When I’m asked about the last two years of my career journey, the first thing that comes to mind is the people I’ve worked with and the impactful change we’ve made together. After four years in business operations at another tech company, I started thinking about how I could apply my leadership skills to a new challenge. After exploring a few different opportunities, I was introduced to a position with the Global Business Group team in India that aligned with my experience and interests in developing a team of client partners and client solution managers. I was struck by something else I discovered through my interactions with my Meta colleagues as well: an incredibly inclusive culture where it was clear that the team was intentional about empowering one another to grow.

Collaborating with a diverse group of people from unique backgrounds has been one of the most rewarding parts of my experience over the last two years with the company. I’ve also been inspired by observing how, despite the different paths people on my team have taken throughout their career journeys, we all share several key traits and skills: empathy, curiosity, authenticity and the ability to think ahead. Looking back, I’ve reflected on how each of these characteristics are helping to power our collective success.

Empathy not only helps me connect with my team, but it empowers us to build relationships with one another, the cross-functional partners we work with internally and our clients - advertisers across the travel, financial, media and professional services industries. Strong relationships enable us to establish a foundation of trust, facilitate open and honest conversations and see things from a perspective outside of our own.

This is especially important for my team. Our clients depend on us to advise on their advertising strategy, and in order to help them meet their goals, it’s critical that we understand who they are, what they’re doing and what matters most to their customers. With this, we must also recognize that there isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” approach. What works for one client won’t necessarily work for another, and solving problems often means working together to think about a creative idea we haven’t tried before. Having deep care for the end-user and being empathetic about their needs is a north star that helps us continuously strive for building the best experience possible.

At Meta, we’re on the frontier of inventing cutting-edge ways to develop new advertising solutions—and with that, we’re implementing methods we haven’t tried before. Innovation is a key element of our team and company culture, and introducing new ideas calls for deep curiosity. Rather than doing things as they’ve always been done, people who thrive on my team challenge each other to be bold, think bigger and share outside of the box ideas. We ask ourselves questions like, “What can we do for the client if we think beyond product or bandwidth constraints”, “What could this look like in the long-term?”, and “We might not have the skills internally to answer all of our client’s questions, but who can we partner with cross-functionally—or globally—to solve this problem?”

Curiosity also means being open to change, and it’s a trait I look for when meeting with potential team members. Outside the questions focused on skills, I usually ask potential candidates for their honest view on Meta technologies, what do we do exceptionally well and where we could do better as a company from their perspective. While we hire for specific roles, we leave space for people to help redefine their roles and take on new challenges as our work evolves. This not only empowers team members to employ their curiosity to explore different interests and possibilities, but to think more broadly about how to make the most meaningful impact.

Authenticity—bringing your full self to work—makes it possible to be open, transparent and vulnerable. In turn, we can communicate more effectively, foster strong relationships and lead by example. Having these capabilities is like having superpowers when collaborating cross-functionally, developing a team and working with clients.

Despite the incredible benefits of being authentic, I wasn’t always certain how to balance being my full self and showing up as a strong leader. I initially felt hesitant to share details about my life or talk about what mattered to me outside of work—and that prevented my team from being more open with me. At Meta, being authentic is at the heart of our culture. Leaders embrace transparency and demonstrate what it means to be open. Experiencing this has inspired me to rethink my own approach and grow.

Now, one of my favorite parts of the week is the first 15 minutes of our weekly team meeting. We talk about anything and everything—as long as it’s not work-related! This bonding time helps us learn more about one another. I’m proud of the relationship we’ve formed together, and they know I truly care about each of them. This comfort and connection extends to our work with clients as well, helping us bring a transparent, people-first approach to our work. We won’t suggest a product that doesn’t align with their goals just to fulfill ours, and we’ll be realistic when we need to think about changing course. While these authentic interactions may seem small, they make a big impact.

No two days are the same here, and we’re constantly thinking about what’s next. No matter a team member’s experience or role, having the ability to look ahead enables us to keep the big picture in mind and work toward longer-term goals. It also inspires us to be creative and start conversations about how small decisions today can contribute to what happens tomorrow.

Right now, we have a massive opportunity to shape the future and make an impact across India in the travel, financial, media and professional services industries. I often think about how this is the first time that India’s digital advertising industry has surpassed the TV industry, and how WhatsApp and Instagram have exploded in popularity over the last few years. The work we do with our clients is part of this shift in the way people consume advertising and media, and everyone on the team is able to drive change for the community. While we’ve already accomplished so much together, there’s still limitless opportunity to look forward to!