Mother's Day: Women Leaders on Motherhood Redefining Leadership

By: Priyanka Vyas, Content Writer

This Mother’s Day we hear from Indian women business leaders and entrepreneurs on how motherhood redefined the meaning of leadership, success and ambition for them. Read on to know what these super moms have to say about motherhood and ambition.

Motherhood is undeniably one of the most transformational experiences of a woman’s life.

But motherhood’s relationship with ambition is a complicated one.

This begs the question, “does motherhood unfold differently for women who choose to resume their careers?”

“Returning to work after maternity leave filled me with self-doubt, but motherhood ultimately gave me a renewed sense of confidence, grace, and a stronger sense of self.”reflected a middle-aged woman returning to the corporate world at an MNC.

Such complex feelings are commonly experienced by women navigating the journey from motherhood to ambition.

But it’s heartwarming to see that despite challenges, several women choose to not just get back into their professions but also chart the tough road to master leadership. This journey however is not easy and it brings several eye-opening realizations.

For entrepreneur Gunjan Taneja, motherhood made her cognizant ofthe cognitive load that working mothers have to carry, “Becoming a mother made me far more conscious of the invisible emotional and logistical load that women often carry while trying to build ambitious careers”.

On the other hand, for business leader Rachna Narem the journey strengthened her leadership voice.“Motherhood teaches that self-doubt isn't weakness - it's the beginning of a more thoughtful, empathetic decision”.

While working mothers struggle to ‘do it all’, Sanaa Zia Khan learnt the important lesson of going with the flow. I’ve learned to trust my instincts, make the best call I can in the moment, and adjust when needed.” says Sanaa.

With motherhood also come major life lessons, that translate into leadership insights. In this regard Isha Sekhri points out that “Motherhood strips away jargons. It teaches you to translate complexity into clarity and to find creative paths to results.”However, profound traits like empathy, compassion, and unwavering resilience is inherently mastered through the rewarding journey of motherhood.

There is unspoken strength that many working women carry in sleepless nights followed by early morning meetings, choosing calm over chaos and showing consistency even when emotions run high. “I’ve come to appreciate that behind every role is a real person- with their own struggles, hopes, and responsibilities,” notes Tapasya (Bareja) Vaid.

The experience of motherhood also makes women professionals more emotionally aware, bringing on a heightened sense of adaptability leading to more purpose-driven careers. “The shift from responding to truly connecting has made me a far better leader,” says Anooshka Soham Bathwal on how motherhood has elevated her ability to connect with others.

With Women Entrepreneurs Review magazine, let us explore the inspiring journeys of India’s corporate women leaders who balanced motherhood and their corporate identity while breaking barriers and redefining ambition.

Beyond Blueprints: How Motherhood Redefines Leadership

Sanaa Zia Khan, Director, Centricity Overseas Financial Distribution, expresses her perspective on how the uncertainty brought about by motherhood reshaped her confidence as a decision-maker.“Motherhood really humbles your idea of ‘having it all figured out’. Most days, you’re making decisions without a clear roadmap, and learning as you go. Over time, that’s made me more comfortable with uncertainty. I’ve learned to trust my instincts, make the best call I can in the moment, and adjust when needed. That shift has carried into my work as well, where I’m more decisive, more flexible, and more at ease with the fact that not every decision comes with guarantees.” 

Sanna goes on to talk about how motherhood redefined leadership for her. She says,“Motherhood has subtly shifted how I approach leadership and success at work. Earlier, I thought leadership meant having all the answers and staying in control. Now, it’s more about listening, staying calm under pressure, and creating an environment where people can do their best work. It’s made me more patient and more open to different perspectives, which has strengthened how I lead.”

Speaking to her fellow women leaders who are also mothers, Sanaa gives a message of strength, “To every mother in leadership, there will be days you question everything, your presence, your focus, your worth. That feeling is more common than we admit. But here’s something worth holding on to: you don’t need to have it all figured out to lead well. You are allowed to grow into your ambition. You don’t need to shrink it, justify it, or wait for the “right time.” Your children aren’t measuring your hours, they’re absorbing your strength, your resilience, and your sense of purpose.”

