This afternoon talking to a friend, I found my thoughts wander. Sitting outside in a Palo Alto French Bistro, I was reminded of the time I spent in France about ten years ago. I was fresh out of under graduate Engineering school and on my first work assignment in France. I distinctly remember being one of the two women Engineers who were working on France Telecom’s interoperability platform.

I wondered if things had changed since then. Do we have more women in Engineering domain now?
As the wind got a bit chilly on a summer afternoon, I wondered how things were different for women in workplace today?

I believe we have now moved being minority to major players in fields like Engineering. Women are no more invisible in a team. Infact men are becoming more and more accustomed to competing with women in workplace.

The question that bothers me is all these reports on “How women are not in powerful positions?”. Historically, I believe we associate power to a masculine instinct of colonizing, ruling and commanding. But with my conversations with powerful women, I realize that power is not about controlling – infact it is about how you help others achieve what they really care about.

If this is true, then I am sure women are in powerful positions – if being on boards was the only criteria to assess power, then we may not be representing a powerful base. But if we are looking for leaders who lead without a title and are investing in increasing their capacity while helping others achieve their dreams – we are at par with respect to power.

To the next generation of powerful women – you don’t only have support of women but also of men who respect you for your skills and accomplishments versus any historical conversation.

After all, no powerful person became powerful on her own – she did it will the help of others – who she helped on her way up.