Irina Ghose: The Marathoner

The best leaders understand the importance of consistency over the long run and view their work-life as a long game. This helps them stay on course regardless of the chaos around them, which is part of the game in technology today.

“For me, it is not about being perfect in everything and living with a sense of guilt – it is about living with a sense of gratitude that I got the opportunity to do 70 per cent in seven different things and still show up well,” says Irina Ghose, Chief Operating Officer, Microsoft India.

Hailing from a family of educators, Ghose has spent over 21 years at Microsoft, where she has been associated with various roles across functions. “It takes a mix of ingenuity to think afresh, grit to stay on the course, humility to learn from others and the yearning to dream big. You race against nobody but yourself, to be your better version every day,” she says.

Despite being a tall leader in her domain, Ghose does not believe in having an unbalanced work-life. “Think of life as a pizza with five slices–family, work, friends, self, and giving back. It’s important for us to look at all these five factors holistically and how to balance them,” she emphasises.

In 2010, Ghose founded MyLittleBit, a philanthropic foundation that believes that everybody can contribute in small parts to make a giant impact on the underprivileged.