Author: Nirupama Subramanian

“You are so lucky,” grumbled an acquaintance at a party. “No commute, no boss, no office politics. I would love to lounge around in pajamas and work when I want and how I want.” “It is not that easy,” I protested but he was carried away by his own misery and refused to believe me.   I work from home. The key word is WORK but what...

“It is not fair”, grumbled the ambitious young manager after a Leadership workshop I had conducted. “I am too scared to compliment the boss but my female co-workers happily praise her sari, her new haircut and her choice of lipstick. I think I am losing out! What can I say which will not get me slapped or sued?”   “Just tell her that she has lost weight....

Novels about women and their lives, usually tend to be worthy tomes, the narratives laced with suffering and struggle. Most of the men are weak or villainous. The women have to draw upon their reserves of strength and courage to overcome never-ending challenges. I have cheered for these women and have been moved by them but rarely smiled while reading.   In her recent book, ‘The Weight...

This morning’s newspaper informs me that the chief judicial magistrate of Gurgaon is being questioned in connection with the murder of his wife. Incidents of spouses killing each other are not new but what shocked me was the report that this young wife was shot because she failed to produce a male heir after giving birth to two girls. Like many such cases, the truth...

A few months ago, I was conducting a leadership workshop with senior managers of a large bank. We were doing a session on Relationship Networks. Each person was asked to map out all ‘relationships’ – the people at work and outside who contributed to their success on the job and examine the nature of their relationships with them. I was happy to note that many...

The Board examination results are out and a fresh batch of youngsters are scurrying around for college admissions. Every year when I see the news about cut-off percentages for colleges and all India ranks, I recall my own examinations. I was one of those good studious girls who worried about marks and ranks. I cried for a whole day because I had erroneously left out...