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What does it take to break barriers as one of the first 300 women officers in the Indian Army? Major Pallavi Shivanna shares her remarkable journey from a small-town girl in Mysore to becoming an Army officer, leadership coach, and mental health advocate.

Growing up in a lower-middle-class family as the first graduate among her siblings, Pallavi's path was shaped by a TV serial that sparked her desire to wear a uniform. With characteristic determination, she navigated her way to the Services Selection Board interview in Allahabad—a two-day journey she undertook alone despite never having traveled so far before. Her authenticity during the interview secured her position, marking the beginning of a career that would challenge and transform her.

The challenges weren't primarily physical but mental and emotional. As one of the few women officers, she faced resistance from soldiers unaccustomed to taking orders from women. Rather than accepting this treatment, she directly confronted situations, learning that "unless you take charge of things in your life, how you want to be treated, the world will treat you."

Through career transitions, motherhood, and periods of self-doubt, Major Pallavi discovered the courage to seek professional help—a step she now advocates for others to take. "Seeking help is the most difficult thing, but it's the most courageous," she explains, working to remove the stigma around therapy. Her approach to mental clarity involves pausing to reflect, stepping back to analyze, and seeking guidance from mentors when needed.

Major Pallavi challenges us to reevaluate our perceptions of women in leadership. "We need to treat everybody as a human being first. I'm an individual first, my gender comes next," she asserts, advocating for financial empowerment and independence for women while also educating boys to respect strong, independent women.

As she prepares to launch her own organization focused on wellness, her message resonates with powerful simplicity: "Love yourself, accept yourself as you are, and never compare yourself to others. That's one of the wastiest things in the world because you're unique."

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