Insights on Leadership

I was shadowing a coaching client in her leadership meeting when I watched this brilliant woman apologize six times in 30 minutes. 1. “Sorry, this might be off-topic, but..." 2. “I'm could be wrong, but what if we..." 3. “Sorry again, I know we're running short on time..." 4. “I don't want to step on anyone's toes, but..." 5. “This is just my opinion, but..." 6. “Sorry if I'm being too pushy..." Her ideas? They were game-changing. Every single one. Here's what I've learned after decades of coaching women leaders: Women are masterful at reading the room and keeping everyone comfortable. It's a superpower. But when we consistently prioritize others' comfort over our own voice, we rob ourselves, and our teams, of our full contribution. The alternative isn't to become aggressive or dismissive. It's to practice “gracious assertion": • Replace "Sorry to interrupt" with "I'd like to add to that" • Replace "This might be stupid, but..." with "Here's another perspective" • Replace "I hope this makes sense" with "Let me know what questions you have" • Replace "I don't want to step on toes" with "I have a different approach" • Replace "This is just my opinion" with "Based on my experience" • Replace "Sorry if I'm being pushy" with "I feel strongly about this because" But how do you know if you're hitting the right note? Ask yourself these three questions: • Am I stating my needs clearly while respecting others' perspectives? (Assertive) • Am I dismissing others' input or bulldozing through objections? (Aggressive) • Am I hinting at what I want instead of directly asking for it? (Passive-aggressive) You can be considerate AND confident. You can make space for others AND take up space yourself. Your comfort matters too. Your voice matters too. Your ideas matter too. And most importantly, YOU matter. @she.shines.inc #Womenleaders #Confidence #selfadvocacy

🥊 “Jingjin, have you ever considered that women are just inferior to men?” That was her opening line. The lady who challenged me was not a traditionalist in pearls. She was one of the top investment bankers of her time, closed billion-dollar deals, led global teams, the kind of woman whose voice dropped ten degrees when money was on the line. And she meant it. “Back in my day, if I had to hire, I’d always go for the man. No pregnancy leave. No PMS. No emotional volatility. Just less… liability.” And she doesn’t believe in what I do. Helping women lead from a place of wholeness. Because to her, wholeness is a luxury. Winning requires neutrality. And neutrality means: be less female and suck it up! I’ve heard versions of this many times, and too often, from high-performing women who "made it" by suppressing. But facts are: 🧠 There are no consistent brain differences between men and women that explain men’s “logic” or women’s “emotions.” 💥 Hormones impact everyone. Men’s testosterone drops when they nurture. Women’s cortisol rises in toxic workplaces, not because they’re weak, but because they’re sane. 📉 What we call “meritocracy” is often a reward system for those who can perform like they have no body, no children, no cycles. None of those are biologically male traits. They’re artifacts of a system built around male lives. So, if you're a woman who's bought into this logic, here are some counter-strategies: 🛠 1. Study Systems Like You Studied Deals Dissect the incentives, norms, and bias loops of your workplace the same way you’d break down a P&L. Don’t internalize what’s structural. 🧭 2. Redefine Strategic Strengths Stop mirroring alpha aggression to prove you belong. Deep listening, self-regulation, and nuance reading, these are leadership assets, not soft skills. Use them ruthlessly. 💬 3. Name It, Don’t Numb It If your hormones impact you one day a month, say so, but also say what it doesn’t mean: It doesn’t cancel out 29 days of clarity, strategy, and execution. 🪩 4. Build Your Own Meritocracy Start investing in spaces, networks, and cultures where your wholeness isn’t penalized. If none exist, build them. 🧱 5. Deconstruct Before You Self-Doubt When you catch yourself thinking “maybe I’m not built for this,” pause. Ask: Whose rules am I trying to win by? Who benefits when I question myself? This post isn’t about defending women. We don’t need defending. It’s about calling out the internalised metrics we still use to measure ourselves. 👊 And choosing to rewrite them. What’s the most 'rational' reason you’ve heard for why women are a liability?

“Be bold, but not too bold. Be humble, but not too humble. Be proud but not too proud” Welcome to the tightrope many women walk on their path to leadership. McKinsey & Company’s recent piece ‘The inner game of women CEOs’ (linked in comments) struck a chord with me - not because the insights were new, but because they told a story familiar to many of us. As a woman leading in media, I’ve had to reconcile some very human tensions: → Lead with conviction, but stay open to change. → Build strong relationships, but make the tough calls. → Stay humble, but don’t shrink yourself. → Deliver results, but don’t lose your sense of purpose. → Serve the organisation, but keep some balance for yourself. The best leaders I know - women and men, embrace these polarities rather than trying to resolve them. It’s not about having all the answers. It’s about being clear on your values, knowing when to listen, and building resilience for yourself, for your team and for the business. For anyone aspiring for your next challenge : don’t wait until you feel “ready”. None of us ever do. You grow into the role by showing up - fully, enthusiastically and with a sense of purpose. And when in doubt? Ask yourself: What would the most courageous version of me do next? That’s the voice worth listening to.

