‘Gender issues disappear at a certain level’

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: with the babu types, and survived and shone as a women entrepreneur in a man’s world. “I was warned that this is going to be tough. Yes, they did threaten me. I did go through scary times with the unions, but came out much stronger,” she recounts. She adds, “When you have a strong sense of ownership about your business, you are ready to go that extra mile. You can not buckle down then, you cannot be diffident.”

For, the lady who built a billion dollar empire ‘from the scratch’, ambition evolved overtime and a mater’s degree is something she wishes she possessed. But, the grind taught her the tricks of the trade. “The way I approached it was that I am going to be just not brainwashed by perceptions. I thought let me do it my way.” The mantras, with a dab of her charismatic personality, evolved and became part of her unique leadership style. For one, she swears by the advantages of employee interactions, though she has a much larger team now and is not on the first name basis with many. “If you are a hard taskmaster and very autocratic, there is an issue. But, people are willing to put up, if you are interactive and fair. “Winners Never Cheat by Jon huntsman is her favourite book.

However, straight talking is an attribute that ‘s she is known for and many a times has also landed her in controversies. “You can’t afford to waste time being diplomatic. Sometimes it gets you into trouble but most times, people learn to accept you for your style. They know you mean what you say, “ she concurs.

Shaw feels that women are more effective as agents of delivery and has a very interesting take on women in business. “Women have a very strong interest in delivering, performing and being recognised. Once they stop being a minority, it will disappear. I think we should take advantage of the fact that we are still in a minority and want to prove themselves,” she opines.