How Women Work

Are the rules that define women leaders in Asia different from those in the West? How are women leaders perceived across Asia? What are the cultural barriers and biases that they grapple with? How is ambition displayed and aspiration cloaked?

These are some of the questions addressed in How Women Work: Fitting In and Standing Out in Asia.

From China to India, Singapore to the Philippines and Japan to Thailand, this book observes working women through a pan-Asian lens, using their triumphs and tribulations to present readers with lessons and learnings on leadership and success.

'Fitting in' and 'standing out' are seemingly contrarian ideas, but, from all accounts, Asian women don't view them as 'either/or'. Successful Asian women leaders do both on their own terms.

With observations from women leaders as well as their male counterparts, How Women Work enriches and deepens our understanding of women leadership in one of the most dynamic regions of the world. It lays down the skills and strategies that work and the pitfalls to avoid for the modern working leader as she navigates the intricate ties between leadership and culture in the Asian hemisphere.

Aarti Kelshikar does a masterful job of exploring the varied experiences, challenges and triumphs of female leaders in Asia. I learned so much from reading this book and would highly recommend it for anyone interested in understanding female leadership in one of the most important regions in the world. Andy Molinsky, PhD, author of Global Dexterity and Reach

How Women Work: Fitting and Standing out in Asia sheds light on how women lead in different cultural contexts and come out as winners. It explains how they navigate their professional journeys, adopting strategies and skills that are relevant in a complex global world. It is an insightful book on the way women engage and practice leadership. Women are naturally intuitive, can discern patterns and draw insights, and connect the dots!
Nandan Nilekani, Chairman and Co-Founder, Infosys and Founding Chairman, UIDAI

A book for these VUCA times, How Women Work: Fitting and Standing out in Asia offers great insights from female business leaders across diverse Asia cultures who share their experiences, and provide valuable tips on how they drive successful outcomes in their business and/or professional journeys. It covers myriad topics and is filled with useful advice on everyday challenges many women face in the workplace. How Women Work is a must-read for anyone who wants to be successful in Asia business.
Geraldine Kor, Managing Director, South Asia and Head of Global Enterprise, Telstra

If as they say 'the future is female' then How Women Work: Fitting In and Standing Out in Asia is a must read. The author beautifully uncovers how women in Asia navigate the leadership track, through a series of revelatory interviews.
Dr Payal Kumar, Principal Academic Advisor, ISH, India, Author of Gender Equity In The Boardroom: The Case of India