LinkedIn's Nithya Rajagopalan on growing and backing women tech leaders

"You don't have to play by someone else's rules."- to Nithya Rajagopalan, LMS Lead and Director of Talent Enterprise Products at LinkedIn India, these words are not just a statement, they are a way to rethink the practice of leadership in technology.

- By Aanchal Ghatak

NITHYA RAJAGOPALAN

LMS Lead and Director, Talent Enterprise Products, LinkedIn India

Nithya Rajagopalan’ story is an example of how curiosity, perseverance, and engaging with our allies can help to overcome the challenges involved with being a woman in a field that is still gravely unbalanced with women in leadership roles. From her unexpected discovery of a passion for coding to now creating and delivering talent platforms at one of the most high-profile technology companies in the world, Nithya has faced challenges not just by following the trail blazed before her, but by having the courage to blaze her own trail.

In this conversation with Dataquest, Nithya reflects on the transformational moments that have guided her path up until now, the challenges that she has faced, and a reminder that we all share a responsibility to create the change needed to build a better future for women in technology. Excerpts:

What defining moments shaped your journey to tech leadership?

I have always been someone who set high goals for myself. Even when quick and easy options were available to me, I sought out a challenge.

Putting myself right in the thick of the unknown supercharged my learning. It taught me to take a wide view of a problem, rather than sticking to the limits of one domain. As I grew in my career, I was able to cross pollinate learnings across domains, which opened up ideas and opportunities that might have been non-obvious otherwise. It helped me to develop skills like critical thinking and problem-solving - skills that I would later on use at LinkedIn. Facing adversity helped push my capabilities and had me stepping out of my comfort zone. But it takes a village. My family was my strongest support system throughout. Coupled with the invaluable guidance and mentorship at work, I was able to tackle challenges head on.