Meenaakshi Jalan Todi
Meenaakshi Jalan Todi, the Founder of Lumifiee, is an Image Catalyst, Identity Enhancement Coach, and Lifestyle Consultant with over 18 years of experience in transforming professional presence and personal brands. Her mission is to empower individuals, especially women, to embrace their authentic selves, unlock their leadership potential, and leave lasting impressions in both their personal and professional lives. Through Lumifiee, she offers holistic solutions beyond image consulting, addressing the deep-rooted values and inner strength required to excel in today’s competitive world. Her transformative journey, from overcoming personal challenges to becoming a beacon of empowerment, inspires many. Recently, she was even recognised by the IMPA MaxEmpower Award for overcoming her challenges and resilience and creating this ripple transformation in the lives she touches.
In this empowering article, Meenaakshi Jalan Todi delves deep into the realities of women in leadership, tackling the biases and challenges they face in the corporate landscape. Drawing from her personal experiences and the mission of Lumifiee, she explores how women can harness their inner strength—Shakti—to rise above societal expectations and lead with authenticity. Meenaakshi offers actionable insights on how women can redefine leadership on their own terms, embrace their values, and cultivate confidence to thrive in a world that needs their unique strengths now more than ever.
In today’s world, women are excelling in almost every sector—technology, business, healthcare, education, and beyond. However, when it comes to leadership roles, women continue to face challenges to be heard and understood. Despite breaking through various barriers, women are still under-represented in senior leadership positions, and stereotypes around leadership continue to undermine their potential.
As I’ve observed—and as many women in leadership have experienced—there’s a constant double standard. Recently, a woman in leadership shared her experience:
“When a man asks his team to do something, it comes across as assertive. But when a woman does the same, it’s perceived as arrogance. When a man corrects his team for a mistake, it’s seen as constructive feedback. When a woman does the same, it’s labelled offensive.”
These words resonate deeply with me, as they perfectly encapsulate the setbacks female leaders face. Women often spend significant energy not fighting competitors or clients but battling internal challenges—misperceptions from their own family, teams or peers, people they are supposed to lead. But here’s the truth: leadership isn’t a man’s world, and it never has been. It’s a human world. And as women, we are not only capable, but we are powerful. We have Shakti—the divine feminine energy that fuels strength, resilience, and compassion.
The Challenge of Perceptions: A Daily Battle
Leadership qualities like decisiveness, resilience, and assertiveness are universal, yet women often face additional scrutiny when exhibiting these traits. In India, according to data from Catalyst, only 7.4% of executive positions in large companies are held by women, significantly lower than the global average of 16.9%. This shows that while progress has been made, the journey ahead remains long.
Many women leaders must work harder because they feel they need to prove themselves, balance being firm yet likable, and manage being assertive without being seen as overbearing. Even today, women in leadership roles must constantly navigate a fine line that men in similar positions seldom face.
Shifting the Mindset: It’s Not a Man’s World—It’s a Human World
One of the most important shifts women in leadership need to make is in their mindset. Leadership doesn’t belong to one gender; it belongs to humanity. Women don’t need to conform to leadership models shaped by men. The qualities that make a strong leader—empathy, resilience, decisiveness, and vision—are inherently human traits.
We, as women, need to embrace our individuality—the unique power that allows us to lead with both strength and empathy. Authentic leadership is about being true to yourself, leading with integrity, and owning your values.
At Lumifiee, my mission is to empower women to lead authentically. I believe that the first step to changing how we lead is by embracing our values, understanding our worth, and owning our narrative. Leadership is not about fitting in to prove; it’s about creating your own identity, one that reflects your values to inspire, impress and impact.
Breaking the Bias: Combatting Challenges with Inner Strength
When I founded Lumifiee, it was born from my own journey of resilience and self-discovery. In 2008, after facing personal betrayal and a life-threatening crisis, I had to rebuild my life from scratch. My personal journey required courage, resilience, and an unshakable belief in my own strength. This experience has fueled my passion to help others—especially women—embrace their power and break through the barriers that hold them back.
