BT Most Powerful Women: Women leaders redefine success, embracing change, empathy, AI to drive industries forward

 

At the 22nd edition of the Business Today Most Powerful Women event, a dynamic panel titled "Clicks, Care, Concrete & Chic" brought together some of India’s most influential women leaders from the digital, beauty, retail, real estate, and social impact ecosystems. Hosted by Aabha Bakaya, the session explored how these powerful women are transforming industries, overcoming challenges, and shaping the future with their leadership.

Instead of focusing solely on the hurdles they've faced, the conversation shifted to their strengths and the strategies they've used to propel their companies forward. Here's a look at the insights shared by these trailblazing leaders.

Harnessing the Power of Dual-Brain Thinking

Gunjan Soni, Country MD of YouTube India, kicked off the discussion by highlighting one of her key strengths as a leader: the ability to use both the left and right sides of the brain effectively. "I think that is a superpower that I hope more and more of not just women, but men and everyone embraces," she said. "The future world, especially with Gen AI, is such that we need to embrace the full power of our brain, left or right, all put together," Soni emphasised. She highlighted how blending data-driven insights with intuition can lead to better decision-making, a skill she believes is crucial for successful leadership.

Empathy: The Natural Edge of Women Leaders

Geetika Mehta, MD of Nivea, offered a fresh perspective, emphasising the power of empathy in leadership. "Empathy helps us better attune ourselves to what the organisation and teams need," Mehta explained. She stressed that organisations thrive when leaders understand their people and can create an environment that fosters the best in them. "Every organisation is just a summation of the people there. If you're able to get the best out of them, then you really have the best organisation," she said.

Mehta also acknowledged the distance yet to be covered for women in leadership, noting, "We are so under-indexed compared to the potential that we can really bring alive."

Overcoming Life's Challenges to Drive Growth

Nandita Sinha, CEO of Myntra, shared her personal journey, pointing out that life’s changing phases often present challenges for women in leadership. "As you go through different life state changes... sometimes even now, for both genders, you are having to change cities, take care of parents or children," she said. She emphasised the importance of organisations supporting women during critical life stages. "If you're not conscious about it, you can spend 2 years with a very good ratio at the top, and then suddenly you're staring at similar faces in the room," Sinha added, stressing the need for proactive efforts to maintain diversity.

Building Diverse, Multi-Generational Teams

Pushpa Bector, Senior Executive Director of DLF, spoke about the changing dynamics in the retail and real estate sectors. “Retail requires one thing: constant change. Women have an ability to capture that change more effectively than men,” Bector said, highlighting how retail is increasingly becoming a women-centric industry. She pointed out that DLF has achieved a 25% female-to-male ratio in its workforce.

Bector also emphasised the importance of empathy for women in their 30s, a crucial decade for women juggling career and family responsibilities. "It's in their 30s that women tackle the toughest challenges,” she said, stressing the need for organisations to offer more support to women during this phase.

Embracing Challenges to Unlock Growth

Dr Payal Kanodia, Chairperson of M3M Foundation, shared her belief in the value of challenges as a driver of growth. Reflecting on her early days in the male-dominated real estate industry, she said, "There was a point that I had to prove, which wasn’t easy because things didn't come easy." Kanodia explained that multitasking and decision-making, inherent qualities in women, are key to overcoming these hurdles. "Women can do wonders in life, beat all challenges across,” she added.

Drawing inspiration from her father’s advice, Kanodia noted, “Make a decision first, and then prove that the decision you took back then is right by making it come true.”

Looking Ahead: Ambitious Goals and Bold Dreams

As the discussion turned to future goals, the leaders shared their ambitions for the year ahead. Soni, speaking passionately about the need for big dreams, said, "Dreaming is underrated, and patience is overrated." She encouraged others to dream bigger, not just for themselves, but for society as a whole.

Mehta’s mantra for the next year was simple but powerful: “Believe in yourselves.” She emphasised the importance of inspiring others to have faith in their capabilities and reach their goals.

For Sinha, disruption and change remained at the core of her leadership goals. “How do we keep disrupting ourselves? How do we believe in escape velocity?” she said. Sinha also emphasised the importance of learning, particularly in the context of AI, and the value of investing in one’s health.

Bector spoke about expanding horizons and embracing the Gen Z workforce. "I want to widen my horizon, really think beyond Delhi and CR, look at the west, south for opportunities," she said. Her goal was also to integrate more AI into the real estate industry, fostering a younger and more diverse team.

Kanodia, reflecting on her purpose, concluded with a powerful message: "I think I'm meant to serve people, serve this planet, serve humanity." She emphasised shedding old habits and focusing on growth with a higher purpose.