Ruchika T. Malhotra

A timely and transformative new framework for success from a sought-after strategist, speaker, and author The need to compete is deeply ingrained in every aspect of our lives and work. It's often viewed as a positive: we are told it motivates us to do our best, to work hard, that it drives innovation and excellence. But, what if that's a lie? What if in reality, competition causes more harm than good: exhaustion, anxiety, burnout, and an isolating lack of community. It encourages a scarcity mindset and keeps us from reaching our true potential. Drawing on Ruchika's own experiences working with corporations as a sought-after inclusion strategist, as well as interviews from business and community leaders and the latest research data, UNCOMPETE offers a new framework for building a culture of collaboration, solidarity, and mutuality. It's a framework that yields not only a happier workplace, but a far more successful one, and it can transform our work and our lives. From showing us how to tap into our benign envy, to investigate our cultural norms, to cultivate a greater imagination, and rewrite the rules to lift everyone up, UNCOMPETE is a radical reset of our mindsets. It helps us cultivate abundance, find genuine joy in others' victories, and embody the belief that there is room for all of us to succeed.

Build the career you want—on your terms."Where do you see yourself in five years?" This question can make even the most ambitious of us feel a little nauseous. Starting out in the working world is hard enough, but thinking long-term about our careers—and whether we even want a capital-C "Career"—can be daunting. Luckily, there are steps we can take to build careers that fit our individual interests, needs, and skills.Experience, Opportunity, and Developing Your Career is filled with practical advice from HBR experts who can help you answer questions like:Should I choose to follow my passion, my purpose, or my values?How will I know if a job is really right for me?What's the best way to use my network?How can I make big decisions about my career?This book will help you define the career that fits you, so you can align your passions and values with your daily work.Rise faster with quick reads, real-life stories, and expert advice. The HBR Work Smart Series features the topics that matter to you most in your early career, including being yourself at work, collaborating with (sometimes difficult) colleagues and bosses, managing your mental health, and weighing major job decisions. Each title includes chapter recaps and links to video, audio, and more. The HBR Work Smart Series books are your practical guides to stepping into your professional life and moving forward with confidence.

Build the career you want—on your terms."Where do you see yourself in five years?" This question can make even the most ambitious of us feel a little nauseous. Starting out in the working world is hard enough, but thinking long-term about our careers—and whether we even want a capital-C "Career"—can be daunting. Luckily, there are steps we can take to build careers that fit our individual interests, needs, and skills.Experience, Opportunity, and Developing Your Career is filled with practical advice from HBR experts who can help you answer questions like:Should I choose to follow my passion, my purpose, or my values?How will I know if a job is really right for me?What's the best way to use my network?How can I make big decisions about my career?This book will help you define the career that fits you, so you can align your passions and values with your daily work.Rise faster with quick reads, real-life stories, and expert advice. The HBR Work Smart Series features the topics that matter to you most in your early career, including being yourself at work, collaborating with (sometimes difficult) colleagues and bosses, managing your mental health, and weighing major job decisions. Each title includes chapter recaps and links to video, audio, and more. The HBR Work Smart Series books are your practical guides to stepping into your professional life and moving forward with confidence.

How organizations can foster diversity, equity, and inclusion: taking action to address and prevent workplace bias while centering women of color.Few would disagree that inclusion is both the right thing to do and good for business. Then why are we so terrible at it? If we believe in the morality and the profitability of including people of diverse and underestimated backgrounds in the workplace, why don't we do it? Because, explains Ruchika Tulshyan in this eye-opening book, we don't realize that inclusion takes awareness, intention, and regular practice. Inclusion doesn't just happen; we have to work at it. Tulshyan presents inclusion best practices, showing how leaders and organizations can meaningfully promote inclusion and diversity.Tulshyan centers the workplace experience of women of color, who are subject to both gender and racial bias. It is at the intersection of gender and race, she shows, that we discover the kind of inclusion policies that benefit all. Tulshyan debunks the idea of the “level playing field” and explains how leaders and organizations can use their privilege for good by identifying and exposing bias, knowing that they typically have less to lose in speaking up than a woman of color does. She explains why “leaning in” doesn't work—and dismantling structural bias does; warns against hiring for “culture fit,” arguing for “culture add” instead; and emphasizes the importance of psychological safety in the workplace—you need to know that your organization has your back. With this important book, Tulshyan shows us how we can make progress toward inclusion and diversity—and we must start now.

It's time for female leaders to stand out.Women often aren't seen for their leadership potential. We face a double bind, forced to choose whether to be liked or respected, while neither one alone is enough to secure a seat at the table. It's up to organizations to change, but until then, what's an aspiring female leader to do?You, the Leader tackles the obstacles you face as you chart your path to the top, from not getting credit for your work to feeling unseen to being subjected to unfair biases and expectations. Filled with advice, tips, and relatable conversations, this book will help you better understand how you can remain authentic while showing yourself as a valued leader in your organization.This book will inspire you to:See yourself as a leaderDevelop an executive voiceAdvocate for yourself and your workSupport the women around youThe HBR Women at Work series spotlights the real challenges and opportunities women experience throughout their careers. With interviews from the popular podcast of the same name and related articles, stories, and research, these books provide inspiration and advice for taking on topics at work like inequity, advancement, and building community. Featuring detailed discussion guides, this series will help you spark important conversations about where we're at and how to move forward.

How organizations can foster diversity, equity, and inclusion: taking action to address and prevent workplace bias while centering women of color.Few would disagree that inclusion is both the right thing to do and good for business. Then why are we so terrible at it? If we believe in the morality and the profitability of including people of diverse and underestimated backgrounds in the workplace, why don’t we do it? Because, explains Ruchika T. Malhotra in this eye-opening book, we don’t realize that inclusion takes awareness, intention, and regular practice. Inclusion doesn’t just happen; we have to work at it. Tulshyan presents inclusion best practices, showing how leaders and organizations can meaningfully promote inclusion and diversity. Malhotra centers the workplace experience of women of color, who are subject to both gender and racial bias. It is at the intersection of gender and race, she shows, that we discover the kind of inclusion policies that benefit all. Tulshyan debunks the idea of the “level playing field” and explains how leaders and organizations can use their privilege for good by identifying and exposing bias, knowing that they typically have less to lose in speaking up than a woman of color does. She explains why “leaning in” doesn’t work—and dismantling structural bias does; warns against hiring for “culture fit,” arguing for “culture add” instead; and emphasizes the importance of psychological safety in the workplace—you need to know that your organization has your back. With this important book, Malhotra shows us how we can make progress toward inclusion and diversity—and we must start now.

It's time for female leaders to stand out.Women often aren't seen for their leadership potential. We face a double bind, forced to choose whether to be liked or respected, while neither one alone is enough to secure a seat at the table. It's up to organizations to change, but until then, what's an aspiring female leader to do?You, the Leader tackles the obstacles you face as you chart your path to the top, from not getting credit for your work to feeling unseen to being subjected to unfair biases and expectations. Filled with advice, tips, and relatable conversations, this book will help you better understand how you can remain authentic while showing yourself as a valued leader in your organization.This book will inspire you to:See yourself as a leaderDevelop an executive voiceAdvocate for yourself and your workSupport the women around youThe HBR Women at Work series spotlights the real challenges and opportunities women experience throughout their careers. With interviews from the popular podcast of the same name and related articles, stories, and research, these books provide inspiration and advice for taking on topics at work like inequity, advancement, and building community. Featuring detailed discussion guides, this series will help you spark important conversations about where we're at and how to move forward.