Here’s how we can begin to shift the narrative for women in leadership:
Understand and Embrace Your Values
Leadership begins within. To lead others, you must first lead yourself. Take time to reflect on your core values. What drives you? What do you stand for? For me, values like integrity, family, resilience, love, and empathy have guided my journey. They give me strength, direction, and the ability to lead authentically without needing validation from external sources.
By leading from a place of authenticity and integrity, you exude confidence. You don’t need to conform to anyone else’s expectations; you need to be the best version of yourself.
Redefine Leadership on Your Own Terms
Women often internalize the belief that they need to adopt masculine traits to be effective leaders. But leadership isn’t about mimicking someone else’s style—it’s about showing up as your true self. We don’t need to apologize for being assertive, and we don’t need to soften our leadership to fit societal expectations.
Challenge the Status Quo: Don’t be afraid to assert your power. Leadership is about influence, and influence is gender-neutral. Lead with purpose and conviction, and soon, people will begin to respect your leadership for what it is, not because of your gender.
Harness Your Shakti—Channel Your Inner Power
Women possess immense power—the power of Shakti, which is often subdued by societal conditioning. Shakti isn’t about being aggressive or overpowering; it’s about being intentional and clear.
Use your empathy as a strength, not a weakness. Compassionate leadership builds loyalty and trust, fostering stronger relationships and better team performance. Assert your decisions with grace, knowing that you are leading from a place of inner power.
Seek Allies, Not Adversaries
In male-dominated spaces, it can often feel like a woman has to fight for her place. But the reality is, many men are willing to support and uplift women leaders. Seek out allies—both male and female—within your organization. Building a network of supporters will help you accelerate change and open doors to new opportunities.
Empowering Yourself: Practical Solutions for Women in Leadership
Leadership requires more than just mindset shifts—it demands action. Here are actionable strategies for women in leadership roles to not only survive but thrive:
Develop Core Competencies
Hone in on critical leadership skills—whether it’s strategic thinking, financial acumen, or people management. Focus on building expertise in areas that matter. Just as I pursued my MBA and various leadership certifications, you too can continually learn and grow.
Build a Strong Network
Surround yourself with inspiring individuals. Attend conferences, participate in forums, and create connections that challenge and inspire you. Networking is essential for career growth, especially for women in leadership.
Seek Mentorship and Sponsorship
Mentors guide you; sponsors advocate for you. Don’t hesitate to seek both. Mentorship has been pivotal in my journey, and it can be in yours too. Find mentors who’ve walked a similar path and sponsors who will champion your success behind closed doors.
Own Your Achievements
Too often, women downplay their accomplishments, fearing they might come across as arrogant. Stop minimizing your success. When you achieve something, celebrate it, share it, and own it with pride.
A Call to Action: Organizational Support for Female Leadership
Empowering women in leadership isn’t just a personal journey—it requires organizational commitment. Companies need to dismantle the barriers that hold women back. Here’s how organizations can contribute to creating a more inclusive environment:
Implement Inclusive Policies
Develop policies that support a healthy work-life balance, such as flexible working hours and parental leave. Inclusive policies help women succeed both professionally and personally. To mark this inclusivity, a reputed DSP of Mumbai once said many firms have started using words like Chair-Person instead of Chair-Man, and he is happy just to use the phrase Police if not Police-Person.
Create Mentorship Programs
Establish formal mentorship and sponsorship programs to connect emerging women leaders with senior executives. This will help foster growth and build confidence.
Recognize and Address Bias
Train staff on unconscious bias and promote transparency in promotions and performance evaluations. Ensuring fairness and equality is key to empowering women in leadership.
Unleashing the Shakti Within
Women are inherently powerful. As leaders, we have the ability to inspire, influence, and create meaningful change. But it starts with embracing our authentic selves and owning our narrative.
At Lumifiee, we are committed to helping women unleash their Shakti—their inner strength and power—and excel in leadership roles. Together, we can break the chains of self-doubt, challenge outdated biases, and lead with grace, empathy, and strength.
Remember, this is not a man’s world—it’s a human world. And as women, we are more than ready to take our rightful seat at the table. It is we woman who first have to believe in our power and humanity, that is what the greatest of Woman world leaders like Oprah Winfrey and Queen Victoria have done.
