If you want to be a leader of tomorrow then champion the women leaders of today....

The participation of women workforce has seen a clear growth as more women leaders are emerging in top position and taking challenging leadership positions. Over the years, women leaders have been more dynamic and have proved their strengths and have shown their capabilities and expertise in handling crisis and taking challenging roles and have turned several challenges into growth opportunities.  The young and aspirational women today is a key player in powering India’s growth in the coming years. With encouragement from board rooms coming up we can see more women leaders demonstrating their skill and leading from the front in various roles across verticals. Be it any field starting from Marketing, HR, Finance, Advertising, PR and Communication and Entrepreneurship, today women leaders are actively playing a key role. We can today name several successful women leaders from each of those sectors who are shining in their role and delivering great results.

How women leaders have grown and growing? I took this opportunity to chat with Tarunjeet Ratan, Managing Partner, Nucleus PR, who is an entrepreneur herself and how she has built her own organisation and demonstrated her leadership skills. She was happy to share her views on the occasion of the INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY.

Today Women leaders are coming forward and taking more responsibility and willing to take more challenges in leadership roles. What’s your view?

 I disagree with this statement. Women have always been leaders and have been taking far more responsibility than they were credited or paid for. This across multiple spheres of their lives that does not include just the workplace. It’s only now that media and corporate Inc has started speaking about it because we will no longer be satisfied with the status quo and it suits their purpose to be seen as more ‘gender sensitive’ now. So, let’s not kid ourselves that is a coming-of-age moment for women in leadership roles.

As a women leader how can we encourage more women managers to step into becoming leaders?

 That’s easy …

 Give them the position.

Give them the opportunity.

Give them the money that goes with it.

Give them the authority.

Give them the training.

Give them the limelight that comes with it.

 All this will add to your own strength as a leader.

What would be your valuable tips for these young women mangers who are aspiring to be leaders of tommowow?   

 First, let’s talk about the women who are leaders of today. There are so many role models that should inspire and motivate you in your immediate circles today. These are the ones that have fought the fight for you, still fighting for you and are clearing a path for you to move forward on. They are doing it because they wanted to bring a change for the better. A change they understand might be difficult, might not show them results in their lifetime and might cost them more opportunities. But they are still standing tall. 

 If you want to be a leader of tomorrow then champion the women leaders of today. Be their strength and you will already be well on your way to being a strong leader for both genders.

How do you define a strong and able women leader who will shoulder more responsibilities and challenges? 

 This is a fun question with so many answers. But let me stick to one. While I am sure they have their own challenges to overcome, but I would like to see the numbers from the male of the species rise above all to the leadership roles, when they have to balance all the responsibilities women shoulder and challenges women have to cross. Add to these several societal, generational and cultural biases. And do this with grace, style and a smile.

 My definition of a strong and able women leader is one who has risen above all despite the challenges thrown at her and in doing so has not lost her feminine touch or her unique leadership style.