CARGOCONNECT-MARCH2024 - Flipbook - Page 49
COVER STORY
SUPER WOMEN IN SUPPLY CHAIN
People-First Culture Starts with People-First
Leadership
KINJAL PANDE
Chief Executive Officer– Cluster India
and Indian subcontinent,
DB Schenker
I love being out and about meeting our customers and teams across locations. I believe
conversations with diverse sets of people lead
to great ideas and that excites me.
Embarking on a Career in
Logistics
It started with an internship
with one of the large shipping
lines during my MBA days. I was
fascinated with the role logistics
plays in everything around us
and that every product has an
interesting story from where it
was made to the 昀椀nal user. I was
fortunate to get campus-placed
with the same organisation and
that's how my career started in
this exciting 昀椀eld.
The Inevitable Trade-offs
There are always trade-o昀昀s in
pursuing a career and the biggest
one is always the time one can
spend with family. Initially akin
to walking on a tightrope, I've
learned (and still learning) to
manage this delicate balance
over time. The sacri昀椀ce often
lies in 昀椀nding an equilibrium
between professional commitments, tight schedules, and
responsibilities on both personal
and work fronts.
Prioritising Meaningful
and Impactful
Experiences
I’m not sure if it is unique to
being a woman but personally
for me, it has been about how I
choose my roles. I have learned
to measure success in exciting,
meaningful, and impactful experiences which has helped me in
exploring interesting roles early
on in my career.
Creating a Positive
Workplace Culture
I hold great admiration for
leaders who remain calm in a
storm and can bring in humour
in an otherwise tense situation.
This requires a strong sense of
empathy and connection with
people, which I strongly stand
by. Life and work can be fraught
with stressed moments, and
it is upon leaders to make the
workplace positive, collaborative,
and fun.
Understanding the
'People-First' Approach
I have had the privilege of experiencing many impactful situations in my career, ranging from
turnarounds and transformations to leading a team through
political and economic crises in
a country. These experiences
have significantly contributed
to shaping my leadership style,
which firmly revolves around
'People First'.
Guiding Wisdom
The most valuable advice I've
received is to always choose roles
that build on your experience.
It makes one’s journey in a long
career span much more fun and
endearing.
The Power of Taking
Control
I would always go back to my
younger self and advice on
starting to raise hands for roles
proactively and not wait for
someone to reach out to you.
Taking one’s career into one’s
own hands, persevering, and not
fearing rejection is something
that will make one con昀椀dent and
resilient.
Desired Superpower
It will have to be around 昀椀xing
the diversity challenges in logistics. If I could get more women
excited about logistics and
address the gender gap, which
would enhance any workplace
signi昀椀cantly.
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