Welcome to the Deep Dive. Today, we're really
excited to explore a path to unleashing your
full leadership potential. We'll be drawing insights
from someone truly remarkable. Aisha Khan. Yeah,
Aisha Khan. Her story and perspective are quite
powerful. If you haven't come across her work,
she's currently the CISO and CIO at Treasure
Data. So chief information security officer and
chief information officer. Double duty, which
is impressive in itself. Exactly. And she has
over 20 years in IT and security, mostly Fortune
500 companies. She's really known for. Aligning
strategy with agile execution. And building functions
from the ground up. That's a key skill. Definitely.
Beyond the titles, she's also an advisor, an
investor in early stage startups, and a very
passionate DEIB executive. DEIB, diversity, equity,
inclusion, and belonging. She seems to genuinely
connect the dots between people, purpose, and
performance. That's the perfect way to put it.
So our mission here today is to kind of distill
the core insights from her journey, her teachings.
We want to help you figure out how to foster
your own growth professionally, yes, but personally,
too. Right. This isn't just a checklist for climbing
the ladder. It's deeper. It's about that inward
journey to really create outward impact. Ready
to dive in. Let's do it. OK, so Aisha emphasizes
two really critical elements for unlocking potential
exposure and role models. As we unpack this,
maybe take a second, you know, just think, who
comes to your mind when you hear role model?
It's interesting how she frames exposure. It's
not just about what you do. Critically, it's
about what you witness. Witness. How so? Well,
it's about seeing the sheer range of possibilities
out there. The more you observe, the more different
paths and outcomes you experience, even vicariously.
The better you understand what's actually achievable
for yourself. Exactly. It broadens your horizons,
fuels aspiration. You start thinking, huh, maybe
that's possible for me too. Okay, that makes
sense. And then role models. This is where she
kind of flips the script a bit, right? She really
does. She challenges the whole idea of, you know,
idolizing them, putting them on a pedestal. Which
is what most of us tend to do, I think. Right.
But she suggests thinking of them more like mirrors.
Mirrors. They reflect qualities you might already
have, maybe dormant, or qualities you deeply
aspire to develop. So when you admire something
in someone else, that admiration often points
to something within your own soul that wants
to grow. So it's less, I want to be them, and
more, what they have resonates with something
in me. Precisely. It's a glimpse of your own
potential reflected back. That's a powerful reframe.
But, you know, is there still value in having
someone truly aspirational, maybe someone who
does feel a bit on a pedestal to strive towards?
How do you balance that? That's a great point.
And I think Aisha wouldn't say don't admire or
don't aspire. It's about how you use that admiration
instead of just outward focus. I want that title
they have. It's about internalizing it. OK, I
admire their strategic thinking. How can I cultivate
that specific quality within myself? I see. So
the focus shifts inward. Exactly. And her own
background really highlights this. Growing up
in Karachi, Pakistan. Well. The opportunities
for women were frankly limited back then. So
her initial exposure, her access to the diverse
role models was quite constrained. Hugely. Imagine
starting from that point, seeing limited possibilities,
yet still having this inner drive, this fire
for something more. That fire. She'd argue that
was the reflection, something already inside
her pushing against those limits. That seems
to be exactly her point. That inner spark was
evidence of potential, even when the external
world didn't fully reflect it yet. Which brings
us to this really pivotal moment in her life,
a major turning point. Yeah, around age 30, maybe
32, after her second daughter was born. This
is where the inward journey really kicks into
high gear, right? Absolutely. She talks about
having achieved, you know, what looks like success
from the outside, good job, family, support system.
Material comfort, check. Check. But there was
this feeling, an unfulfilled sense. Something
wasn't quite clicking on a deeper level. That
feeling a lot of people probably recognize. I
think so. And that feeling sparked this really
intentional journey of self -discovery, turning
inward. How did she approach that? What did she
actually do? She's very open about it. She sought
therapy, which is huge, found community support,
really committed to practices like meditation
and reflection. Taking the time to actually look
inside. Yes. And through that process, she had
this major realization. Which was? That what
she'd been seeking externally, validation, maybe
fulfillment, purpose. was actually within her
all along. Wow. So the key wasn't out there.
