4. Who has been the most influential person in your life? Why?
I would say that there are three influential people in my life. My
mother, father and husband. Each influenced me in their own special way.
My mom taught me the power of love. I grew up with supreme self
confidence knowing that no matter what I did my mom would be incredibly
proud of me and welcome me home with love and warmth. I learned to focus
on the long term big picture from my father. His sense of humor and
light hearted approach always make me smile. Both my parents have a math
and science background and instilled in me a love for these fields at a
young age. My husband is a pivotal anchor in my life. We met at
Engineering school in India when we were sixteen. Together, we built our
careers and a family. We bounce ideas off one another and constantly
debate issues. His influence encourages me to be independent and take
risks.
5. What lessons have you learned that would be valuable to women beginning
their careers in technology?
Be an expert in your field, know your stuff! Develop a clear, concise
and distinctive communication style. Surround yourself with giants -
don't be intimidated by brilliance from others, leverage it. Lead with
femininity and grace - you don't have to be "one of the boys" to be
recognized as a strong leader. Be professional and always treat people
with respect. Be well organized in how you deliver and be thorough in
what you do. Take charge of your career. Don't wait for the perfect
opportunity to land in your lap--search for it with passion and daring.
A lesson I learned from Bob Galvin is "Leadership is the ability to take
people elsewhere. Lead with humility. Humility does not mean that one
thinks less of oneself, it means that one thinks of oneself less". This
is a nugget I will always carry with me.
6. What strategies do you use to maintain balance in your life?
I prefer to think of life as an "integration" of different aspects. To
me the word "balance" suggests separate entities. If I think of life as
a balance between work and family, I visualize work and family as
incongruent and in conflict with each other. Therefore, I view life as a
seamless integration of family, community, self and work. It's tough but
I try to maintain this seamless integration.
My family - I make it a point to spend a lot of time with my six year old - we play hard. It's all about dragons, dinosaurs and Pokemon for us these days. Weekends are reserved for my friends to catch-up on music concerts, dance shows and have fun! We almost always take an annual family vacation and get away for a few days whether it is to the next town or some far off place. This is our time together to explore and share.
My community - I contribute time to the Texas State Higher Education
Board and Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering. I serve as the
Motorola executive liaison for Cornell University. My contribution to
the community may not be much in time, but it's fulfilling. My self - I
exercise at least four days a week. I enjoy arts and crafts and I meditate
every day, a practice influenced by my Indian heritage. My work draws a lot out of me but then I draw a lot out of my work too.
7. What new technology do you believe will have the most positive impact on
the world in the next 20 years? The most negative impact?
I think technological breakthroughs in the field of medicine will have
the most positive impact on the world in the next 20 years. I am an
optimist and believe that there will soon be a cure for cancer, AIDS and
other terminal illnesses. It is just a matter of time before there is a
technology-aided medical solution for these illnesses. Medical electronics and
pharmaceuticals are advancing at an incredible pace. This will enhance
the value of life.
The most negative impact will be from the abuse of
military technology especially biological warfare which debases my
concept of humanism.
Padmasree Warrior answers these questions:
1. What was your first job in technology?
2. Who has been your most significant mentor? Why?
3. What has been your greatest challenge and what strategies did you use to overcome obstacles?
4. Who has been the most influential person in your life? Why?
5. What lessons have you learned that would be valuable to women beginning their careers in technology?
6. What strategies do you use to maintain balance in your life?
7. What new technology do you believe will have the most positive impact on the world in the next 20 years? The most negative impact?
On the lighter side:
1. If you could have dinner with any 2 people (living or not), who would they be?
2. Define success in 10 words or less.
3. If you could only subscribe to 3 magazines, what would they be?
Click here for printer-friendly version of this article.
