Shared from Citybiz, original article here.
Kakati-Shah, an award-winning bestselling author and entrepreneur, offers advice on building confidence, leadership, and success in the workplace and a path to building inclusive cultures.
Rita Kakati-Shah’s new book, The Goddess of Go-Getting: Your Guide to Confidence, Leadership, and Workplace Success, which draws on her global corporate expertise and pathbreaking work as a gender, diversity and inclusion strategist and entrepreneur, will be released by Tellwell Publishing on March 8th at an International Women’s Day event hosted by Mr. Randhir Jaiswal, the Consul General of India in New York. Information about The Goddess of Go-Getting is available on Kakati-Shah’s author website.
The Goddess of Go-Getting offers action-driven insights for both individuals and corporations by exploring diversity, bias, inclusion, empathy, corporate culture, accountability, and the power of confidence. Kakati-Shah seamlessly integrates a robust collection of relevant data with lessons gleaned from her time as a trained classical Indian dancer; Company Sergeant Major army cadet and British Army officer scholar; as one of the first women on Goldman Sachs’ equities trading floor in London; her work spearheading business development in the pharmaceutical industry; and as a stay-at-home mother. She also shares how this unique lens informs her work as Founder and CEO of Uma, an international strategic coaching, consulting, and training platform that empowers women and minorities through diversity, inclusion, and retention strategies.
Part memoir, part business book, The Goddess of Go-Getting represents Kakati-Shah at her most authentic. Throughout, Kakati-Shah reflects on how her myriad identities affected her social and professional growth. Whether she is sharing early childhood attempts to “fit in” with girls who preferred dolls to the cars she cherished; the politics of advancing in a male-dominated industry; being one of the few senior executives of color in the workplace; or the reentry into the job market after being a full-time stay-at-home mother, these personal stories demonstrate a deep understanding of – and empathy for – what it takes for women and other minorities to recognize their potential and emerge as impactful leaders.
“I’ve always been acutely aware of my role as the ‘other’,” says Kakati-Shah. “As I grew professionally and personally, I began to understand that my efforts to build bridges first with friends and then with colleagues helped me not just advance in my career but also develop skills that are sorely lacking in the corporate world.”
Kakati-Shah’s personal reflections have resonated with advance readers like Professor Marion Philadelphia from University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business. “Rita’s multicultural upbringing across borders and her professional background provide unique perspectives of how women can bring out their voice with confidence and build their professional pathways,” says Dr. Philadelphia. “Her book is as much philosophical as it is practical, and, more so, personal, and relatable. It…approaches inspiring women to deconstruct, discover, and strengthen their self-awareness to embrace their inner goddess and become change agents.”
Kakati-Shah’s book also serves as a call-to-action for global companies to rethink how they approach advancement, inclusion, and decency. Having worked at multinational corporations and through her extensive consulting work at Fortune 500 companies, Kakati-Shah brings a multifaceted understanding of what companies must do to build and embrace an inclusive culture that supports diversity and creates innovative and dynamic leaders.
“For me, diversity and inclusion work has always been about building community,” says Kakati-Shah. “The Goddess of Go-Getting represents my passion to help companies find opportunities to build common ground, cultivate empathy, and enjoy success by celebrating, recognizing, and respecting our differences.”
Adopting Kakati-Shah’s approach to diversity and inclusion is essential for companies who want to compete for top talent but struggle to create and sustain the infrastructure and culture to do so. Former Chairman & CEO of IBM Asia Pacific, Harriet Green OBE, praises The Goddess of Go-Getting for offering “practical and purposeful advice on accountability, allyship, mentoring, and the critical steps to overcoming fears that we can all take (as leaders and colleagues) to hire, progress and retain great talent.”
In addition to the official launch event at the Consulate General of India in New York on March 8th, Kakati-Shah will present a pre-release book talk on March 3rd with the St. George’s Society of New York and deliver a keynote and book talk on March 22nd in Dubai at the World Higher Education Ranking Summit. In 2022, Kakati-Shah will be touring the US, North America, Europe and Asia for various book talks and conferences. For updates on these events and to book Rita for book talks and speaking engagements, visit Rita’s website.
About Rita Kakati-Shah
Rita Kakati-Shah is an award-winning, gender, diversity, inclusion and career strategist, speaker, mentor, and advisor to Fortune 500 companies. She founded Uma in response to her personal journey of motherhood, transitioning careers and entrepreneurship, and is dedicated to empowering women and minorities around the world. Prior to Uma, Rita led Business Development globally in CNS healthcare. She began her professional career at Goldman Sachs in London, where she was awarded the prestigious Excellence in Citizenship and Diversity Award. Rita is an honoree of the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award from US President Joe Biden. Rita is also a Distinguished Alumna of King’s College London and serves on the Advisory Council of King’s Business School. She is also a three-time winner of the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and judge for the Middle East Awards. Rita is also a TV show host, frequent media contributor, and has authored books on empowerment, entrepreneurship, business, and leadership.