Every month we ask an emerging leader we admire to share what she is doing to take the lead in her career. We invite her to share how she achieved her current position, what obstacles she encountered on her climb, as well as tips for how to be a rising woman of influence.

This month we shine the Emerging Leader Spotlight on Trupti Patil, Firmware Engineer with SanDisk Corp.

Favorite leadership quote: “Nothing will work unless you do.” – Maya Angelou

Why did you choose your current career path?

My decision to enter the field of firmware engineering came about after much trial and error, and introspection. I had been doing well professionally, yet I was yearning for more challenging and gratifying opportunities. However, I was unable to put a finger on what that new role would be. Remarkably, and unknown to me all this while, I had amassed the technical qualities and knowhow of a firmware engineer over the years through academic research and professional experience. It was just a matter of connecting the dots between what I enjoy doing, what I am good at and my pertinent experience.

What is the most important thing you have learned that has been critical to your career success?

The only constant in high-tech industry is its ever-changing nature. New technologies are born, they mature and are eventually replaced by even newer technologies. There is a continuous need to innovate, hone expertise and learn new things. At the risk of sounding clichéd, I have found adaptability and agility to be the most important value throughout my engineering career. It has helped me adjust and prepare better for a multitude of transitions that I have gone through in last few years, from switching companies to changing job functions.

What steps are you currently taking to improve yourself, professionally?

I’ve been incorporating creative thinking into the standard analytical approach to problem solving in engineering; A few fantastic references, which I often turn to for guidance, are Steven Pressfield’s “The War of Art” and “Lateral Thinking” by Edward de Bono. This method has helped me uncover problems that I otherwise could not have perceived, and devise efficient solutions for them.

And, through the years I have come to realize that balancing goals with inner peace is hard to achieve, but worth pursuing.

What is the next step you plan to take in your career to develop your leadership skills?

In the next few years, I want to actively seek opportunities that allow me to participate in strategic decision-making to define our technology and product road maps. I plan on keeping abreast with market dynamics, projecting trends, and developing a vision for future product needs. It is worth repeating that cultivation of soft skills is key to a stand-out leadership. So I strive to be a better listener, collaborator and motivator every day.

Connect with Trupti Patil on LinkedIn.