The numbers from the KPMG and AIMA Women Leadership in Corporate India Survey 2026 are specific enough to be uncomfortable: 79% of women professionals in corporate India aspire to hold leadership roles, 52% target the C-suite, and only 1% currently occupy board-level positions. The gap between ambition and arrival is not a gap in competence. The research is equally detailed on that point—it is a gap produced by structural barriers, inconsistent organizational support, and the mid-career attrition that continues to drain the leadership pipeline at precisely the stage where women should be entering their highest-value professional years. Structural reform matters, and it must continue. But structure alone has not closed the gap—and the same 2026 report that documents these statistics also notes that nearly 30% of companies reported no increase or even a decline in women leaders over the past five years, despite years of DEI commitments and representation-focused interventions. Somet...
We have all heard about “influencers” in this era, thanks to social media. That sort of influence has a slight in common with real influence at work. Once you understand what it feels like to be motivated by people who have made an identifying mark in your life, you have a feeling of significant influence, person to person. Now it is your shot. If you are ready to show how to be a positive influence, here are a few steps that will meaningfully change how you relate to anyone in your life. 1. Respond, don’t react: Life is sometimes hard, and you cannot become everyone’s cup of tea. Suppose that somebody said something negative about you or something dear to you. What will you do? Analyze and pause to regain your calmness and think fairly Pausing to analyze and think will give you a chance to respond in a better way. People will see this attitude of yours and get influenced by it. So, it’s a win-win situation for you. 2. Be honest about your own emotions: Of course, being posit...