Neelam Makhijani – Country Director and CEO – ChildFund India

I’m Neelam Makhijani, Country Director and CEO of ChildFund India, and this is how I Lead from Within

Neelam Makhijani’s courage is made up of gentler elements like intuition, faith and the openness to accept mistakes, which have taken her far and wide. Country Director and CEO of ChildFund India, Makhijani has over 25 years of rich experience in journalism, communication, fundraising and social development, across the US, UK and India. While in the UK, she was awarded as the first Indian Woman Director to head a global organization. Over the years, she has built her reputation as a thought leader and expert communicator, by speaking and training at various forums and conferences, in over 30 countries. Inspired, wise, far-sighted, uncompromising of her values, and driven to inspire change for maximum impact – Makhijani is a visionary in every sense of the word. 

The Journey

In the late 80s, I packed my bags and moved to New York City, not fully knowing where my dreams would lead me. I had recently completed my graduation in Delhi, and my parents were looking to get me “settled”. I did not move out for freedom or exposure but to prove myself, for which I needed time and opportunity. I have nothing against tradition/norms but back then, I felt incomplete and had the urge to explore. Creating an identity for myself was paramount. I wanted to not only prove myself in a male-dominated world but also to change the age-old perception that our society holds against the capabilities of a girl. And don’t forget I am talking of the 80s. 

As a rebel, I always wanted to do something to change the way society thinks, set an example, and do something  that makes a difference. Hence, I moved to New York on my own at a young age to start an unforgettable journey. 

I lived in New York for 10 years, of which the initial couple of years were a struggle, and quite hard. I knew one person there; no family, no friends. I worked odd jobs, including as a marketing executive for a  travel agency, until one day when a leading Asian Weekly called me after reading my impassioned letter to the editor about one of Shabana Azmi’s plays that was being staged in the city. They asked me to write for them as a freelancer, and there, my journalism career began totally by default! Soon after I got myself involved with key political campaigns and conversations held at the Asia Society and the UN General Assembly. I briefly  worked with the Indian Consulate in New York as the Documentation Officer, and in the process interviewed many US congressmen and senators, and three prime ministers of India (when they visited the US for the UN General Assembly). I also represented the case of Hindu Kashmiris at a press conference with President Clinton. All this and more led to me becoming the Managing Editor of a South Asian weekly. 

As a woman of strong views and opinions, having proven myself as a successful journalist, now I wanted more. After my stint in New York I moved back to India, where my career in the charity sector began with HelpAge India to manage their international fundraising and communications. As I grabbed the opportunity, I moved into the thick of action. My hard work soon paid off. Within a year I was promoted to the position of a Director, heading the western region of HelpAge India, and soon after I was transferred to London to work with Help the Aged UK. The team saw potential in me that I never could. All I knew was that I wanted to contribute towards something meaningful – this drove me and not some conventional notion of success like money or title. I lived in the UK for 15 years working with Help the Aged, Oxfam GB, and finally, as the first Indian CEO of a global organisation, the Resource Alliance. I’ve only had 3-4 jobs in my journey, but I’ve been blessed with an enabling environment and people who had more faith in me than I had in myself. In return, and as a matter of personal ethic, I’ve been resolutely loyal and sincere. 

I finally moved to India in 2014 because my mother was ill and my father had passed away. I’ve now been here for six years, with ChildFund. ChildFund India does amazing work and I was able to effectively use my skills and experience for the organization’s strategic growth. We are working towards being known as an innovative leader in child development.

As a cherry on the top, I was recently given the great news and opportunity to be the Country Head of Sri Lanka, in addition to India. None of this was planned. My journey has been defined by courage, and my openness to learn and embrace opportunities.

What makes me courageous

> Strong intuition: I make a lot of decisions based on my gut feeling. Some decisions backfire, but most work well.

> Clear goal setting: I’m always clear about what I want from a project/risk/opportunity. I think it through and once convinced that it’s the right thing to do, I jump in. 

> Faith: I have immense faith and fearlessness and so I take a lot of chances. I’m not religious but extremely spiritual; I believe there is a higher power who will take care of me as it always has. I often feel I’m a special child and so privileged, for which I am grateful. Professionally, I literally started from zero.

> Openness to own mistakes: I am high on emotional intelligence, open to admitting that I made a mistake, and apologising for it. I have absolutely no qualms in saying sorry; I learn from my mistakes and move on to the next thing.

My core values

> Loyalty: being committed to one’s work while one is in it spells loyalty to me. My tenures with the handful of organisations with whom I have worked are evidence of how high I value my dedication and commitment.

> Ethics and integrity: I grew up in a family of bureaucrats with strong moral principles who taught me to always do the right thing. In difficult situations, especially, when it’s easy to slip, they taught me to be righteous. Naturally, I learned to gain respect by conducting myself that way.

What energises me

My work is my purpose in life, to be honest. My colleagues often mention that I look and behave the same when I leave office as I do when walking in – not a smidgen of tiredness. And it’s true – I’m not tired by the end of the day, I’m energized from having thoroughly enjoyed the work and the people’s connection. I love being with people and building relationships – I cherish all the people who have come into my life and am very grateful for what they have contributed to making me who I am today.

Besides work, shopping is a big upper for me and I am totally committed towards supporting the retail economy; I can spend an hour shopping and be bankrupt. I also love walks, my dog, cooking and playing badminton. I go out of my way to do things that bring me joy and pleasure. I’ve kept my life uncluttered; not busy with too many things to do and rather celebrating what I have.

On empowering others

As a leader, it’s most wise to not put ourselves on a pedestal. We cannot give or take away someone’s power – it resides in them. It’s within. If someone does not possess self-belief and/or the conviction that they want something, we cannot do anything for them. We can only empower those who want to be empowered. 

That said, for someone who does have it in them, we can amplify their power. We must recognise talent, confidence and conviction and build these further by creating an enabling environment. As someone in a position of influence, we can create opportunities and provide support – and we must. 

Advice to aspiring women leaders

> Believe in yourself: know that you can do it. You might fail sometimes but trust that you can do anything despite the failures. 

> Own your mistakes: be egoless about admitting mistakes. Pride and self-respect are good but don’t have an ego. Do not be worried how it’ll appear to others. The ability to accept failure, and try again, is critical to get ahead. I totally believe in what Edison said, “if you haven’t made a mistake it means you haven’t tried anything new!”

> Do your best: and appreciation will follow. My advice would be to follow your conviction and dreams as your goal.

> Be open to learning: and unlearning. There is a whole wide world of opportunities waiting for you!