How to Get Promoted Without Politics: Lead With Fairness & Build Trust | From a Woman to a Leader

Do you ever wonder: How do I stand out without playing politics or putting others down?
If you’re a woman in tech striving for promotions, visibility, and trust, this episode shows you how to lead with fairness and still grow your career.

🎧 In this conversation, I sit down with Soumyasree “Soumya” Vinod, Senior Engineering Manager at Workday, to unpack how fairness can be your leadership superpower. With nearly 25 years of experience across Workday, SAP, and Sybase, Soumya shares practical ways to reduce bias in decisions, build trust on remote teams, and advocate for quieter voices—all while empowering yourself to advance.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
• Daily practices to lead with fairness in hiring, promotions, and project opportunities
• How to balance self-promotion with empowering others
• Ways to reduce bias and make transparent, consistent decisions
• How to build trust across remote and cross-functional teams
• Why authenticity, humility, and fairness are the foundation of leadership success

Questions This Episode Answers:
• How can I get promoted without playing politics?
• What does fairness in leadership look like day-to-day?
• How do I advocate for myself without overshadowing others?
• How can I build trust with remote or global teams?
• How do I help quiet team members get recognized?

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⏱ Chapters
00:00 Fairness Is Smart Leadership
02:12 Soumya’s Journey: From Databases to Leadership
05:22 Why Fairness Is the Core of Leadership
08:27 Practical Steps to Reduce Bias
12:44 Aligning Standards Across Teams
15:23 Building Trust Across Remote Teams
20:00 Fairness as a Daily Practice
22:30 Advocating for Quiet Voices
27:06 Building Trust Without Daily Face Time
30:14 Final Advice: Authenticity, Consistency, Transparency
32:52 How to Connect With Soumya

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👤 Guest: Soumyasree Vinod
Senior Engineering Manager at Workday, with ~25 years of experience leading high-performing teams at Workday, SAP, and Sybase. Soumya is passionate about fairness, building inclusive teams, and helping others thrive in tech.

🔗 LinkedIn:   / soumyasreevinod