A recent study found that women are 58.4% of the US workforce but only 35% of them are in senior leadership roles. Neeta Murthy, CEO and founder of Rekindle Global, says that the disparity in gender diversity in positions of power is not due to a lack of competence but to a lack of effective training. Women encounter specific challenges, yet traditional training programs fail to help them overcome them and make meaningful strides in their careers.
Through her research with Rekindle Global, Murthy has found that the best way to disrupt traditional professional development programs and serve women leaders is through an intentional approach that supports their unique needs. Rekindle’s revolutionary online training program is grounded in behavioral science and specifically designed to empower women in the workforce.
Neeta Murthy finds her passion for promoting women leaders in the workplace
Before launching Rekindle Global, Murthy held crucial leadership roles at SLB, overseeing key operations across several continents. As the sole female worker on off-shore oil rigs early in her career, she oversaw multimillion-dollar operations at sites in Egypt, Venezuela, and Canada.
Before her time at SLB, Murthy cut her teeth as an investment banker on Wall Street while pursuing her MBA at Harvard Business School. Though oil rigs and financial firms proved vastly different, they shared one thing in common: a dearth of female colleagues — particularly at the executive level.
“While ascending the corporate ladder, I became increasingly aware of a glaring and ongoing issue,” recalls Murthy. “Systemic bias creates specific obstacles for women in the workplace, and many women lack the mentors and training they need to overcome them. So in effect, women confront more obstacles and receive less assistance.”
Murthy continued to break through barriers and glass ceilings, trying to ignore the lack of female representation around her. Yet the more she managed and mentored women, the more the weight of the challenges women continue to face became apparent.
As an engineer and businesswoman, Murthy dug in, determined to find a solution. She left her prestigious corporate job at SLB and created a platform that helps professional women thrive and advance in the workplace.
Neeta Murthy launches Rekindle Global to disrupt corporate training for women
Under Murthy’s leadership and guidance, Rekindle Global offers a unique opportunity to women in today’s workplace. Corporate leadership training programs are typically crafted with the needs of the majority in mind, which, in the United States, is largely composed of men.
When women attend typical professional development sessions, they receive extensive training on how to be active listeners, better collaborators, and empathetic leaders. Ironically, women tend to already demonstrate these traits to a high degree.
“Women leaders have their own gifts and challenges in the corporate world,” notes Murthy. “For instance, many women are hampered in their professional growth by a tendency to be perfectionists. Others have difficulty delegating responsibility to the people reporting to them, and others still protect their teams rather than pushing them to deliver their peak performance. These challenges are wholly unaddressed by most training programs. To have equal opportunities, women need equally powerful training that equips them to face their own particular barriers to success.”
Murthy set out to design a program for the needs of aspiring female leaders. Instead of conventional event-based corporate training, she chose to explore a very different model. Where most employee training centers around a two-day workshop or week-long course, Rekindle offers a year’s worth of practice and guided action couched in a behavioral science-based approach.
“We designed Rekindle around a scientific approach proven to deliver results,” Murthy remarks. “Our lessons allow women to internalize the actionable training and then put it into practice through concrete behavior.”
Rekindle Global’s online format allows year-long professional training to fit conveniently into women’s busy schedules. The flexible format also enables companies to provide the program to all their women employees at the same time to strengthen internal cultures focused on diversity and build a steady pipeline of women leaders for their organization.
“Our program looks entirely different from any other offering in the sector,” says Murthy. “However, we are not simply disrupting to make waves. Our mission at Rekindle is to enhance the status quo and create workplaces that are more representative of the society we live in.”
For inspiration, Murthy often looks to one of her favorite disruptors. In the words of Amelia Earhart, “Decide whether or not the goal is worth the risks involved. If it is, stop worrying.”
Murthy has no doubt that her ultimate goal is worth the struggle. “On many occasions during this journey, I have felt threatened by seemingly insurmountable tasks, financial risks, failures, and nay-sayers,” she says. “Through all that, I remembered why I started and pushed forward. My goal has always been to help women achieve the respect they deserve and to help them thrive. We are creating a more diverse and robust pipeline of leaders who can drive growth and innovation. In light of that mission, all the bumps in the road become inconsequential.”
