Women are increasingly taking leadership roles across sectors. From community initiatives to large organisations, women leaders are shaping change and creating meaningful social impact. During the panel discussion titled “Social Impact for Women and by Women: Where Women Lead, Impact Follows,” distinguished women leaders shared insights from their personal and professional journeys. The panel featured Ms. Gauri Bhure, CSR Head – DXC Technology; Ms Rohini Saran, Head – Key Verticals – Nand Ghar – Vedanta; Ms. Sowjanya Kanuri, Director, ACT Capital Foundation; Ms Priya Naik, Founder and CEO of Samhita Social Ventures; and Ms. Lakshmi Pattabi Raman, Chief- Fund Orchestration, Centre for Exponential Change. The panel discussion resulted in several key takeaways related to leadership, decision-making, and impact creation. These insights provide useful direction for women seeking to strengthen their leadership journeys.
Clarity of Purpose: Leaders must be clear about their purpose and the direction they want to move in. Having clarity about the expected outcomes and the impact is essential for meaningful leadership. When leaders define what impact means to them, it becomes easier to align their actions and decisions with the change they want to create.
Be Part of the Solution, Not the Problem: Leaders should focus on being problem solvers. Instead of getting stuck in challenges, they should work towards finding solutions that help move the organisation and the community forward. A solution oriented mindset strengthens leadership and encourages positive action.
Speak Your Mind: At the same time, leaders should also be able to express their thoughts and ideas clearly. Speaking up and sharing perspectives is important for guiding teams, raising important issues, and creating constructive dialogue.
Taking Risks: Leadership also involves taking risks. It is important to understand the possible risks involved and make informed decisions. Risk-taking is often necessary to bring change and introduce new ideas.
Listening is Crucial: Listening is one of the most important qualities of a leader. By listening carefully, leaders can understand the perspectives, experiences, and needs of the people they work with. This helps in building trust and making informed decisions.
Learn, Grow, and Keep Creating Impact: In any journey, failures are inevitable. What matters most is how leaders respond to them. Instead of getting discouraged, it is important to learn from failures, reflect on the lessons they bring, and move forward with greater understanding and rationality. Continuous learning and growth are essential to sustain long term impact.
Be Aware of Your Potential: Leaders should be aware of their own strengths and capabilities. Understanding one’s potential helps in taking on responsibilities with confidence and making better choices for personal and organisational growth.
Be Empathetic: Empathy is a crucial quality for leadership. Leaders must be empathetic towards themselves as well as towards the people they work with. Being kind and patient helps in building stronger relationships and creating a supportive working environment.
Work as a Team: Leadership is not about working alone. Effective leaders work with teams so that growth is shared. When leaders grow together with others, it strengthens collective impact. Building alliances and fostering collaboration are important parts of leadership.
Create an Ecosystem for Women: There is a strong need to build supportive ecosystems that enable more women to participate and grow. Beyond providing opportunities for women to join organisations, it is important to ensure that their journey within the organisation is also supported. This includes ensuring equal opportunities, freedom to grow, and fair pay throughout their careers.
Encourage Women’s Leadership: Women are already leading at multiple levels, from community initiatives to some of the largest organisations and companies. Recognizing and acknowledging these leadership roles is important, as it helps create visibility and encourages more women to step forward. Women in leadership positions should also support and encourage more women to step forward. Greater participation of women brings new perspectives, creativity, and innovation into leadership spaces.
Ask for Help and Support Others: While encouraging young women to join leadership roles, the speakers emphasized that women should not hesitate to ask for help. Working in groups often leads to stronger outcomes than working alone. Seeking support when needed and extending help to others creates a culture of collaboration.
The Importance of Mentorship: Mentorship plays an important role at every stage of life. A mentor can guide individuals in their personal as well as professional journeys. Finding the right mentor and building a supportive network or community can help individuals learn, grow, and navigate challenges more effectively.
Keep Going and Growing: Perfectionism can sometimes hold people back. Many times, individuals keep chasing perfection, but things do not always go as planned. It is important to accept this and keep moving forward. Being kind to oneself and understanding that mistakes are a normal part of learning helps maintain motivation. In the social sector, one of the best ways to stay motivated is by visiting communities and witnessing the positive changes that have been created in people’s lives. Seeing the real impact of one’s work can renew energy and strengthen commitment to continue the journey.
(This article has been developed by Soumyashree Mohanty based on insights from the panel discussion.)
