On Sept. 16 more than 700 students and alumni crowded into the first event of the fall semester’s VIP Distinguished Speaker Series , featuring McCombs Dean Tom Gilligan’s interview with PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Indra K. Nooyi.

Nooyi, often cited by business magazines as one of the world’s most powerful women, shared insights about working and leadership. “The lessons I learned from my first job carry through with me even today.”

1. Sweat the details
Fresh out of business school in India, Nooyi landed a job as product manager for a textile company. She arrived to find no manual or training program, only a cabinet full of fabric swatches, books and files. Nooyi spent that first week as a cleaner, filer and organizer. “If you don’t stress the details, if you don’t organize yourself before you start anything, it’s not going to work,” she said.

2. Be a student
Nooyi then “went to school” to learn about textiles. She spent 10 days in the mill learning every facet of the business. “Go deep before you go wide, because if you don’t understand every aspect of the job from the ground up, you can never be a credible leader,” Nooyi said.

3. Do the job you’ve got
Focus on performing well in the job you have, instead of campaigning for the job two levels above you. “Once you do that job very well, you’re also thinking about how this job interacts with every other function around you.…I was always looking to see the impact of my work on the rest of the company.”

4. Find your “core horsepower”
“Decide what you want to focus on, be very, very good at it and be a lifelong student,” Nooyi said.

5. Be courageous
“A lot of people [are] brilliant,” said Nooyi, but “if you don’t have the courage to speak up, it doesn’t matter.”

6. Be true to yourself
As a graduate student on a meager budget, Nooyi bought a pair of ill-fitting trousers and donned snow boots for her first job interview. Knowing that wasn’t working, she sought advice and wore her sari for a second interview. She was offered both positions. “If you act true to yourself and be who you are … doors open for you.”

7. Leadership is about the whole person
Lead with intellect and humanity. Get to know your team as individuals and share your own vulnerability. “I have kids, I have a husband, I have work-life issues,” Nooyi said. “Why do I come to work and pretend that I’m absolutely perfect? I come to work and I say, ‘I had a scrap with my husband, I need 15 minutes to cool off.’ Everybody knows [I’m] a person, too.”

Watch the full video of Gilligan's interview with Nooyi:

Watch the highlights from Nooyi's talk: