How did a woman of color who grew up in poverty in Tanzania overcome leadership self-doubt and go on to become a tech leader and Vice President at IBM, even though she was a single mother and battled imposter syndrome?







She changed her mindset and found her voice.







When Shelmina Abji started her career, she struggled with negative mental chatter and fear of speaking up due to self-doubt. She learned to recognize this as the "voice of fear" and to amplify her "voice of courage.”







This gave her empowering reasons to overcome leadership self-doubt and take action.







If you want to build your skills and competencies to advance your leadership and career, but you have negative mental chatter, fear of speaking up, and want to overcome leadership self-doubt. You will love this compelling interview.







Join me and Shelmina today in one of my most important and impactful interviews. You will get actionable tips for any leader to advance, especially if you are in tech, are a person of color, or have negative self-talk. 















Shelmina Babai Abji

TEDx speaker | Former IBM Vice President | Angel Investor | Author of Show Your Worth









Shelmina Babai Abji: A Journey of Empowerment







Shelmina is a renowned speaker, author, and former IBM VP who has dedicated her life to fostering gender equality in leadership. From humble beginnings in Tanzania, she embarked on a journey to break barriers and create opportunities for herself and others.







Starting her career as an underrepresented woman in the male-dominated tech industry, Shelmina rose through the ranks, becoming one of the highest-ranking women of color at IBM. Her leadership transformed teams and businesses, delivering over $1 billion in annual revenues and fostering high client satisfaction and team morale.







Driven by her passion for gender equality, Shelmina now speaks at global platforms, including TEDx, and mentors women to achieve their full potential. She serves on the advisory board of Girl Up, a global initiative empowering girls to lead the charge for gender equality.







With computer science and mathematics degrees, Shelmina is a product of extensive leadership training at IBM and Harvard, positioning her as a sought-after expert in leadership and empowerment.























Women’s Leadership Success #130 Summary: How to Overcome Leadership Self-Doubt









* Overcoming poverty and pursuing education.12:07



* Shelmina shares her inspiring journey from humble beginnings in Tanzania to becoming a successful author and leader.







* Determined to lift her family from poverty, she led them to pursue higher education in India and the US despite financial challenges.











* Overcome leadership self-doubt and fear of speaking up in the workplace.16:42



* Shelmina shares her story of overcoming mental chatter and imposter syndrome to pursue a career in...