Your Power Quotient (PQ) is your ability to scan your mental chatter and intentionally choose an empowering response to a disempowering stimulus, such as your own voice of fear. This concept, coined by former IBM Vice President and TEDx speaker Shelmina Babai Abji, is a vital tool every woman needs.
“When you exercise your PQ, you never give your power away to any stimulus; you own it by intentionally choosing your response,” Abji explains. “Sitting in a meeting, witnessing a debate in my head about whether to speak up or not, I realized that fear and courage were voices in my head, but they were not me. I could intervene and manage these voices. I had the power to determine who won this debate. I spoke to my voice of fear: ‘Fear, I hear you loud and clear. I know you mean well and are trying to protect me. But this time I won’t let you stop me. The rewards of speaking up are life-changing. I must take this chance.’ My idea was well-received. I was creating value, and it was being noticed. That tiny moment taught me a powerful lesson: I owned the power to manage the voices in my head and intentionally choose an empowering response. This was the day I coined the term ‘Power Quotient.’”
Abji defied the odds as an immigrant of humble beginnings and a first-generation college graduate who rose to become one of the highest-ranking women of color at IBM. Her book, Show Your Worth: 8 Intentional Strategies for Women to Emerge as Leaders at Work, provides a proven blueprint to accelerate career success and fast track into leadership roles, especially for women underrepresented in their fields.
Abji is an author, board member, speaker, former IBM VP, angel investor, and distinguished alumna devoted to creating gender equality in leadership by helping career women emerge as leaders.
Her journey from humble beginnings in Tanzania to becoming one of the highest-ranking women of color at IBM is nothing short of inspirational. As the first college graduate in her family, she managed to rise to the top while raising two children as a single mother. Abji has led global teams and various businesses, delivering over $1 billion in revenues annually while maintaining high client satisfaction and team morale. At the peak of her career, she left IBM to pursue her passion for creating gender equality in leadership.
Shelmina now speaks at corporations, colleges, and conferences globally and has appeared at TEDx. She mentors hundreds of women and serves on the advisory board of Girl Up, a global leadership development initiative.