In moments of self-doubt, Rachna Narem, Executive Vice President, Growth Analytics, Omnicom/ IPG Mediabrands, returns to the most unforgiving yet rewarding role of being a mother. “There are no performance reviews in motherhood and no second chances. Motherhood quietly reminds us that we've already done the hardest thing - showing up completely for another human being. That same instinct - to protect, guide, and persevere translates powerfully into leadership.” 

For women marred with self-doubt, Rachna has sound words of wisdom. Drawing from her experience, she says, “Motherhood teaches that self-doubt isn't weakness - it's the beginning of a more thoughtful, empathetic decision. Motherhood didn't give me all the answers; it gave me the courage to lead without them. Motherhood has strengthened my ability to trust my instincts, make decisions under pressure, and lead with both empathy and accountability.”

Adding depth to the conversation, Rachna shares that raising a child demands radical honesty, first with you. It also redefined purpose for many women. “Looking back, motherhood fundamentally rewired how I define purpose. Before becoming a mother, leadership felt like a performance - measured by titles, outcomes, and appearances. Motherhood stripped all of that away. It taught me that true leadership is rooted in service, patience, and showing up even when you feel invisible.Motherhood didn’t change my ambition - it gave it deeper meaning and a clearer sense of purpose. My children taught me that leadership isn't about having all the answers - it's about staying present when everything feels uncertain. Authentic leadership is the courage to be seen in your entirety; we lead best not when we are flawless, but when we are most human." 

Working Mothers Redefining Leadership Skills

Reflecting on her profound experiences, Anooshka Soham Bathwal, Founder & CEO of Dhanvesttor, talks about how motherhood showed her a new side of leadership. “Before I became a mother, I thought I was a good listener. Motherhood humbled me. You quickly realise that what someone says and what they actually need are often two very different things. I brought that awareness into how I show up for my team.” 

As a fintech entrepreneur leading a women-focused investment platform, Anooshka brings insights on women’s life at crucial junctures. “At Dhanvesttor, we work with women navigating some of the most personal financial decisions of their lives, and that requires you to read between the lines, always. Motherhood sharpened that instinct in me. It made me slower to react and quicker to understand. And honestly, that shift from responding to truly connecting has made me a far better leader. It’s the kind of intelligence no classroom teaches you, but it sits alongside every degree and designation I’ve earned, and together, that’s what truly shapes the leader that I am today,” says Anooshka.

Anooshka is a staunch believer that motherhood brings a woman’s unique strengths to play.“Mothers are actually brilliant strategists. And it is something that they rarely get acknowledged for. If you really think about it, in most households, who is the one tracking the expenses? Manages groceries, plans for the school fees, or maintains a fund for a family trip? That is usually the mother. That makes her, by default, one of the sharpest financial decision-makers in the room. She’s been stress-testing budgets and anticipating needs long before it became a job title. We see this every day. Women who’ve spent years juggling family finances walk in more financially aware than they give themselves credit for. What the world calls “multitasking”, I call strategic clarity under pressure. Care and competence were never opposites. We just stopped counting the places where they show up together.”

Tapasya (Bareja) Vaid, Senior Vice President, CSB Bank Limited, shares, “Motherhood didn’t just make me a better parent- it made me a more compassionate human. And I believe the more human we are as leaders, the stronger and more meaningful our impact becomes.” 

Enhancing her emotional ability, Tapasya outlined that the experience has made her softer in her understanding, yet stronger in intent. “Motherhood has changed the way I see people. It has made me softer in my understanding, yet stronger in my intent. When you nurture a child, you learn to listen without judgment, and to respond with patience even on the hardest days. I’ve come to appreciate that behind every role is a real person- with their own struggles, hopes, and responsibilities. Motherhood has made me more human as a leader. It has taught me that connection is not built through authority, but through care, trust, and presence- and that is what truly brings out the best in people.”

