Shruti Rustagi: Mindset Matters on How to Lead, Thrive, and Maximize Your Career - 073

In this inspirational episode of "Lunch with Leaders," Shruti Rustagi, leadership development expert and author of "Fearless Productivity," joins Adaeze Iloeje-Udeogalanya to discuss the mindset and strategies required for women in STEM to thrive as leaders. Key topics include overcoming the middle management trap, embracing fearless productivity, the importance of self-defined success, and actionable frameworks for shifting from expert to impactful leader. Who Is This For? This episode is ideal for women in STEM fields—particularly those at the mid-career or middle management level—who want to maximize their impact, transition into leadership roles, and redefine success on their own terms. It’s also highly relevant to corporate professionals, aspiring leaders, and anyone interested in leadership development, productivity, and personal growth. Key Moments Mindset Shift for Leaders: Shruti Rustagi explains the importance of shifting your mindset from proving your worth to knowing you belong at the table 00:00:00, 00:13:47. Maximizing Life, Not Just Career: Shruti Rustagi shares her philosophy of living a full, explored life rather than pursuing just one single path 00:03:28. Global Experience: The impact of living and working on three continents—India, Dubai, North America—on adaptability and learning 00:05:06. Biggest Middle Management Challenges: The transition from expert to leader—letting go of doing everything, becoming a delegator, and adopting a broad perspective 00:11:24, 00:12:30. Key Strategies for New Leaders: Focus on mindset, network-building, spending time talking to people, and learning the art of ruthless prioritization 00:13:40, 00:17:01. Fearless Productivity: The role of fear in driving overwork and perfectionism, and the importance of redefining productivity as effectiveness 00:20:02. Defining Success & The SAAF Framework: Success shouldn’t always mean climbing; use the SAAF (Skills, Aspiration, Alignment, Fit) framework to clarify your goals 00:24:38. Timestamps 00:00:00 Mindset shift for new leaders 00:03:28 Why maximize life and career? 00:05:06 Lessons from global moves 00:11:24 Challenges moving from expert to leader 00:13:47 Mindset and networking strategies 00:17:01 Ruthless prioritization explained 00:20:02 Fear’s role in productivity and perfectionism 00:24:38 The SAAF framework for defining success FAQs Q: What is the #1 thing new leaders in STEM must do? A: Shift their mindset from proving their worth to knowing they belong at the leadership table 00:00:00, 00:13:47. Q: How do you stop doing everything yourself as a leader? A: Focus on delegation, network within the organization, and spend proportionally more time talking and collaborating 00:14:26. Q: What causes burnout among high-achievers? A: Fear—of not belonging, disappointing others, or not being perfect—often drives overwork and burnout. Redefining success and productivity helps 00:20:02. Q: How can I define success for myself? A: Use the SAAF framework: clarify the Skills, Aspirations, Alignment with your values, and Fit with your life stage 00:24:38. Action Steps Shift Your Mindset: Embrace the idea that you belong in leadership and release the need to constantly prove your worth. Prioritize Ruthlessly: Identify the critical 20% of work that delivers 80% of the value, and focus your effort there 00:17:01. Build Networks: Spend significant time engaging your peers and teams to broaden your perspective and influence 00:14:42. Adopt the Infinite Game Approach: Redefine your career and life as a journey, not a competition 00:22:49. Clarify Success with SAAF: Determine what skills, aspirations, values, and lifestyle fits matter to you at this career stage 00:24:38. Connect with Shruti Online: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrutirustagi/ Website: https://shrutirustagi.com/ Book: https://shrutirustagi.com/fearless-productivity/