It was in here. That's the core of it. She stopped
chasing external things and started cultivating
her internal landscape. And that, paradoxically,
changed everything externally. Okay. Let's connect
that inward shift to her career. Yeah. Because
the growth was, well, explosive. It really was.
She went from senior manager, skipping titles
like head of security, director, straight to
CISO, and then added CIO. That kind of jump is
highly unusual. Most people would attribute that
to sharp elbows or relentless networking. Right.
The conventional explanations. But Aisha points
to two different things. Things that grew from
that inner work. What are they? First, intention
of energy. And second, investing in others. Okay.
Intention of energy. What does that mean in practice?
It means being incredibly deliberate about where
you focus your mental and emotional resources.
Once she got clear internally, her energy wasn't
scattered chasing approval or the next rung.
It was focused on her purpose, on what truly
mattered. So less wasted effort, more directed
impact. Exactly. That inner clarity made her
actions more potent, more visible, almost effortlessly,
and investing in others. How does that fit in?
Seems almost counterintuitive if you're trying
to climb fast. But it flows naturally from that
clarity. When you're secure in your own mission,
you genuinely want to lift others up. Mentoring,
sharing knowledge, supporting colleagues. It
wasn't transactional networking for her. It was
about contribution. Yes. Building genuine connections,
strengthening the whole team, the whole organization.
And that kind of leadership, that kind of impact,
it gets noticed. It attracts opportunity. So
the outcome of all this inner work. It was clarity,
purpose, this feeling of alignment. And feeling
genuinely fulfilled, energized, not drained by
the climb. And this shift from chasing to attracting
opportunities. That's a fundamental change in
approach. Completely. This really challenges
how we typically think about success, doesn't
it? We're often so focused on titles. Getting
to the C -suite, getting a board seat. That traditional
linear path. Yeah. But Aisha proposes something
different. She does. She talks about creating
a portfolio of impact. Portfolio of impact. I
like that phrase. What does it mean? It shifts
the goalposts. Instead of just aiming for a specific
title, you focus on building a diverse body of
work, a collection of contributions that genuinely
matter to you and have a positive effect. So
it's broader than just your main job title. Much
broader. Yeah. It's about the sum of your impact
across different areas. And look at her own portfolio.
It's not just CSO and CIO. Right. She's also
an author. an advisor to multiple startups, an
investor, a speaker, an executive coach, a life
coach. And importantly, she integrates being
a mother and a wife into that picture, too. Exactly.
It's a testament to living a really multifaceted
life, not trying to squeeze yourself into one
box. Which she argues is what we often do, right?
We limit ourselves. We do. We have all these
gifts, these interests, but we feel we have to
pick one path, one label. And that, she says,
actually shrinks our potential. Instead of expanding
it. Yes. She suggests we can, in a way, have
it all, but not in that old, frantic, juggling
way. More in an integrated, authentic, nonlinear
way. Which brings us to that classic struggle,
work -life balance. Ah, yes. The eternal quest.
Usually pictured as these two separate bubbles,
right? Personal life here, professional life
there, constantly trying to keep them balanced,
not letting one pop the other. It feels like
walking a tightrope, doesn't it? Totally. But
Aisha offers a different way to think about it.
A pretty revolutionary one, actually. Instead
of balance, she talks about alignment. Alignment,
not balance. What's the core difference? Balance
implies separation and potential conflict. Two
things you have to keep in check against each
other. Alignment implies integration, synergy.
So how does she achieve alignment? She talks
about actively merging those bubbles. She doesn't
see herself as either a mother -wife or a CIO
advisor, rather. She is... All of those things.
They're not competing. They're integrated aspects
of her whole self. When things are aligned with
her core purpose, her core values, they don't
feel like separate burdens pulling her in different
directions. They become part of a cohesive whole.
