We don’t want the superhero tag, but have equal say in business decisions: Swati Agarwal

Adgully has consistently celebrated and acknowledged the accomplishments of women entrepreneurs and leaders in various sectors. One of our notable initiatives, W-SUITE, focuses on highlighting extraordinary women achievers in the Media & Entertainment, Advertising, Marketing, PR, and Communications industry. In this updated series, we aim to explore how women leaders adeptly manage their teams and overcome challenges in the dynamic landscape of their respective industries.

In an exclusive interaction with Adgully, Swati Agarwal, Owner, Radisson Blu Palace Resort and Spa, Udaipur, speaks about the role and scope of women leaders in today’s market ecosystem, leadership roles, effective leadership lessons, qualities or attributes women leaders bring to the table, a stronger representation of women at the decision-making table, and more.

How do you think the role and scope of women leaders have widened in the current market ecosystem?

The role and scope of women leaders have certainly expanded in today’s context. We see more female representation at the management and C-suite levels. Moreover, women entrepreneurs are revolutionizing the startup ecosystem with their innovative ideas and impeccable leadership. In general, women have multifaceted skills, resilience, social quotient, and high levels of emotional intelligence. They have the capability to foster the growth of organizations, establish a nurturing work culture, and navigate through a crisis with patience. Time and again, women have proven their mettle, and it’s commendable to see how today, they are the change makers and decision-makers at the table.

As a prominent female leader in the industry, how have your experiences shaped your leadership style, and what unique strengths do you believe women bring to leadership roles?

I take inspiration from my mother. She is an educationist and I have always seen her actively involved in providing education to underprivileged kids. Seeing her surrender to social work with immense passion and grit, I was keen to follow her pathway and contribute to noble causes for the upliftment of society and women. I want to see increased representation of women in workplaces in the coming times and support them in my own ways. Additionally, I wish to see more and more underprivileged kids get educated and gain financial independence. As one of the Board of Governors of Jayshree Periwal International Schools, I am responsible for designing children’s curriculum and this is an opportunity to pursue my passion. This is just the first step in the transformative journey, and I am looking forward to more such avenues that support my vision.

I believe that today if I am able to manage the professional aspect, my family, and my social commitments, it’s all because of what I have learnt from my mother and the way she has groomed me. She has made me understand the true meaning of patience, resilience, and strength and following her footsteps has certainly made me a ‘leader’ and not a manager.

Women are blessed with unique strengths and work hard to gather skills that make them unstoppable. Through intellectual stimulation and participative decision-making, they encourage collaboration and pave the way for innovation and growth for organizations. They work with a ‘people-first’ approach as they know the team forms the core foundation of a company and can make or break it. Women, with their exceptional capabilities and diverse leadership styles, can give organizations a competitive edge, and its integral to contributing in all ways possible to support their representation and growth.

In your opinion, what specific qualities or attributes do women leaders bring to the table that may differentiate them from their male counterparts?

I think drawing a comparison between men and women and their leadership styles won’t be appropriate and fair. From physiological and psychological to emotional and social aspects, both genders are polar opposites and bring unique qualities to the table. Women are empathetic and establish a culture that is positive and caring. They make informed and intuitive decisions and work with a ‘play to win’ ideology. Females work systematically and are the best role models of a leader, propagating the ‘us’ concept by binding everyone with a common thread of ‘we’ over individualistic representation. With their transformational leadership approach, they prove to be great mentors and offer unique perspectives, especially in crisis situations. They are equally competent to men and build great workplaces free from biases, discrimination, and disparity.

Could you share any personal experiences or challenges you’ve faced as a woman leader, and how you’ve navigated them in your career?

Honestly, you ask women and they’ll have some instances to share how they were treated unequally or differently. When I completed my education, I had a vision to transform the tourism landscape in Udaipur and was keen to pursue the entrepreneurial pathway. The best possible route was to foray into the hospitality space. I went on to introduce the first-ever international hotel brand in the City of Lakes. Stepping in a world that was primarily dominated by men was a huge step back then. As my loved ones say, ‘it was a courageous and bold move’. But I didn’t think so. I was just doing what I loved and was interested in.

Along the way, I would often get remarks and comments. However, I was determined to venture into the market, revamp Udaipur’s landscape and make my mark in the field with my ideas and skillsets. Today, people see me spearheading the brand and know that I have achieved the goals that I had set years ago with determination and hard work. I am still learning and growing at each step and intend to contribute to the hospitality industry’s development with my expertise and novel ideas in the future.

As a champion for women’s multifaceted skills, what strategies or initiatives do you believe organizations can implement to further empower and support women in leadership positions?

Organizations have a pivotal role to play in empowering females and increasing women representation in the workplaces. While efforts are being made, more needs to be done to foster an inclusive culture that encourages women participation. Creating mentorship programs to connect female leaders with employees who need guidance can be a great avenue for mentorship and skill development. A flexible approach to working takes the lead even today when it comes to creating an inclusive and progressive workspace for females, as this allows them to manage their personal commitments and professional responsibilities.

Introducing leadership training programs for employees that focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion is essential to educate them on unconscious biases, the relevance of inclusivity, and the importance of fostering a supportive, collaborative environment for women. Conducting regular pay audits and ensuring transparency in promotion processes can mitigate gender-based pay disparities and empower women.

There’s nothing more empowering and motivating for a female to see women at the decision-making table and securing leadership positions. Hence, having a diverse senior team with active participation from women can be enabled through DEI-based hiring strategies. Small steps like these go a long way in empowering women representation in leadership roles.

Given your belief in women’s potential as game changers for organizations, how do you envision the future of leadership evolving to embrace and harness these capabilities on a larger scale?

Women build profitable companies with more value and a holistic approach. Given the current scenario, I tend to have a positive mindset. I strongly feel and hope that women representation increases at the decision-making table in the times to come. We are equally competent and deserve the right to opportunities to excel. We need not have it all and we might not want to! We don’t want the superhero tag. However, we do want to have an equal say when it comes to business-oriented decisions. We want to be treated fairly in workplaces. We can manage work, home, family, and everything in between. We are breaking glass ceilings of biases, inequality, and discrimination. But we require help and support from our partners and families. Simultaneously, we need our workplaces to foster an inclusive and nurturing environment that prioritizes our growth as well and treats us no differently than others.