Ask any chief executive or leading lady on how they've scaled the upper rungs of the corporate ladder, they'll usually credit their success to relentless hard work or even luck. When you ask Rubaba Dowla what really propelled her to the top of the more male-dominant telecom industry, she cites something a tad different – a pressing need to learn and contagious passion for her work.
"I decided to begin by learning from scratch, as much as I could and for as long as it would take. When I started off with my first job with GrameenPhone in 1998, I had the kind of mindset that I would just focus on learning, especially since the telecom industry was fairly new and there really wasn't any mentor or specialist who could guide me, per say. I not only learned about marketing, but I also studied networks, services, budgeting and even undertook research and gained consumer insight. Overtime, I developed a lot of confidence in the way everything works," she says with a soft smile, seated behind a modest desk in her room at Shyamoli's Airtel office headquarters.
In person, she radiates both poise and power, her gentle smile and soft spoken manner belying the fearless leader that she is known to be. Stepping into the world of telecom 17 years ago, Dowla began her journey by working for the Marketing department of Grameenphone, going from head of marketing to head of brands, spearheading its growth and transformation for nearly 10 years, finally resigning as the chief communication officer in 2009. Currently, Dowla stands tall and proud as the chief service officer and head of Mcommerce, PR at Airtel Bangladesh – a fearless female trailblazer in a sea of male leaders.
As a woman, was the climb easy? “You see, the first roadblock you have is in your mind. As a woman when you're entering the corporate world, I really believe what's important is to build your own competencies and skills and that's what's going to help you overcome any hurdles,” she gently explains. Never really feeling subject to gender inequality, it was only when she began moving towards more powerful positions, did she feel the weight of the pressure of people bringing her down. Interestingly, “they were not necessarily men,” she adds with a telling smile. A firm believer of relentless hard work, Dowla says it was her single-minded will to make her own mark that led her to never really feel daunted by anyone in the field, be it men or women.
“If you ask about how I have evolved or changed over the years, then I will have to say that I learned to give more importance to what consumers want rather than trying to sell them what we had to offer.” On a more personal front, she admits that she wasn't always wound to be a leader, rather, she really began to understand how to manage people only after she got into a managerial role. “That's when I began to understand my leadership qualities – how to talk to people, how to motivate and how to inspire,” she shares. After 17 years in the industry, she says it's only when, “you can lead with example and inspire,” that you have really learned how to be a true leader.
As far as leadership styles are concerned, she says, “I would never say that men and women are equal at every front. Yes, we can ask for equal rights but when it comes to both our emotional and physical capacity, we are different.” According to her, women get into the, “granular level,” often relying on, “emotion and gut feeling,” or their right side of the brain that deals with the emotional quotient. Much to her surprise, a recent test revealed that she thinks with both the left and right side of her brain, allowing her to make balanced decisions.”I thought I would be more inclined towards the right but I'm not. I saw that I was very balanced. No wonder I'm in conflict with myself all the time,” she adds, almost as an amusing afterthought.
Over the years, she feels she hasn't taken any wrong decisions because there's no decision from her past that she regrets. “Yes, I've certainly struggled with a few decisions, but I always took those up as a challenge and did my best to turn them into opportunities for me.” The only thing she wishes she could redo is a personal regret. “I wish I could spend more time with my son when he was younger. I was so bogged down with work when I first started, that, although we spent quality time, I still wish I had more time to watch him grow and see him play.”
There is a sense of calm discipline in everything she does. and even in the lessons she instills in her son. Initially dreaming of being a lawyer herself one day, she says she never wants to push her son to follow in her footsteps, rather, she wants him to be able to find his passion, be it being a football player like Messi or a lawyer (both wishes he's expressed on previous occasions).
As a single mom of a 17 year old son, it seems the top managerial position has finally given her enough time to really be able to spend it with both her son and herself. On weekends when she finally has time away from work, she loves indulging in two of her favourite passions – singing and golfing. However, her absolute favourite way to unwind is by travelling. “Say, a secluded beach and a few days to relax, that's my ideal getaway.”
As our interview drew to a close, she revealed what she believes is the key to her success: “Believe in yourself and aim high, even higher than what you can dream of. Remember that there is no substitute to hard work. Look into the long term, not short term. And above all else, if you have integrity, honesty and confidence, no one can stop you.”
