Meet Mahima Govil, the Director of Operations at Zyter|TruCare. She’s a calculated risk-taker, a creative thinker, and an organizational genius.
Mahima is always seeking meaning in her work and found her calling in digital health where she can have a positive effect on many people’s lives. With a strategic mind, she helps other leaders to reach their individual goals while always staying true to Zyter|TruCare’s mission.
Mahima graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 2014, with a degree in Economics concentrating on Finance, Operations & Information Management. Her talents led her to the Bay Area, where she began her career in tech at LinkedIn. In 2015, Mahima’s interest in entrepreneurial adventures moved her into the start-up scene where she got a taste of operations management.
Mahima shines brightest when she’s digging into the gritty details of organizational process and finding creative solutions that benefit all stakeholders.
Taking a Leap to Pursue Her Passion
The year 2020 presented unique challenges for everyone, and for Mahima, it surprisingly unlocked an occasion to slow down and dive into a passion she’d always harbored. “I hit a point in my career where I didn’t feel as fulfilled as I wanted to be” shares Mahima. Amid planning a wedding set for March 2020, she boldly decided to quit her job and embrace a thrilling new challenge.
“With the arrival of COVID, I took the opportunity to do some soul-searching. I made a complete pivot and enrolled in culinary school. It was a chance to reconnect with myself, a delightful period of self-reinvention in many ways.” Interestingly, Mahima’s shift during the pandemic was a reflection of a broader trend, with about 30% of people aged 18-39 considering or making a career change.
Cooking had always held a special place in Mahima’s heart, and she yearned to weave it more tightly into her life’s fabric. This decision ushered her into an unfamiliar but exciting scenario. “For the first time in my adult life, perhaps my whole life, I found myself in a room where I wasn’t the best at what I was doing. It was a bit disorienting and perplexing initially, but being the over-achiever I am, I knew I needed to turn things around,” she expresses.
She found a silver lining amidst this experience. Even though she wasn’t the best cook initially, she realized she could strive to be the best student. “I studied, practiced outside of school, tackled every extra credit project, delved into research, and deciphered the science behind culinary processes. By pushing myself out of my comfort zone, I felt like I genuinely earned my graduation from the program.”
Mahima’s extraordinary effort paid off, leading to her being featured in an article during her externship with William-Sonoma, showcasing four of her unique recipes. She successfully incorporated her Indian American heritage into her culinary creations. The director of William Sonoma’s test kitchen applauds, “Mahima was genuinely excited and remarkably organized,” attributes she consistently brings to every project she undertakes.
This introspective period sparked immense career growth and personal development in Mahima. It equipped her with greater clarity about her identity and capabilities. “I challenged myself to work as hard as I could, which reassured me that I wanted to continue doing just that. I also knew I wanted to apply my strengths in a role that could really leverage them, and that’s what brought me here,” she declares.
When Mahima embarked on her job search after culinary school, she acknowledged the robust career she had already built and desired to further it in a company she could truly believe in. Zyter|TruCare presented that opportunity, allowing her to resume her professional journey with a renewed sense of confidence, resilience, and adaptability.
A “Beginner’s Mindset” Is A Boon to Business Solutions
Mahima sees her role at Zyter|TruCare as a solver of puzzles, regardless of their size. “I have an interesting role. I don’t lead a team, but I work with every team leader and help them address whatever challenges they’re facing,” she says.
The mindset she applies to her work is Tabula Rasa or “blank slate.” She says, “Going into any new project, I just assume I know nothing.” This perspective allows her to concentrate on gathering information and building a relationship with the person she’s collaborating with, enabling her to best meet their needs.
A concept introduced to her by President and CEO Kevin Riley is the idea of a “beginner’s mindset,” which Mahima identifies within herself. The beginner’s mindset is a term derived from Zen Buddhism, which encapsulates the ability to perceive situations as if you’ve never encountered them before. This capacity to absorb information with a sense of novelty can assist industry veterans in creating superior and more effective solutions. “It’s like balancing your impostor syndrome and trying to turn that into something that could be an asset,” Mahima jests.
Mahima’s mindset is endorsed not only by her daily successes but also by thought leaders at Forbes who regard the beginner’s mindset as a boon to business solutions.
Setting her biases aside also enables her to leverage her other talents. “I don’t mind getting my hands dirty, and I think that’s something that I’ve gotten from my dad, just seeing him work. It’s so fascinating to see somebody lead a company of thousands of people and yet, they’re happy to sit in a room for however many hours and comb through spreadsheets,” she says fondly.
This dedication to the minor details is also an aspect she admires about Kevin Riley. Mahima mentions that he doesn’t view anything as beneath his pay grade, a trait she aspires to emulate. “I really enjoy any situation where I can help lead us through a mess,” she declares.
Mahima’s talent is adeptly harnessed in a complex and layered role where every detail is crucial to uncover, especially when managing the conflicting priorities of different teams. “I pride myself on being organized and I think that’s very key to my role as well, I’m always digging into the details.”
Pioneering Paths: Women Carving Their Own Ways in the Workplace
Mahima’s academic journey began at the Holton-Arms School. The institution’s indomitable motto, “I will find a way or make one,” has been her constant companion, influencing her outlook towards life’s varied situations. The strength and inspiration she draws from her alma mater’s mantra are profound, especially in the face of gender-induced uncertainties that often characterize career choices.
“The clear path doesn’t always present itself and we have to think more creatively. It can be easy to get overwhelmed by the obstacles we face,” Mahima articulates. But rather than being overwhelmed, she takes on each challenge head-on, considering all goals within reach, guided by her school’s inspiring motto.
Reflecting on her educational journey, she confesses, “I don’t even think I fully appreciated my school’s motto until I graduated, and it’s something that I find myself thinking about quite often.” This sentiment underscores the enduring influence of her formative years and the ever-present resonance of her school’s guiding words.
Accessible Leadership Makes a Difference
While many organizations tout their commitment to internal promotions and skills development, the representation of women in leadership roles often falls short of achieving gender equality in the workplace. This isn’t the case at Zyter|TruCare, where Mahima sees many women serving in leadership positions. This representation gives her confidence as she grows as a leader herself. “It’s nice to have a role model,” she mentions, “especially as I think about starting my own family one day.”
Mahima attributes a good deal of her success at Zyter|TruCare to the mentorship opportunities and the talented leadership team. The women in leadership at the company bring a wealth of knowledge, and they make the time and effort to support and learn from each other.
What sets Zyter|TruCare apart for Mahima is gender inclusivity. She shares her experience: “In other roles I’ve held, I was always very acutely aware of being a woman and I don’t feel that here. It sounds cheesy, but [being a woman] is not the most defining quality that I have here. And it’s nice that it’s just a part of my identity, but not the leading part of my identity.”
Mahima’s Advice to Other Women
“It might sound contradictory, but you should have hobbies and interests outside of work.” Mahima’s advice is right in line with recent studies, which say that hobbies and passions outside of work are extremely beneficial. In fact, extracurricular activities can even improve your performance at work. These benefits include reducing stress, increasing energy levels, fueling creativity, and boosting engagement and retention, says Harvard Business Review.
Some of Mahima’s passions are seemingly unrelated to work, but she finds that her attributes like creativity or detail-digging build on each other. “I love to cook. I love to read. I used to be a big singer, and having these talents and hobbies outside of work is just important.” No matter what you are putting your mind to, taking time to pursue something outside of work is enriching for all parts of your life, personal and professional. “On an emotional level, I think creativity is something that I use a lot. I would say I flex that muscle even more so outside of the workplace.”
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