Up Close and Personal

Indra Nooyi gets candid

Acting as president and CEO of the world's fourth-largest food and beverage company is no small feat; however, PepsiCo’s Indra Nooyi approaches her job as a series of daily challenges and opportunities to grow.

PW had the opportunity to chat with Nooyi, who, apparently, hasn’t let being named Fortune’s “Number One Most Powerful Woman in Business” and Forbes’ “Fourth Most Powerful Woman in the World” make her forget where she came from.

PW: You joined PepsiCo in 1994 and were named chief financial officer in 2001. Then in August 2006 you became the fifth CEO in PepsiCo’s 41-year history. Was there ever a point in your career when you thought, “What am I doing? I am in way over my head!”
Indra Nooyi: Absolutely, and I have to say, fortunately. That is what is euphemistically known as a “stretch” assignment. Anyone who hasn’t found herself or himself in that position is likely someone who hasn’t been challenged. The more of those you have in your career, the more you will grow professionally and personally. We are big believers in them at PepsiCo.

Who was your professional mentor?
Over the course of my career, I’ve been blessed to have a number of caring mentors. At PepsiCo, I’ve been fortunate to call every CEO in PepsiCo’s history a mentor—from our original CEO and co-founder, the legendary Don Kendall; to Wayne Calloway, the ultimate selfless leader who hired me; to the brilliant Roger Enrico; and my ultimate partner, the incomparable Steve Reinemund. Each not only inspired me, they took time to coach me through good times and tough challenges, and are still there for me today in their own special way.

What were some of your biggest hurdles as you shattered glass ceilings?
I’m always intrigued to hear stories or questions about “shattering glass ceilings.” It assumes that there are events of great magnitude or epic proportions that suddenly happen all at once. In truth, I think of the hurdles differently. They have been daily, regular challenges along the way—whether it was learning the cultural norms in my new country [coming from my native India] and the companies I joined, taking on one of those “stretch” assignments that brings you outside your comfort zone, delivering a tough message, or simply persevering until the right outcome. I’ve looked at each as a chance to succeed or fail. All are a valuable chance to learn.

Would you say that corporate America has ramped up on promoting women into leadership or stayed stagnant?
I’d say the corporate world has made some real progress in realizing that women can be powerful leaders, and as a result, not unlike men, there are meaningful opportunities for women to grow into leadership positions. Yes, there’s still more work to be done, but the perspective, insights and just plain smarts that women can bring to businesses large and small are increasingly proving their value in the corner office and other senior leadership roles.

What’s critical to realize is that both women and men have figured this out. Everyone understands that the war for talent must not be defined by gender, but by ability.

When you were 8 years old, what was your career aspiration?
The truth is that when I was 8 the better question might have been what didn’t I want to do. My parents raised my sister, my brother and I to believe there wasn’t anything we could not do, provided we put our total effort against it and worked harder than we thought possible. At the same time, my parents urged that more important than what we actually chose to do in life was that we excelled at it. Thanks to their encouragement, from an early age and as far back as I can remember, I felt I could aspire to virtually anything in life.

What would you state is your strongest leadership skill?
Naturally, that is a question best answered by the people with whom I work, but since you’ve asked, I’ll offer a personal observation. Strategy and a desire to try and anticipate the future have always been my passions. As I’ve worked to cultivate those over the years, it’s helped me to think before reacting and better understand the risks involved, to see around proverbial corners, and to place bets that generate results that count.

I’d have to say those traits coupled with my love for people—I thoroughly enjoy tackling big challenges with talented and committed experts like we have at PepsiCo— constitute my leadership skill set.

As I think about my role as PepsiCo’s CEO, I’d suggest that combination will help me make better decisions about the business, about the people with whom I’m privileged to work, and all the communities that PepsiCo serves.

What motivates you every day?
For one, those childhood lessons of my parents that I mentioned are part of my DNA. But their other important lesson was about the nobility and “calling” of work serving a greater purpose or beneficiary than me personally. That concept has come together under a philosophy for PepsiCo that I call “Performance with Purpose,” which will guide my tenure as CEO and ensure that our company and everyone who works in it will do our utmost to meet the needs of all our various communities. The idea that an individual can make a meaningful difference in the world by what they do is powerfully motivating.

Tell us about how you are able to manage family and career and what advice would you give to women who are just beginning their careers?
We all know it doesn’t happen on its own, and like any working woman, it’s a constant challenge to balance my family and my career. By the way, I’d say the same goes for working men as well. In fact, your choice of spouse is key. In my case, my husband, busy with his own career, has been incredibly supportive and that has made a huge difference. Sometimes I’ve been more successful at balancing than other times, but it requires a great deal of attention every day. What matters most is to treat the need for balance as a priority, with a corresponding, conscious effort. I am a big believer in collaboration in all things, and my advice would be to keep reaching out—to friends, family, co-workers, whomever—don’t feel you must go it alone. See what’s working for others and keep building the set of tools you can use to actively manage the balance that works for you.

Many of the ladies here at PW are huge sports fans. Do you enjoy playing or attending sporting events?
I love baseball, and at the risk of violating the wise rule to never talk politics or sport team allegiances among friends, I am a certified Yankees fan.

Finally, if you were given three necessities to conduct business on a daily basis, what would your three items be?
Positive Attitude, Competency and Passion. It’s not brick and mortar, but that’s the point. The ultimate difference in any company lives in its people. Bring those three qualities—what I’d call “necessities”—to work every day, motivate everyone else to do the same, and you’ve got an unbeatable competitive advantage.