Lessons in Leadership: Mahindra's Reeti Nageshri on Leading through Change

By: Reeti Nageshri, Head of Business - Electric SUVs, Mahindra Group

What does it take to lead with confidence in an era defined by constant change?

For today's business leaders, success is no longer just about technical expertise or functional excellence; it's about navigating ambiguity, making tough decisions with incomplete information, building high-performing teams, and staying resilient through every transition.

These leadership ideas are further explored in an exclusive conversation featuring Reeti Nageshri, Head of Business - Electric SUVs, Mahindra Group. With over 15 years’ experience across technology, product, marketing, and business operations, specializes in driving innovation, leading cross-functional teams, shaping new portfolios, and delivering impactful solutions in ambiguous, fast-paced environments.

Taking us through her leadership journey and the lessons learnt on the way, Reeti shares candid insights on cross-functional leadership, decision-making, empowering teams, balancing professional and personal responsibilities. She makes a strong case for why the most effective leaders are defined not by titles or gender, but by clarity, competence, and character.

Whether you're an aspiring manager, an experienced executive, or a woman leader navigating your next career milestone, Reeti’s lessons offer a practical roadmap for leading with purpose and impact.

Q. Your leadership journey has entailed repeated transitions across functions; how has leading across tech, product, and business changed the way you define authority as a woman leader?

A. Starting in tech wired my brain for logic and structure. You run the code, it works or it doesn’t. That discipline taught me how to break problems down and stay grounded in facts.

Product stretched a very different muscle. It wasn’t just about whether something worked, but whether it made sense to a customer. That’s where I learned to balance engineering, cost, design and experience, usually without perfect answers.

Today, as a business owner, all of this comes together. Tech gives me depth, product gives me perspective, marketing gives me voice, and business brings accountability. Leading across functions also taught me to say, “I don’t know yet, but I’ll figure it out.” That honesty builds far more trust than pretending to have all the answers.

Q. When leading teams with diverse expertise, how do you balance being hands-on versus empowering others to take initiative without losing alignment?

A. In my role today, alignment is less about control and more about shared belief.

Our teams span pan India sales, dealer partners across very different markets, varied experience levels, all within a category still being built. Getting everyone to move with confidence when the environment itself is uncertain is the real challenge.

I’m very clear that I can’t be everywhere, and I don’t try to be. Instead, I focus on purpose. Helping teams understand why we’re doing this, not just what we’re selling. When people feel they’re building a category, not just pushing inventory, confidence changes.

This works because of trust. I’ve been lucky to work with very strong sales and marketing leaders who truly run the show. My style is deliberately flat. Decisions are taken close to the ground. My role is to stay connected without hovering, step in where clarity is needed, and challenge thinking when required. Honestly, the teams are what make this role fun.

Q. High-stakes decisions often come with incomplete information. How have you learned to act decisively while managing uncertainty and expectations?

A. This has been one of my biggest leadership learnings. Waiting for perfect information is often more dangerous than acting with partial clarity.

My natural rhythm is instinct for direction and information for validation. I try to sense where we need to go early, and then pressure test that direction hard.

Transparency helps a lot. I’m open with teams and stakeholders about what we know, what we don’t, and what assumptions we’re making. That honesty reduces anxiety and builds confidence.

I also separate reversible from irreversible decisions. If something can be corrected, I move fast. If it’s a one way door, I slow down. And I constantly remind myself that decisiveness doesn’t mean arrogance. It simply means taking responsibility when the path isn’t fully lit.

Q. In fast-moving environments where outcomes are visible to everyone, what strategies have helped you maintain focus without getting distracted by constant scrutiny?

A. Internally, I’ve been fortunate. Our senior leadership is very supportive and hands on, so scrutiny feels more like partnership than pressure. There’s shared ownership, not finger pointing.

Visibility really shows up externally, through customers, the market, the ecosystem and sometimes the board. The best way I’ve learned to handle that is to stay anchored in outcomes.

When we focus on customer experience, listen closely to feedback, and act quickly, the rest becomes background noise. Once you’re clear on the problem you’re solving for the customer, decisions simplify.

We’re also honest with ourselves. We track what’s working, what’s not, and we course correct fast. Instead of managing scrutiny, we manage progress. When progress is visible, confidence follows, inside and outside.

Q. Balancing personal and professional milestones is challenging, how has your approach to prioritization and resilience evolved as responsibilities grew?

A. Earlier, I tried to do everything perfectly. Now I aim to do the important things well.

Motherhood and leadership together forced clarity. I no longer chase balance as a permanent state. Some phases are intensely professional, others deeply personal. The key is honesty, not perfection.

Resilience for me now looks like energy management, not time management. Knowing when to push and when to pause. Knowing that some days discipline wins, and some days survival wins, and both are fine.

I’ve also become very selective about what deserves my emotional energy. Not every problem needs my anxiety. That shift alone has made me calmer, clearer, and much more effective as a leader.

Q. For women leaders stepping into roles with ambiguity and high visibility, what one principle would you share to help them lead confidently and effectively?

A. Don’t wait to feel ready.

Most meaningful roles come before you feel fully prepared. That doesn’t mean you’re under qualified, it means you’re being trusted to grow. Confidence isn’t something you arrive with; it’s something you build by showing up and figuring things out.

I’m also clear about one thing. I don’t think of myself as a male leader or a female leader. I think of myself as a leader. I’ve grown with equal support from men and women, at work and at home. My husband, my family, my mentors have all shaped my journey, and that’s what I want to pass on to next generation too.

For me, leadership is about clarity, competence and character, not gender. When you focus on doing the work well, labels fade and impact speaks.

Leadership Lessons: Reeti Nageshri’s Five Principles for Leading Through Change

1. Build credibility through transparency, not certainty
Trust comes from being honest about what you know, acknowledging what you don't, and having the confidence to find the answers. Authority is earned through competence and consistency—not perfection.

2. Align teams around purpose, not process
People perform better when they understand why the work matters. Empower teams to make decisions, communicate the mission clearly, and lead through trust rather than control.

3. Make decisions before you have perfect information
Separate reversible from irreversible decisions, move quickly when risks are manageable, and communicate assumptions openly so teams can adapt as new information emerges.

4. Stay focused on outcomes, not scrutiny
In high-visibility roles, customer impact should guide decisions. Measure progress, act on feedback, and course-correct quickly instead of reacting to external noise.

5. Prioritize what matters and grow before you're ready
Leadership is about making intentional choices, not achieving perfect balance. Protect your energy, embrace stretch opportunities, and remember that confidence is built through action.