She makes success sound so easy. Musharaf Hai, chairperson and CEO, Unilever, Pakistan, is sassy, sexy and successful. As the first woman chairperson of Unilever, she is currently also the only woman in Pakistan to head a multinational company

Discipline, good behaviour and cultural values are the key to a good upbringing

My parents worked hard and made sure we three sisters went to the best of schools but never made any demands, never pushed us for anything. All my friends - male and female - came home and we were encouraged to be upfront about all we did. The important thing was I could be myself in front of my parents. At the same time, we respected their values and they, our space.

Parental support is so important
Since I come from a middle-class family, we found the expenses (of my studying abroad) daunting, but not impossible. It was my mother who saw to it that I got my education at the London School of Economics (LSE). My father was a bit worried about the expenses but Mom said, "As long as we can finance the first year, I'm sure she'll find ways to finance the rest."

Intellectual stimulation makes up for the lack of material comfort
LSE was vibrant, stimulating and so international. It was not just Pakistanis and Indians clinging together, but so many different nationalities. I worked summers and winters. I learnt to live on a shoestring budget. The first winter, I didn't have a coat but that was fine. It did not matter. All that mattered was that I was in this invigorating place and needed enough money to buy toothpaste for the next week. I was studying developmental economics, sociology and international relations. I was naïve and eager to learn. I don't think I was a smart person, but I had common sense. I became smarter much later - when I had to make choices.

Instinct and common sense go a longer way than hard facts
I knew I could make it to the top of an operating company anywhere in the world since I was already a director for four years. The timing surprised me though. Pakistan is considered a medium-sized company and I thought, I would do a small size somewhere and come back. Sometimes, there is no rationality in the way things turn out.

For instance, I got into this job at least two years ahead of its time and in very strange circumstances. I became the chairperson in July 2001 and two months later, we had 9/11. The whole operating world had changed drastically. I was new and had to manage a situation that was bizarre. Pakistan was in the eye of the whole conflict. The experience taught me things, which I might have otherwise taken longer to learn. It taught me to trust my instinct, apply common sense and not just go by hard analysis and facts.

Intuition comes from collective knowledge and experience
People often have intuition but don't use it. For me, risk-taking is about running with intuition. In the last few years, my role has become more challenging; it has more dilemmas and therefore, is more exciting. It's about the maybes, the chances and the decisions... It's about managing teams on whom we rely for delivery. In the last few years, we've had to deliver amidst regional conflicts, internal terrorism, etc.

Doing the right thing is liberating
I have to often take some hard decisions and tell people the truth, regardless of how harsh it may sound. Being upfront, I feel, is a good path to take.

Mentoring is as important as achieving your own goals
For a long time, I used to only think of my goals and my achievements, but now I realise the importance of helping others reach their goals. Mentoring is important. When I asked Chandrababu Naidu how he was able to achieve so much growth and success for his state, he said he did it 'by motivating his people'. I can understand that because my team too, needs that kind of motivation. We don't need to know the what; we need to know the how. That means empowerment, ownership, and then delivery of results.