She said yes to every single project. Yet, she was overlooked for the promotion. They said: “She’s irreplaceable.” “We’d be lost without her.” But when it came time to lead the next big thing - She wasn’t even on the list. Over the past decade working in women’s leadership, I’ve seen this story play out far too often. Women staying in roles long past their expiration. Not because they lack clarity - But because they’ve been conditioned to confuse loyalty with worth. Loyalty to a team. To a leader. To a company culture that praises their reliability... But never promotes their vision. So how do you ensure you’re valued - not just used - for all that you bring to the table? Here are 5 practical, research-backed strategies I’ve seen top performers consistently use: ✅ Be Known for Vision, Not Just Execution ↳ “She delivers” is solid. ↳ “She sets the direction” is strategic. ↳ Build a reputation rooted in foresight - not just follow-through. ✅ Document and Distill Your Wins ↳ Don’t wait to be noticed. ↳ Capture and communicate your impact consistently. ↳ Think: outcomes, initiatives, feedback snapshots. ↳ This becomes your proof of value during reviews, promotions, or pivots. ✅ Speak the Language of Business ↳ Translate your work into metrics that matter: revenue, retention, growth, efficiency. ↳ When leaders see your contribution tied to business outcomes, you shift from “nice to have” to “can’t afford to lose.” ✅ Build Cross-Functional Credibility ↳ Influence isn’t built in silos. ↳ Make your value visible across teams. ↳ When multiple departments rely on your insight, you become a strategic connector - not just a contributor. ✅ Create Strategic Allies, Not Just Mentors ↳ Power isn’t just about performance - it’s about proximity to influence. ↳ Nurture relationships with decision-makers, peer champions, and collaborators. Influence grows through meaningful connection. The truth is - being essential isn’t the same as being seen. You can be deeply loyal to others - and still loyal to your own growth. These shifts aren’t just career strategies. They’re acts of self-respect. Because when you decide to lead from alignment, not obligation - You stop waiting to be chosen. And start choosing yourself. 💬 Which of these strategies feels most relevant to where you are right now? I’d love to hear in the comments below. ♻ Repost if you believe it’s time to stop rewarding quiet loyalty - and start recognizing conscious leadership. 🔔 Follow me, Bhavna Toor, for more. 📩 DM me to bring our holistic leadership development programs to your organization - that are a powerful combination of inner-work and real-world strategy.

Have you ever wondered why so many talented women disappear from the workforce after becoming mothers? This topic has been discussed extensively across various forums, and many individuals, organizations, and corporations have worked to address it. Yet, the success rate remains uncertain and hard to quantify. It's a startling reality, especially in India, where 73% of new mothers leave their jobs post-childbirth. Even more shocking, of those who do return, 48% quit within the first four months. These statistics reflect a critical issue: despite increasing flexible work options and childcare facilities, women are still not staying in their careers. What's going wrong? And more importantly, what can we do about it? I met Lochan, a good friend now and the Founder and CEO of OfExperiences, a couple of years ago. We connected over career transitions that happened to be our shared passion for supporting these changes. Today, Of Experiences is a mission-driven platform that supports working mothers through coaching and community. Lochan's approach is not just about flexibility; it's about providing explicit support that addresses deeper issues like mom's guilt, lower self-confidence, and unconscious biases. I am confident that many people would resonate with this approach. I believe such topics shouldn't be discussed only on specific days, weeks, or months because they impact us deeply. They affect many women, including those in our lives—our mothers, sisters, spouses, and girlfriends. Male participation in initiatives like these should increase because, knowingly or unknowingly, we contribute to a lot of stress. Only if we are aware can we support the important women in our lives. We need more Lochans in this world because she understands that retaining women in the workforce requires more than just policies—it demands a cultural shift. Her initiatives support female employees, keeping them engaged and performing their best, even through the challenges of motherhood. Women who receive this kind of backing are more likely to overcome the hurdles of returning to work, and even rise to senior leadership positions. Over the last two years, Lochan and I have collaborated multiple times, serving as informal mentors to each other. Her dedication and innovative approach inspire me daily. She does things I can't even imagine, like her recent skydiving adventure. We need more leaders like her—those who recognize the unique challenges working mothers face and are committed to providing real, actionable support. So, what can you do? Whether you're an individual or an organization, take a page from Lochan's book. Start by offering explicit support to the working mothers in your circle. Encourage open conversations about their challenges, provide mentorship, and foster a community that values their contributions. Together, we can create a more inclusive, supportive work environment for everyone. #WomenInLeadership #InclusiveWorkplace

