You know the work you put in. But do you know what people see when they decide whether to hire you, listen to you or trust you to lead?

Arundhati Bhattacharya joined SBI as a probationary officer and rose to become its first woman Chairperson. Across four decades, she experienced what it means to work under authority, challenge it and eventually hold it herself. In this conversation with Darshana Shah, she shares career lessons that go beyond working hard and doing your job well.

Why do good ideas fail to win support? What do others notice about you that you might never see yourself? And when you reach a position of power, will anyone still tell you the truth?

Arundhati speaks candidly about the feedback she initially dismissed, the recording that changed how she saw herself, and what she still had to learn after reaching the top. She also reflects on the personal cost of ambition and the choices she would make differently today.

If you’re working hard but wondering what needs to change for you to move forward, this conversation offers a place to begin.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• Why your reputation matters long before you’re considered for a bigger role

• The two qualities Arundhati looks for at the final interview stage

• How the way you lead can differ from how you think you come across

• When taking more time to decide becomes part of the problem

• How to challenge someone powerful without turning it into a confrontation

• Why doing everything yourself can limit what you achieve

• How biases you don’t recognise can shape your hiring decisions

• What Arundhati wishes she had protected while building her career

Watch the full episode of The Darshana Shah Show. Subscribe for more conversations about leadership, career growth and the decisions that shape our lives.