Women are still under-represented at most levels of management: Madhura Moulik

We, at Adgully, have always saluted and honoured women managers and leaders across diverse fields. W-SUITE is a special initiative from Adgully that has been turning the spotlight on some of the most remarkable women achievers in M&E, Advertising & Marketing, PR & Communication industry. In the refurbished series, we seek to find out how women leaders have been managing their teams and work as well as how they have been navigating through the toughest and most challenging times brought about by the global pandemic.

Madhura Moulik, CEO and Founder, Skilfinity and CMO & Co-Founder, KarmaV, has been a marketer for the larger part of her 15-year career. She mentors organisations with varying business maturity from pre-seed start-ups to SME marketing and strategy teams on how to align, plan and achieve their business goals through digital communications, outreach and more.

In an exclusive conversation with Adgully, Madhura Moulik speaks about the role and scope of women leaders in the post-pandemic world, gender sensitivity and inclusion in the new normal, lessons she learned as a women leader and more.

How do you think the role and scope of women leaders have widened in the post-pandemic world?

Although women have seen essential gains since 2016, we are still under-represented at most levels of management. The pandemic has affected everyone, especially women, with heightened vulnerability, risk of unemployment resulting in losing financial independence, deprioritising self-health and trying to achieve a work-life balance – essentially all forms of physical and mental aggravations.

Despite the added stress and exhaustion, women are rising to the moment as stronger leaders and taking on the extra work that comes while navigating all their responsibilities with equal dedication.

We are swift in our actions, supporting team members in any way possible, ensuring manageable workloads, checking in on their overall well-being and making difficult decisions with empathy and compassion.

The rapid transition to digital, an uncertain economic landscape, charting unknown waters, working from home – how have you been navigating during the COVID-19 times? How are you maintaining work-life balance in the new normal?

Working from home has its pros and cons. On the positive side, it has allowed flexible work schedules, drastically cutting the long commute hours, thus enabling us to achieve a better work-life balance and productivity.

At the same time, it has also put working women like me in a unique situation, many of whom have seen the personal and professional boundaries blurring and, as a result, stretching ourselves thin.

That said, I set a routine of time-boxing almost all my activities, and that helped me a lot. My day-to-day is loaded with communication with my team members, investors, partners, clients (SMEs and start-ups – who need quick turnarounds and more handholding than others) and media. While jumping between emails, calls and video chats, I ensure I have a blackout period of at least an hour, to take stock and shuffle/ re-prioritise jobs in hand.

Multiple studies have shown how women leaders performed better during the COVID-19 crisis. According to you, what makes women the best in crisis management?

Women are hardwired to multitask efficiently. In addition to being focused and clear in their decision-making, qualities such as empathy, humility, inclusiveness, and the ability to communicate effectively are helping women leaders to drive better outcomes and be well suited for leading the way in inspiring people.

What are the five most effective lessons that you have learned as a woman leader?

Nothing trumps empathy - Everyone is fighting their own battles; a few kind words and gestures go a long way.

Be kind towards your own self - The old adage is indeed true – Health is wealth – so, start with self-care, both mental and physical health.

Never waste a crisis - All crises bring in significant opportunities, be mindful and seize the moment when you chance upon one. For me, we launched KarmaV, an intelligent automation system for ethical hiring.

Consistency - Will build your most prominent edge. Now is a good time as any, so start and keep at it – from exercise to building your brand – works for everything.

Keep calm, include everyone (when celebrating small wins) - Paying attention to team dynamics and how to stay connected – making sure everyone continues to respect, support, and celebrate each other has been paramount to the growth of my businesses.

Gender sensitivity and inclusion in the new normal – how can organisations effectively encourage and groom women leaders in challenging times?

The biggest motivation is to keep track of everything that drives positive outcomes and sustainable inclusive growth, acknowledge and ultimately recognise it all.

The above can be achieved by creating meaningful impact through policies and programs to combat bias in performance reviews and providing resources such as on-site childcare, parental leave, and mental health services.