Guest AuthorIt’s not the fall far you that matters, but how you get up. This adage, often held as key to thriving in any condition, suggests resiliency is a tenet on which other values are established. In these unprecedented times, when women have been vanishing from the workforce in record numbers, wiping out decades of progress made in redressing gender equality, it is even more crucial that women internalise resilience as key to their lifestyle, channel their lives as a leader would. Making leadership a lifestyle choice. Indeed, while gender should not be a factor in determining leadership, that is how real life is still lived, in varying degrees around the world. Women hold a minuscule percentage of leadership positions, whether in politics or business or services.
Women, almost all women, wear many hats in their daily lives. They need to balance the managerial and political aspects of leadership while simultaneously encouraging women to lead with care and compassion. Yes, ideally women have to balance career and various responsibilities without losing one to the other. Burnout, the sense of being overwhelmed, anxiety, lack of sleep, even depression are commonly evidenced for women employed beyond just their homes. Wealth and privilege may mean extra helping hands for a few, but overwhelmingly success in this balancing act for all, cutting across different socio-economic parameters, determines the level of success and satisfaction that come with time. Women need resilience, most loosely defined as the ability to recover quickly from difficulties, bring out an innate toughness.
The tools of leadership are many – from education and awareness to confidence and the ability to make the right decisions, including saying no. A good way to go about this would be to set out a roadmap of life goals. This could help navigate the complex, often competing demands on time and attention from various aspects in any woman’s life. This is where determining to be a leader of one’s own life – and often leading for others too, can bring self-satisfaction and personal growth. It does not involve being a superhero. In challenging times, it might mean making the best of each day as it comes.
The paths are never easy, and possibly the solutions for each individual are going to differ in tenor, be situated in the uniqueness of their situation. There will be situations beyond one’s control – there is hardly a better example than the impacts of Covid-19. But that is where resilience comes into play. The ability to stick to principles while being flexible in situations is a tough act at the best of times, and of paramount importance in adversity.
The words of Eleanor Roosevelt, said in an open letter to the women of the world in 1946 after the most devastating loss of human lives ever witnessed, asking them to be involved in international efforts “to build a better, peaceful future for all”, ring true even today. Yes, more than perhaps most times in our living history, making resilience is key to leadership as a lifestyle.
Written by Sonali Priy Kapoor
Sonali has a flair for identifying and adopting emerging trends due to her vast experience and in-depth knowledge of each industry. She is very competent with her PR and marketing skills which make it easy for her to connect with people and subsequently influence them to perform better.
Sonali is a great leader and is very passionate about her dreams. She ventured on her own and has been a successful businesswoman, helping brands to grow. Being a woman herself Sonali knows the struggles, the passion, the strength and the hard work a woman puts in. Hence, she believes that women have leadership qualities and can go way beyond anyone’s expectations in whatever they do.
Sonali is an alumnus of Indian School of Business Management & Administration. With almost 2 decades of experience in Brand Solutions and Communications, Sonali was leading Marketing & Communications for several global brands. She has played a pivotal role in establishing their brand recall value. Taking forward this experience Sonali founded The Hatch Project, with the sole motive of designing creative and strategic solutions for brands and corporates in terms of Media Strategies, Brand Consulting, Integrated Communications, Image Building, Crisis Communication, Online Reputation Management, Social Media Marketing, Influencer Marketing, Stakeholder Engagement, all under one roof to ensure strong foothold of the client in their respective sectors.
Aravind Sundaram
Guest Author