Women Redefining Global Operations Through Agility & Empathy

By: Shivali Chakravarthi, Managing Director-Marsh International Operations, Marsh McLennan India GCC

Shivali Chakravarthi is a results-driven business leader with over 25 years of experience across the Insurance, Banking, and Telecom sectors. She specializes in sales, customer service operations, and process optimization, with a strong track record in driving customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and fostering high-performing teams.

In the following article, Shivali shares how women leaders are redefining global operations with adaptability, empathy, and innovation. To learn more, please read the full article to gain insights into her transformative leadership.

Leadership has transformed dramatically over the last decade. The era where effectiveness was measured through command-and-control tactics and rigid hierarchy has faded. Today, leadership demands adaptability, emotional strength, inclusion, and collaborative decision-making qualities that many women naturally bring forward.

Across industries, women leaders at every level are redefining what it means to drive complex, global operations. They are proving that business success is no longer just about hitting numbers it is equally about sustaining people, nurturing innovation, and ensuring continuity in a world that rarely stands still.

From leading multicultural teams to navigating geopolitical uncertainty, digital acceleration, and changing workforce expectations, women are shaping a new kind of operational excellence one that balances high performance with human connection.

Today’s global environment demands swift responses to challenges supply chain disruptions, technological leaps, and shifting customer priorities. Women leaders are demonstrating remarkable agility by managing these multiple priorities with clarity and confidence.

Faced with ambiguity, they adapt early rather than waiting for a perfect answer. By approaching disruption with curiosity and flexibility, they turn uncertainty into opportunity whether it’s redesigning service models or enabling faster digital adoption. Agility is not just about speed. It is the ability to move forward decisively when the path isn’t straightforward.

On the other hand, empathy may sound personal, but in global operations, it keeps the organization together.

At the height of the pandemic, workplaces saw a rise in fear, fatigue, and disconnect. Many women leaders responded by focusing on psychological safety checking in with teams, making space for human concerns, and enabling support systems that helped employees cope.

Teams follow leaders who genuinely care. Empathy builds loyalty, strengthens morale, and helps sustain performance long after a crisis fades.

This participative approach breaks down silos, improves execution, and encourages innovation. When teams feel heard, they become more accountable and more committed to delivering results. Collaboration fuels operational success more effectively than top-down directives ever did.

Women leaders know that diversity cannot be achieved by chance it needs champions.

By advocating equal opportunities, coaching emerging talent, and supporting flexible work environments, they help close representation gaps. These actions contribute to workplaces that reflect real customers and communities, making organizations more adaptable and future ready.

Research shows that gender-diverse leadership leads to stronger innovation and profitability women are helping turn that insight into reality.

Global operations rely on communication to connect varied teams, cultures, and expectations. Women leaders excel in navigating complexity with emotional intelligence, acknowledging concerns while maintaining clarity of purpose.

This balanced style prevents breakdowns, reduces friction, and keeps large teams aligned even when pressures rise. Trust grows when communication feels honest, human, and respectful.

Where communication improves, execution strengthens.

Women bring multidimensional thinking into decision-making. They challenge assumptions, question outdated practices and look for sustainable answers.

Their leadership encourages experimentation and helps businesses stay competitive in rapidly shifting markets whether through digital transformation, sustainability initiatives, or new customer engagement strategies. Innovation thrives where diverse perspectives are valued.

As the world continues to evolve, qualities once seen as “soft” — empathy, collaboration, adaptability are now essential for building resilient organizations capable of thriving amid disruption.

Women are not just participating in global operations they are redefining them.
Their influence is reshaping cultures, operational models, and leadership expectations, paving the way for a more agile, innovative, and equitable future.