A highly qualified woman sat across from me yesterday.   Her resume showed 15 years of C-suite experience. Multiple awards. Industry recognition.   Yet she spoke about her success like it was pure luck.   SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT of female executives experience this same phenomenon.   I see it daily through my work with thousands of women leaders. They achieve remarkable success but internally believe they fooled everyone.   Some call it imposter syndrome. I call it a STRUCTURAL PROBLEM.   Let me explain...   When less than 5% of major companies have gender-balanced leadership, women question whether they belong.   My first board appointment taught me this hard truth.   I walked into that boardroom convinced I would say something ridiculous. Everyone seemed so confident.   But confidence plays tricks on us.   Perfect knowledge never exists. Leadership requires:   • Recognising what you know • Admitting what you miss • Finding the right answers • Moving forward anyway   Three strategies that transformed my journey:   1. Build your evidence file Document every win, every positive feedback, every successful project. Review it before big meetings. Your brain lies. Evidence speaks truth.   2. Find your circle Connect with other women leaders who understand your experience. The moment you share your doubts, someone else will say "me too."   3. Practice strategic vulnerability Acknowledging areas for growth enhances credibility. Power exists in saying "I'll find out" instead of pretending omniscience.   REALITY CHECK: This impacts business results.   Qualified women: - Decline opportunities - Downplay achievements - Hesitate to negotiate - Withdraw from consideration   Organisations lose valuable talent and perspective.   The solution requires both individual action and systemic change.   We need visible pathways to leadership for women. We need to challenge biased feedback. We need women in leadership positions in meaningful numbers.   Leadership demands courage, not perfect confidence.   The world needs leaders who push past doubt - not because they never experience it, but because they refuse to let it win. https://lnkd.in/gY9G-ibh

Why is it that even in industries dominated by women employees, men rise to the top of the most prestigious and influential organizations? One answer is career escalators. “Career escalators” points to the practices, structures and norms that move a person upward in their careers. However, as research by many, including Prof. Christine Williams shows in her research, “glass elevators” are hidden advantages for men to advance in women-dominated fields. As Cathleen Clerkin, PhD reveals, a broad look at nonprofit workers reveals a slight advantage for men in leadership. Women represent about 70% of employees yet only 62% of leaders. The real gap, however, shows up when you look at size of the non-profit, as measured by revenues. Men nonprofit CEOs oversee nearly twice the revenues as women (~$11M vs. ~$6M). And men CEOs earn on average +27% more than women CEOs. Having worked with many nonprofit boards on their hiring practices, bias is a concern in recruiting CEOs and board directors. Preference for the “think leader, think male” can give an implicit advantage to White men, resulting in disadvantages or de-accelerators for women and BIPOC men. Often those concerns are expressed in donor networks, strategic thinking, vision and public persona -- all of which are important and yet the evaluation of who can do them can be fraught with biases. What can you do? The author suggests many important strategies. ✔ Check for biased language and treatment in the hiring process.  ✔ Track demographic data.  ✔ Be transparent about pay.  ✔ Create clear career matrices.  ✔ Have explicit conversations about career goals.  ✔ Sponsor women and give them challenging opportunities. When we make these often invisible accelerators visible--and work towards creating clear, equitable and transparent access to them--we can come closer to achieving our intention of creating remarkable and inclusive organizations.  Research by Candid. Article published in Harvard Business Review.

As International Women’s Day nears, we’ll see the usual corporate gestures—empowerment panels, social media campaigns, and carefully curated success stories. But let’s be honest: these feel-good initiatives rarely change what actually holds women back at work on the daily basis. Instead, I suggest focusing on something concrete, something I’ve seen have the biggest impact in my work with teams: the unspoken dynamics that shape psychological safety. 🚨Because psychological safety is not the same for everyone. Psychological safety is often defined as a shared belief that one can take risks without fear of negative consequences. But let’s unpack that—who actually feels safe enough to take those risks? 🔹 Speaking up costs more for women Confidence isn’t the issue—consequences are. Women learn early that being too direct can backfire. Assertiveness can be read as aggression, while careful phrasing can make them seem uncertain. Over time, this calculation becomes second nature: Is this worth the risk? 🔹 Mistakes are stickier When men fail, it’s seen as part of leadership growth. When women fail, it often reinforces lingering doubts about their competence. This means that women aren’t more risk-averse by nature—they’re just more aware of the cost. 🔹 Inclusion isn’t just about presence Being at the table doesn’t mean having an equal voice. Women often find themselves in a credibility loop—having to repeatedly prove their expertise before their ideas carry weight. Meanwhile, those who fit the traditional leadership mold are often trusted by default. 🔹 Emotional labor is the silent career detour Women in teams do an extraordinary amount of behind-the-scenes work—mediating conflicts, softening feedback, ensuring inclusion. The problem? This work isn’t visible in performance reviews or leadership selection criteria. It’s expected, but not rewarded. What companies can do beyond IWD symbolism: ✅ Stop measuring "confidence"—start measuring credibility gaps If some team members always need to “prove it” while others are trusted instantly, you have a credibility gap, not a confidence issue. Fix how ideas get heard, not how women present them. ✅ Make failure a learning moment for everyone Audit how mistakes are handled in your team. Are men encouraged to take bold moves while women are advised to be more careful? Change the narrative around risk. ✅ Track & reward emotional labor If women are consistently mentoring, resolving conflicts, or ensuring inclusion, this isn’t just “being helpful”—it’s leadership. Make it visible, valued, and part of promotion criteria. 💥 This IWD, let’s skip the celebration and start the correction. If your company is serious about making psychological safety equal for everyone, let’s do the real work. 📅 I’m now booking IWD sessions focused on improving team dynamics and creating workplaces where women don’t just survive, but thrive. Book your spot and let’s turn good intentions into lasting impact.

