I’m Priyanka Aggarwal, Partner and Director at BCG India, and this is how I Lead from Within
At Priyanka Aggarwal’s position, she is often the only woman in a boardroom. But that’s nothing new; as far back as she can trace her professional journey she has always been among the top performers, and often in male-dominated arenas. Priyanka is also a mother of two. She credits her perseverance, supportive seniors and husband, and her choice to work only where she thoroughly enjoys what she does, for her success. This is her story and how she leads from within…
My Early Years
I graduated from the Delhi College of Engineering and later, from IIM Ahmedabad, where I ranked first in my graduating class. I was the first woman in IIM-A to achieve this and there is yet to be another. I joined McKinsey & Company straight out of campus. Initially, I was based in Delhi, but later I moved to New Jersey, USA, so I could join my husband who was working there.
New Jersey was then the hub of the pharmaceutical industry so I started working in the Pharma sector within McKinsey. My husband and I returned to Delhi after a few years. I enjoyed working in the industry back then and today, after all these years and a change of job, I enjoy it still.
On Starting A Family
My job involved a lot of travel – 3-4 days every week to Mumbai and back. When I got pregnant with my daughter I realized that this was not a sustainable way to work, and so, I shifted my family to Mumbai. Since my husband works as a consultant, his job is location-independent and the move did not affect his work.
Once my daughter was born, I took an 8-month maternity leave, after which I decided I would not travel as much as before. I also decided that I would return to work in a part-time capacity, something that had never happened before at the McKinsey office in India. The organization was supportive of the part-time arrangement and it worked out for me as everyone I was working with was also very supportive. I went on to become one of the first people in consulting who were promoted while working part-time. This took some amount of convincing others that a promotion does not have to be impacted if one is working part-time as long as they are contributing and performing well.
Around the same time as my promotion, I was expecting my second child and once again took a break for almost eight months. I felt it was important to do this so that I had the energy to come back; otherwise I’d just feel burnt out and not have the time or energy to spend with the people who are important to me. I was in a part-time arrangement for almost five years.
On The Turning Point
After returning to work from my second break, I started questioning what I wanted to do. I decided to quit and take a step back to think about what I should do next. I took a 4-5 month break, after which I joined BCG. This was six years ago and I have to say, it worked out really beautifully – I settled in very well in almost no time and never looked back.
On What Worked For Me
What helped was that I was enjoying myself – I was not working with the goal of getting promoted or anything else. I felt like I was contributing. I was taking risks. I was trying new things at work. And I was giving my best.
I am blessed to have a wonderful support system at home. My husband is a true partner in many ways. He carries equal and more responsibility for our kids’ education, their sports and so on. To have a partner who is fully supportive of what you are doing is extremely helpful. I am also lucky that my mom-in-law stays with us; she is at home when either I or both of us are traveling.
On My Superpowers
I give whatever I am doing my very best. That has held me in good stead. Even when I was working part-time, people were comfortable working with me as they knew I would give my 100%, and that I would contribute and perform. Through a combination of things, I found what I was passionate about. And this passion was a reminder every time I was working too hard or feeling disappointed with work, that it’s all worth it.
I don’t look at my career a week or even a month at a time. I have always taken a long-term view – looking at it like a long journey that I want to take, while also finding periods when I can rejuvenate myself and spend more time with family.
I build genuine relationships at work. These people would go out of their way to support me in times of need. These were the people who stood up for me when the firm decided to promote me, even though I was a part-timer. That was a big moment of confidence for me.
My Role-Models
There are many people at BCG whom I admire. These are people who are driven and passionate about their work, and are able to balance that with other priorities in life. They are exceptional at what they do, they are good with their teams and they are also able to strike a balance between work and their personal lives.
My Motivation
The work that I do allows me to have a multiplicative impact on the healthcare sector in India through the performance of the client organizations that I work with, and through working with a brilliant set of people. I get inspired every day and there is a high amount of intellectual stimulation.
I am also one of the few working moms in my daughter’s class. It is important for me that my daughter sees me as a role model, and knows that she can have a brilliant career and still have all the other things in life. I do not want her to think that the only option for a woman is to take a step back from her career when she has multiple responsibilities to juggle.
On Standing My Ground
I was one of the 10 women pursuing computers in high school, one of the only two pursuing electrical engineering in Delhi College of Engineering, and one amongst 18 women in a class of 180 at the IIM-A. After a point it stopped bothering me and by the time I started working, I was quite used to it. Now, at my position, I am usually the only woman in a boardroom.
Sometimes when working in far off locations with clients, they may not have had a woman on the shop floors, so they can get uncomfortable but I don’t think it is a big deal. I find, especially in the sector that I work in, that people value what you bring to the table in terms of your expertise and ideas and do not care who it is, man or woman.
On Failure
Beyond a point, I have not had a fear of failure. I feel like I have achieved a lot in life, and I am very fortunate to be where I am. I just want to enjoy this time. I want to live life one thing at a time, and not spend this moment chasing the next thing that I can accomplish.