Exactly. Alignment is the key. Bringing your
whole authentic self to everything you do. Okay,
alignment sounds fantastic. But, you know, the
big question is how? How do we actually get there?
Right. It's not just a switch you flip. Aisha
lays out a practical blueprint. Three core steps.
Let's hear them. Clarity, mission, and strategy.
Clarity, mission, strategy. Okay, let's start
with clarity. Clarity is all about understanding
your why. Not just the surface why, like I want
this job title. Yeah. But the why behind the
why. Digging deeper. What truly motivates you?
Yes. What's the fundamental reason driving your
actions? She stresses that when you get clear
on that reasoning, it changes everything. The
external results, the promotions, the success,
they become almost a byproduct. A byproduct of
being aligned with your deep why. Precisely.
Okay, step two. Mission. Mission is about defining
your core value proposition to the world. How
do you uniquely contribute? How do you figure
that out? That sounds big. She offers four really
helpful questions to decode it. Ask yourself.
One, what comes naturally to me? Okay, things
that feel effortless. Yeah. Two, what are my
genuine strengths? Three, what truly brings me
joy? Joy is important. Crucial. And four, what
keeps me going when things get tough? What fuels
my resilience? Naturalness, strength, joy, resilience.
When you can answer those, she says, and you
start operating from that space, playing to your
strengths, you become, in her words, unbeatable.
Because you're working with your nature, not
against it. Exactly. You're tapping into your
unique, authentic power source. Okay, so we have
clarity on the why, mission on the what's and
how. What's the third step? Strategy is about
finding frameworks that help you put it all together,
frameworks that resonate personally. And the
one she often highlights is the Japanese concept
of ikigai. Ah, ikigai. I've heard of that. It's
about finding your reason for being, right? That's
a good way to put it. It's basically finding
that sweet spot where different aspects of your
life and work intersect harmoniously. Can you
break down how Ikigai works? What are the components?
Sure. Think of it as four overlapping circles
or four key questions. First, what do you love?
This taps into your passion and your mission.
Okay, what you love. Got it. Second, what does
the world need? This connects your mission to
your vocation, how you can serve. Or what the
world needs, right. Third, what can you be paid
for? This links your vocation to your profession,
practical realities. The economic aspect. Makes
sense. And fourth, what are you naturally good
at? This connects your profession back to your
passion, your inherent talents. Love, need, paid
for, good at. Exactly. An icky guy, that sweet
spot, lies right in the middle at the intersection
of all four. That's where it all comes together.
That's where you find your purpose, unlock your
deepest strengths, and really, as Aisha puts
it, get your engine going. It provides a map
for aligning your life and work. It's a really
compelling framework. Clarity, mission, strategy.
using Ikigai, it feels actionable. It does. It
moves these ideas from abstract concepts to something
you can actively work on. So wrapping this up,
if we had to boil down the core message from
Aisha Khan's experience, what would it be? I
think it's that the outward journey, career success,
impact, whatever that looks like for you, it
genuinely has to start with that transformative
journey inward. You can't bypass the inner work?
It seems not. Not if you want sustainable, fulfilling
success. And when you shift your focus, when
you stop chasing the external markers like money
or titles. And focus instead on impact, fulfillment,
living your mission, using your strengths. Then
those external things tend to follow naturally.
They become byproducts of living an aligned life.
It's about attracting, not chasing. That's such
a profound shift. It really changes the game.
It really does. A final thought maybe for everyone
listening, drawing from Aisha's insights. Think
about those role models again. Who are the people
reflecting back parts of your own unfulfilled
potential? What are those qualities you admire?
And then how can you use that awareness, maybe
starting today, not waiting for tomorrow, to
intentionally design your own unique portfolio
of impact? Not just a career, but a whole life
of impact. It's about taking ownership of that
design. And remembering, as Aisha's journey shows
us, with that clarity, that alignment, and importantly,
self -love and acceptance, your potential is
truly boundless.