Map Your
Ascent

Embracing Change as Your Leadership Superpower

Change is not a detour — it is your leadership edge. A field guide for executives, engineers, and rising leaders learning to navigate disruption on purpose.

N S W E Map Your Ascent — book cover by Ashwini Balasubramanian
Begin the ascent
Hear from Ashwini

Change isn't something that happens to you.
It's something you learn to lead with.

Watch Ashwini share the idea behind the book — and why she wrote it for leaders who are already in the arena.

Ashwini Balasubramanian · VP R&D, 3M · Author, Map Your Ascent

01 — The Book

Change isn't something you survive.
It's something you map.

Most leadership advice tells you to brace for change. Map Your Ascent argues the opposite: the leaders who rise fastest are the ones who learn to harness change.

Drawing on 23 years rising through some of the most demanding environments in corporate America — from engineering floors to the executive suite — Ashwini Balasubramanian lays out a practical, three-part framework for leading through disruption without losing yourself in it.

This isn't theory. It's a field-tested approach from a career executive who has navigated reorganizations, market shifts, and her own ascent — and now mentors others doing the same.

  • How to ascend in corporate without burning out or selling out
  • How to make tough calls in turbulent times without sacrificing your values
  • How to build influence through generosity when everyone else is playing politics
  • How to pair bold strategy with disciplined, accountable execution
  • How to harness change as your superpower without losing your team's trust
N01

Personality

Know the instincts you lead with by default — and recognize the moment they need to flex.

E02

Perspective

Widen the lens before you widen the title. See change as terrain to read, not a threat to weather.

S03

Presence

Show up with enough clarity and consistency that your voice doesn't need volume to carry.

02 — Praise for the Book

Endorsed by leaders who've made the climb.

Map Your Ascent is deeply human and profoundly practical. Through the 3P Framework, she shows how belonging, belief systems, and presence shape the way we lead — especially in moments of uncertainty.

Joe FadoolPresident & CEO, BorgWarner

This is not a loud or prescriptive book. It is grounded, reflective, and deeply practical — the kind that speaks to you in moments of transition.

R. MadhavanActor & Director

Ashwini's purposeful career decisions and thoughtful reflections will help you map your personal path. It gives you a framework to remain aligned to your goals and motivations.

Rachel HutterHead of Operations, Disney Studios

Delivers more than inspiration — it gives leaders practical tools to turn real-world change into thoughtful, confident action.

Marissa WestExecutive VP, OP Mobility

An insightful read that makes leadership lessons eminently relatable. She distills her journey into a practical framework for navigating change.

Aditya KheraCEO, BMW TechWorks India

Through her 3P Framework — Personality, Perspective, and Presence — she offers a rare look at the grit required to navigate global career pivots while staying rooted in one's values.

Cheryl ThompsonFounder & CEO, CADIA
Ashwini Balasubramanian
VP, R&D · 3M
03 — The Author

Ashwini Balasubramanian

Engineer → Executive → Author

23 Years in Corporate Leadership 2025 Reuters Automotive Woman of the Year 2025 U-M Engineering Alumni of the Year President, Nonprofit Board — +35% Net Income

Ashwini spent 23 years rising through some of the most demanding environments in corporate America before landing as VP of R&D at 3M. Map Your Ascent, her debut book, is built around one idea: change isn't something you survive — it's something you harness to map your ascent.

She's a commencement speaker at her alma mater, the University of Michigan, and President of a nonprofit she helped grow by 35% in net income during one of the hardest fundraising climates in recent memory. Unlike most people who talk about leadership, Ashwini isn't a coach building a business off the back of a book — she's a career executive and mentor who wants more people to thrive through change by harnessing it as a superpower.

Off the page, she's grounded by her husband Ravi and their children, Rithi and Shiv — and recharges with Indian film music, spontaneous dancing, and a good book. That same blend of ambition and authenticity runs through everything she writes.

04 — In Her Words

Recent conversations & features

Talks, podcasts, and panels on leadership, change, and rising without losing yourself.

Reader review: Vince Sanderson shared his take on Map Your Ascent on LinkedIn.

Read it on LinkedIn →
05 — Connect

Your ascent begins here.

Trust your voice before your environment validates it. Get occasional notes on leadership, change, and the climb — plus first word on new talks and features.