Top Women Leaders That Everyone Must Follow

As the world continues to battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, we remember the efforts of our healthcare and frontline workers. Additionally, good leadership has also been a core topic of discussion over the last few months. Whether it’s New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern, Germany’s Angela Merkel or Taiwan’s Tsai Ing-Wen—women world leaders have set examples of effective leadership as they handled the crisis remarkably well.

In the business world, 2019 was a fantastic year for women leaders. Studies show that 29% of senior management roles were held by women, and it was the highest number recorded to date. However, women continue to lag behind and struggle to climb the corporate ladder. Nevertheless, many businesses are waking up to the advantages of prioritizing women leaders as they bring significant benefits to the table.

1. Women’s Leadership Is More Important Than Ever

2. Inspirational Women Leaders Setting Examples

3. Final Thoughts

Women’s Leadership Is More Important Than Ever

There are several advantages to prioritizing women’s leadership in the workplace. Here are a few reasons why supporting and promoting women leaders should be a top priority for your organization.

1. Better Foundational Skills

Over time, organizations continue to emphasize the importance of foundational skills. It refers to the ability to connect with others and navigate your professional life. Research indicates that women hold key emotional intelligence competencies, allowing them to successfully navigate their professional lives.

2. Effective Problem-Solving

Women corporate leaders contribute to effective problem-solving as they bring diversity in opinions, thoughts and outlook. In other words, diverse perspectives allow organizations to solve challenges in creative ways. Searching for new information leads to better decision-making and greater financial gains.

3. Excellent Mentorship

Mentorship is extremely crucial for job satisfaction and career growth. Employees need someone to guide them, help them differentiate between right and wrong and push them in the right direction. Studies show that women leaders are excellent mentors. Many of them even volunteer to mentor and empower the next generation of women business leaders.

Inspirational Women Leaders Setting Examples

Here is a list of some of the most famous women leaders who have been instrumental in changing the narrative around women’s leadership and empowerment. Their work and contributions prove that great women leaders care about authentic communication, personal development and are dedicated to making a change in society.

1. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

One of the leading women world leaders, Shaw is India’s richest self-made woman. She founded one of the biggest pharmaceutical firms named Biocon. Not only has she contributed to healthcare, but Shaw’s philanthropic initiative also aims to create an affordable cancer care center.

2. Indra Nooyi

Not only did Nooyi serve as a chairperson and Chief Executive Officer at PepsiCo, but she is also currently serving on the board of directors at Amazon. Nooyi has been voted among the top 10 women leaders by several business magazines and forums. She has been instrumental in restructuring and enhancing PepsiCo’s business strategy.

3. Vani Kola

A venture capitalist, Vani Kola is the founder of Kalaari Capital. During her 22 years in Silicon Valley, Kola founded two enterprises. She later returned to India to start Kalaari Capital that received 150-million-dollar funding. She has even received the NDTV Women of Worth award for entrepreneurship.

4. Falguni Nayar

In 2012, Falguni Nayar took a leap of faith and left her job at Kotak Mahindra to start her own business—Nykaa. It has become one of the leading brands in the country, selling hundreds of products. The Economic Times conferred her the 2019 Businesswoman of the Year award.

5. Mallika Srinivasan

Chairman and director of Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited (also known as TAFE), Srinivasan is known for her entrepreneurial skills. She managed to lead the organization so effectively that it became the third-largest tractor manufacturer in the world. Under her leadership, the organization achieved some of the greatest mergers.

Final Thoughts

Such noteworthy examples of women business leaders indicate how women are becoming a driving force for organizations. As a fast-paced organization, you need to acknowledge the undeniable reality of women professionals as they face unique challenges in the workplace.

Harappa Education’s Women’s Leadership Program is equipped with toolkits, frameworks and approaches that’ll help women professionals navigate challenges more efficiently. They’ll learn to balance passion with persistence and overcome limiting beliefs. Help women employees tap into their true potential and actively pursue leadership roles and positions. Promote transformative leadership by empowering women today!

Explore Harappa Diaries to learn more about topics such as Must-Have Skills For Leadership, The Evolution Of The Hero’s Journey, The Importance Of Women’s Leadership & Adult Learning Principles that will help organizations tap into their employee’s potential.