“Trust takes years to build, seconds to break, and forever to repair”. Or so they say. But, let’s not take this simply for granted, as the opposite is equally true. The quote above is so well known that it is accepted as a universal truth. But is it actually true? The logic is this: - In order to trust someone, you need to spend lots of time with them, and interact with them frequently. By seeing increments of trustworthy behaviors, you build up trust.  - One faulty action can break the trust. It’s a sign that someone is not to be trusted and you are basically back at square one—or worse.  - Once broken, the slow process of building up trust starts again, but since trust has been broken, it takes longer, and may never happen. This may sound intuitive, and you may have various experiences confirming this. I have some as well. But this doesn’t make it universally true. There is one big problem with it: it starts with distrust as the default, while it is 100% human to start with TRUST as the default, not with distrust. Simply look at a baby, or a toddler, or even a kid: trust is the default, not distrust. It is only by having developed mistrust over the years, that the logic above has come into place. But my personal experience is that, very often, the reality is very different than the quote suggests. Therefore, here is an alternative quote: → “Trust takes minutes to build, weeks to break, and days to repair.” Examples of “Trust takes minutes to build” - When meeting a prospective client, they share their biggest concerns while just being minutes into the conversation. - When I train participants that I have never met, the trust is instantly there. We start with trust, not mistrust. - When I talk to people for the first time to record a podcast, trust is there, so that I openly speak while being recorded for broadcasting. Examples of “Trust takes weeks to break” - If a business partner doesn’t keep a promise, I don’t like it, but trust requires multiple broken promises to break. - If a colleague tells a lie, I am disappointed but will give them the benefit of the doubt at least once, and probably more often. - If a client does something against my interest, I want to understand why they did it. I don’t immediately distrust them. Examples of “Trust takes days to repair” - After I don’t trust a business partner anymore, an honest and intense conversation can repair most of the trust.  - After a colleague told several lies and shows genuine regret, trust could be restored after sleeping a few nights over it.  - After acting against my interest, a client’s counteractions to repair trust can restore trust over a couple of days. This is not because I am so forgiving or unique. This is because, much more often than the famous quote suggests, trust is the default, not distrust. Start with trust, not distrust, and let’s make the world a little brighter by doing so. #trustiskey #communicationskills #relationshipbuilding

Every year on International Women’s Day, companies post about women in leadership. Every year, we hear about diversity commitments. And yet, less than 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women. So here’s my take—not as a HEADHUNTER, but as someone who has spent years placing leaders, building networks, and watching careers unfold in real time. The biggest barrier for women in leadership isn’t capability. It’s visibility. In #FMCG, I’ve seen brilliant women passed over because they didn’t “look like” the last leader. I’ve seen hiring managers ask, “Is she ready for a P&L role?” when they wouldn’t question a man with the same experience. I’ve seen women do the work but not get the credit—because they weren’t in the right conversations, at the right tables, with the right champions. The reality? We don’t just need to “support” women in leadership. We need to actively change how leadership is defined. That means: ✅ Hiring for potential, not just pattern-matching past leaders. ✅ Creating succession pipelines that don’t just feed the same profiles. ✅ Normalizing leadership that looks different—and succeeds because of it. At LS International, we don’t just find talent. We challenge companies to think beyond the usual suspects. To stop recruiting for sameness and start hiring for what’s next. To my all-star team (who challenge me daily, in the best way). To the women I’ve placed in leadership roles (who are changing the game in FMCG). To the badass leaders in my network (who inspire me constantly)- keep pushing, keep leading, and keep making it impossible to ignore you. I’ll always be cheering for you. What’s the biggest shift you think we still need to make in women’s leadership? Irene Domingo Blay Vanessa Vermaas #InternationalWomensDay #WomenInLeadership #FMCG #ExecutiveSearch