate ladder about how cumbersome and challenging the process is but at the same how fulfilling the achievements are. The beauty of the book is that she has perfectly captured the problems which withhold females from going forward and using their full potential. She understands the confusion and priority pressures because of which capable and sharp woman workforce quit in between. She also highlights the disparities at work. The solutions she has described if implemented can solve a chunk of problems for women globally. It is immensely critical to have a good mentor /boss at the initial stage of your career when you are trying to set a foot. Indra was lucky and all people who find such leaders or bosses are truly blessed.

Family is the backbone of everything and one can win and fight battles outside the home only when there is a strong support system back home. Men generally tend to have this naturally. But it is high time women too get that support unconditionally and without bias. We have to build an ecosystem wherein all who desire to work productively are provided equal opportunities, supportive environment and are not made to choose between family and career as options. Both can go hand in hand if all are empathetic and solutions are worked on amicably."Leave crown in the garage" is one powerful statement in the book which means whatever position we are holding in organizations we need to be grounded and responsible at home. It is a tough game but worth it for those who like intellectually stimulating lives and who wish to be on their own.

book is must read for all who admire and adore such remarkable personalities and young girls who aspire to create a mark in times to come. We all can be a part of the change process and stories like these can provide

much-needed motivation and inspiration for sure.