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Growing up self-reliant
Kuppulakshmi,
now in her thirties, was born and brought up in a small town in Tamil
Nadu, to parents who had not finished school but wanted their children
to study well. Due to the family’s financial constraints, Kuppulakshmi
often had to depend on hand-me-down clothes and borrowed books. But she
shares that she got valuable life lessons from her parents, and learnt
self-reliance at an early age.
“My mother had studied only till
eighth grade. But she was very clear that she wanted to be her own
person - “Being a mother is just one of the many things who I chose to
be” – she used to say. My father and my younger sister also supported
her. I used to teach her biology when I was in 12th grade! She went on
to take MA and M.Ed later in her life, while my father took care of the
household chores,” she recollects, adding that seeing conventional
gender roles have influenced her too.
“Although my parents were
dependent on my monthly salary when I started working, they never
thought of me as the ‘son’ they never had,” she says with a smile.
But Kuppulakshmi also confesses that she had a
hard time in school. Although she was a topper in English and Biology
and active in extracurricular activities like Chess, Kuppu failed Maths
in 12th grade. “I now realise that it was due to a lack of better
direction that I chose Science group after 10th. My parents could not
guide me; I had to depend on friends – many of whom I lost after
flunking the exam. But I learnt a big lesson in self-reliance then,” she
says.
Looking back, Kuppulakshmi is proud of her achievements –
but also regrets that her parents are not around to see her
accomplishments. “I lost both my father and my mother in a tragic
accident a few years ago. It took all my strength to not let that grief
destroy me. But even today I wish if they were alive – so that I could
at least give them an easier life, or a vacation which they could never
afford.”
Being Empathetic
Having experienced
such a life has definitely shaped Kuppulakshmi into the strong, helpful,
empathetic person she is today – a trait that makes her stand out as a
startup mentor and evangelist. “Successful leaders have always focused
on the human element. In order to sustain (your company) for a period of
time, you may tend to be too focused on money matters. It’s essential;
but so is the human element,” she says.
Her advice to startups is
to not just focus on the financials but on the emotional quotient too –
like by bringing gender equality, guaranteeing safety, and ensuring
mental wellness among employees. She encourages supporting mothers at
workplaces too. (At Zoho, Kuppulakshmi – as a new mother - was allowed
to bring her baby and a nanny to office.)
A champion for women empowerment and bringing
more women into the workforce, she urges younger generation to make
conscious choices in career. “I wish more youngsters would do the
research (about a potential employer) and not pick a job opportunity
just because it's out there. Ask questions during interviews. Make a
selective choice of where they want your skills,” she says, adding that
it is the responsibility of every professional to put pressure on
companies to follow diversity and inclusion. “We need to make men also
allies in our efforts for women empowerment,” she adds.
In a world
where women have to fight more battles daily than ever before,
Kuppulakshmi is the role model we did not know we needed.
Source:
https://in.makers.yahoo.com/from-failing-maths-in-12-th-grade-to-leading-startups-at-zoho-kuppulakshmi-krishnamoorthys-journey-040421138.html
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