She was in the crossroads of her life torn between the two paths life had presented to her. And she needed to choose just one!
Most importantly, she had to make the decision today. Her life depended on it. It has been a while since she was avoiding this decision, but now it was time.
The Dilemma
Sitting in that brown revolving chair, she kept thinking hard. One path presented her with stability; another offered her freedom. One showed her security; another allured her with adventures. For one, she needed to walk alone, for the other, she had a company. One helped her fulfilling her childhood dream; another could help her dream bigger! Which one would she choose?
Another thought was bothering her too. Would he approve of her decision? Would he stand by her or leave her based on her decision?
Karen was attractive yet simple. You could easily separate her of the crowd because of her compassion, mature behaviour, and thoughtful decisions. He also admired her for these qualities. Today was the test of her decision-making capabilities.
As she got ready for the lunch meeting with him, she looked even more gorgeous in that lavender salwar kameez. A matching bindi and a pair of pearl dangler earring completed her look. Her lustrous, thick, and wavy shoulder-length golden brown hair was caressing her neck and shoulders casually. Today was a big day; she wanted to look and feel her best.
The Meeting
He had called her for lunch in one of the posh eateries of the city. This place was known for its classy decor, calm ambience, and great soul-soothing food. Even on a weekday afternoon, the area was bustling with people. He had carefully chosen this place, keeping in mind the importance of the day; he always did.
As Karen came inside the restaurant and started walking down the aisle, she spotted him sitting at the end of the hallway, at a table which was tucked away from the entire restaurant crowd.
“Hmm, looks like he has strategically decided the place. Impressive” – Karen thought. “But all these arrangements are going to make it even more difficult for me to decide” – She sighed, walking down slowly towards him.
“Hey, Karen” – He called out enthusiastically waving towards her. Waving back at him, Karen increased her pace.
As she settled down, she could spot excitement and nervousness written all over his face. “Aha, he is equally nervous as well. Not bad.” She smirked.
The Big Decision
Within five minutes he popped in that much-awaited question, “So, what’s your decision?
Do you want to be the CEO of this company, or be the 50% business partner of our new start-up?”
The current CEO, Rohan, was quitting the organization to start his venture. The company wanted Karen to replace him. On the other hand, Rohan offered her an equal partnership in the new start-up, that was already funded by Silicone Valley investors and had a promising future.
Today Rohan had specially called Karen for lunch to know her decision around this. He was hoping Karen will join him in his next venture. Karen’s brilliance and leadership qualities were why Rohan wanted her to be part of this project. He knew her capabilities and trusted her wholly.
He was also conscious of not putting too much pressure on Karen; after all, it was her decision. She needed to choose what would be her path from now on. He had made up his mind to support her no matter whatever she decided. All he hoped was that she made the right decision mindfully.
Karen had a big choice to make, filling up her boss’s position or being the business partner to him. Which one would she choose?
Lesson from this:
Like Rohan, allow your women leaders to choose their path. Allow them to trust their decision-making capabilities by fully being with them. Since childhood, they are trained to believe they can’t make the right decisions for themselves, allowing them to make mindful decisions will increase their confidence.
If you want your women leaders to flourish and break the glass ceilings genuinely, stop making decisions on their behalf, no matter how tempting it is.
LET WOMEN LEADERS DECIDE THEIR PATH, STOP MAKING DECISIONS ON THEIR BEHALF.
Karen chose to fill in the position of the CEO and said no to Rohan’s partnership. It was one of her childhood dreams to become the CEO of a big multinational company. She wanted to live her dream now.
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Have you been through any similar situations like this in your workplace or otherwise? Share your story in the comment below or write to me at connect@srijatabhatnagar.com. I would love to feature your story in this series.
This is the ninth story in the 100 ways to empower women leaders series. You can read the other stories here.
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