Leadership Journeys [91] - Shikha Gupta - "Collaborating instead of Competing is the most important leadership skill"

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the interview, Shikha shares her vision and how she started out in her own unique way. She started an edtech consultancy based in Africa and serving the African continent when she saw that nobody was serving Africa. She shares how she drew inspiration from her mother and grandfather early on and that led her to becoming the first engineer in her family.You can find Shikha at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/shikha2020/[email protected] the interview, Shikha sharesI completed my engineering in computer science 2012, and I started working with one of the companies as software developer just out of curiositywhen I actually thought of starting my own company, that was one major curiosity that hit me was why not Africa? So why are the companies not reaching out to the African market?She's the first engineer, and a woman working and owning a business on her parents side. Her mother was always encouraged her become something and how both her brother and her are the only engineers in the family.The people she met have been respectful of the position and very curious to know her journey.How recently they were shortlisted by New Chip Accelerator, which is a accelerator program in Texas based in USA because they are concentrated on the Western world and also trying to make a change in the African continent.  She feels that she has, as an individual, achieved whatever she has to. From starting working in six different companies in a corporate world, starting her own company, not just in one country, but two countries in two different continentsShe says that the only thing left is just going to the moon. She wants to strike a good balance between developing high-tech projects for the Western world and trying to make something substantial for the African continent.There's more that comes to being a leader than just having the knowledge. The most important skill that a leader should have is empathy.I feel that in the next three years of time when it comes to me as transitioning, who I want to be, to what I want to create is also this one important fact that I want a table where everyone gets the opportunity to speak. So the only advice that I can give is you need to work on how to conquer that fear, because once you are over that stage of being fearful, the world is all yours and I really feel you take one step and then the world will help you take the next 10 steps.