Elaborating on the thought, she adds that inclusion and equity at work have shaped up differently for her now.“Motherhood has made inclusion deeply personal for me. As a mother, I’ve felt the constant balance between being present at home and being committed at work—and that experience has changed how I view policies and leadership decisions. I now see flexibility, empathy, and trust not as privileges, but as essential support systems that allow people to give their best without feeling torn. It has also made me more conscious of creating spaces where no one feels they have to hide a part of their life to succeed. Inclusion, for me, is about acknowledging real lives behind professional roles and building workplaces where people are supported through every phase of their journey.”

Breaking Corporate Stereotypes around Working Mothers

"Motherhood doesn't divide your ambition - it deepens it, giving it purpose beyond yourself. It showed me what I was building  for, sharpened how I use my time, and gave me a quality of presence - in the boardroom and at bedtime - that I could not have found any other way,” says Isha Sekhri, Chartered Accountant & Partner, Isha Sekhri and Associates LLP. 

Shedding light on how women brave typical stereotypes, Isha navigated many prejudices at various levels of the leadership ladder.“There are many stereotypes that working mothers in leadership face. Two stand out for me - because I have lived them, challenged them, and refused to let either one define me. The most persistent stereotype is that working mothers are less committed or less available - that somewhere between school pickup and bed time, professional excellence quietly slips. The opposite in fact is true. Mothers are often more focused, more efficient, and more empathetic advisors.”

“The second stereotype is that mothers must choose between empathy and authority. Understanding what people are actually experiencing produces better outcomes, not softer ones. I have challenged these stereotypes through consistent delivery, the quality of the work and the relationships built with clients - who know that when they call, I will answer - and that the answer will be thoughtful, honest, and complete.”

Isha elaborates that motherhood has given new dimensions to her leadership approach. “Motherhood sharpens a kind of leadership that is not always visible on paper - but is deeply felt in practice. There are so many strengths it builds. Here are my top four. The first is emotional regulation. Motherhood teaches you to stay steady in a difficult conversation, to choose whether to react at all and to hold space for someone else's anxiety without being consumed by it. The second is precision in communication, coupled with a relentless focus on outcomes. Motherhood strips away jargon. It teaches you to translate complexity into clarity and to find creative paths to results - regardless of resistance, distraction, or negotiation.”

“The third is long-term thinking combined with the ability to hold complexity. Mothers make decisions which will sustain tomorrow while simultaneously balancing competing priorities today. And the fourth is creating leaders and not followers. The qualities I am nurturing in my sons - curiosity, ownership, the confidence to question and decide - are the qualities I aim to cultivate in the people I work with.”

Gunjan Taneja, Co-founder of Uclean, talks about how her experiences around motherhood had made her more conscious of the invisible emotional and logistical load. “Motherhood has profoundly shaped the way I look at leadership, inclusion, and workplace culture. Becoming a mother made me far more conscious of the invisible emotional and logistical load that women often carry while trying to build ambitious careers.” 

“I understood that inclusion is not just about representation—it is about designing systems, policies, and cultures that acknowledge different realities and support people through them. It also made me realize that true equity is not about treating everyone the same, but about understanding that different people carry different realities, responsibilities, and emotional loads. Motherhood also strengthened qualities that are critical in leadership—resilience, adaptability, patience, emotional intelligence, and the ability to prioritize what truly matters. It taught me how to lead with both conviction and compassion.”

Working mothers in leadership are redefining outdated workplace stereotypes by charting new narratives. “One stereotype I have consciously challenged is the belief that working mothers become less ambitious or less capable leaders after having children. In my experience, motherhood has made me sharper, more decisive, and more purpose-driven. Balancing leadership with parenting has taught me to manage complexity with clarity and remain grounded even during high-pressure situations.”

“I have also challenged the idea that women in leadership must adopt traditionally “hard” leadership styles to succeed. I strongly believe empathy, collaboration, and emotional awareness are strengths, not compromises. Some of the most sustainable organizations are built by leaders who know how to combine performance with people-first thinking.”