Book excerpt: This life was not supposed to be hers. No one that saw Raji Rajagopalan as a scrawny six-year-old motherless child living in a cramped flat would have thought that she'd one day become a leader at a top software company. Too many things were stacked against her. How did she get here? What does it take for a woman of color with a turbulent life to lead in the technology industry? How can YOU build a spectacular career for yourself, despite whatever challenges you are facing? In this book, Rajagopalan gives you her firsthand account of exactly that. She shares her stories of growing up with biases and becoming a leader in tech. She also shares her career lessons and practical tips, including how to calm your meeting jitters, how to deal with difficult people, how to make good career decisions, how to storytell at work, and why you should be more audacious in your career. Today Rajagopalan is a first-generation immigrant in America and a woman of color in technology. She has run teams of engineers across continents and built successful products despite being a 'misfit' in most corporate rooms. But she didn't start there. Success is possible no matter where you're from. With the right pointers and practices, we have it within us to dream big and lead fabulous lives.