Insights on Leadership

In conversation with Prisila, Correspondent, Asia Business Outlook Magazine, Nidhi shared her insights on leadership, team management, importance of planning & organizing, and women in leadership. The Interview also focused on how leaders can stay ahead in the constantly changing business environment.

Nidhi Jain, a CA from ICAI with 19+ years of finance expertise, having academic excellence as an IFRS World Topper from ACCA, UK, a first-attempt CA exam pass, and a silver medalist in her college. A Delhi University graduate, with schooling from DPS (Delhi Public School) Noida, she's now the CFO in a Company in Delhi NCR, India, after roles at EY (Ernst & Young), ABP Network, and Cenveo Publishers Services (now KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd).

Keeping Pulse on Shifting Trends and Challenges: Leadership in Dynamic Corporate Environments

Great leaders should develop themselves through a never-ending process of self-reflection, and self-study, along with education and training. I definitely believe that ‘Knowledge is Power’! Never stop learning. Knowledge is limitless.

These days information is accessible quickly & easily on your mobile. You can subscribe to various news sources, digital newspapers & magazines, listen to podcasts, read websites, etc very easily and utilize your idle time while travelling, waiting, etc productively.

Technological advancement, AI (Artificial Intelligence), Robotic Processing Automation etc are all new evolving trends & leaders should emphasize trying to obtain the maximum benefit from newly available tools to reduce time, costs & resources. For example, I have implemented Robotic Process Automation (RPA) in Accounts Payable in one of my previous Companies.

Further, I also recommend attending seminars, obtaining certifications, and undertaking relevant trainings to keep yourself updated on the evolving new trends & challenges. I also love interacting with various people from different industries, backgrounds and perspectives to gain insights from various experiences. I believe networking is very important.

Challenges should always be seen as opportunities for growth. If you continuously monitor, follow and learn about the new industry developments, emerging technologies & new requirements of the future, you will be future-ready!

Thriving in an Ever-Changing Business Landscape: Strategies for Successful Leadership

Change is the only constant. A proactive attitude & thorough planning and preparation can definitely contribute to a leader’s success in the ever-changing business environment. Your goal should always to be to turn into a better version of yourself day by day, month by month, and year by year!

Those who keep learning, improving & adapting continuously to the ever-changing environment, shall keep rising & have success!

Learning, Unlearning & then learning new things is the need of current year & the times ahead! One must stay up-to-date with the latest advancements, industry news and economic changes.

Embracing new technology & tools can make your business more efficient & effective. Further, your team should also be trained, educated & developed to handle the new technologies. Team members should also be encouraged to propose new ideas & solutions.

Common Approaches for Leading and Guiding Organizational Teams

I believe there is no fixed approach when it comes to leading & managing your team. Your leadership style must be dynamic, as per the requirement of the business situation & also the specific team member. I have had a diverse range of employees reporting to me from freshers to senior citizens nearing retirement, and also from diverse educational backgrounds, etc.

It is important to have clear goals & communicate them well to your team. Your team should be aligned to the desired goals & be clear regarding the vision of the Company. When all work together towards the desired targets in the same direction, there is synergy. Together we can achieve much more, than each individually!

I definitely believe that you should always strive to be the leader that you yourself would like to have in your life! It is important to have empathy & integrity. Further, it is important to empower, develop & train your team. I believe you can be successful only when you aim for the success of, not just yourself, but also all your team members and the organization!

"Planning in advance leads to goal clarity, and helps in focusing on your long term goals, proper time management and efficient utilization of resources."

Impact of advance planning and meticulous organization on a leader's effectiveness and results in their role.

Planning is very important to achieve your goals! It is good to plan & set goals for the year ahead and break the goals into plans for the month, week & days....a little progress every day leads to big results!

Planning in advance leads to goal clarity, and helps in focusing on your long term goals, proper time management and efficient utilization of resources. One must be focussed on the long terms goals & vision of the Company, and the same must not be ignored or side-lined due to small day-to-day matters.

A clutter-free, organized & systematic working environment reduces stress. Calm & composed leaders are more effective & can achieve much more. It also creates a better environment for the team.

Planning must be differentiated from worrying. It is very important to understand that worrying does not improve the future, it only ruins our present! Planning helps, but worrying does not. So, we must stop worrying & start planning for the future!

Don’t be afraid to dream and then plan to turn your dreams into reality!

Navigating Current Challenges and Seizing Opportunities for Women in Leadership

The key challenges that women still face, even today, is gender bias, the ‘glass-ceiling’, work-life balance and also lack of support & encouragement from family. Though it may not be applicable to all women, still many women are facing this problem.

Further, I believe that though gender bias exists, women need to understand that there is nothing that cannot be achieved by them! They need to believe in themselves despite negative influences. Be unstoppable!

‘Glass Ceiling’ exists, however I would encourage all women that if I have achieved a ‘CXO’ position, and so can they! They just need to be confident, obtain appropriate skills, and strive to achieve their dreams. Many women are now breaking the glass ceilings.

I have been lucky to have a supportive family who always encouraged me to achieve more & more! Work-life balance is important & all members of the family must support women.

As a women in a leadership position, I always try to encourage, support & help other women. I have been a mentor to many young girls, who have done their training under my supervision. One of the reasons why I like to share my achievements is that I would like all women, to know that they can achieve their dreams too!

Balancing Leadership, Self-Care, and Work-Life: Priorities for Women

I would like to emphasize that women need to know that self-care & prioritizing work-life balance is not a luxury, but a necessity! Women, especially in India, tend to sacrifice their self-care & push it to their least priority. However, I would like all women to realise that you can take care of others, only if you yourself are happy and healthy. Otherwise, you will face a burn-out!

Time management is very important. Besides, delegation of tasks to appropriate team members, and obtaining help of other family members at home or hiring household help, etc should also be done, as you are not a machine which can operate endlessly without breaks!

In between the hard work, make sure to take out moments to appreciate what you have achieved & where you have currently reached in life!

Vacations, breaks and periodic rests are very essential to refresh & recharge yourself, keep your efficiency level high, and boost your creativity, etc. Lack of adequate breaks can actually lead to fatigue and exhaustion. Self-care such as exercise, meditation, hobbies, listening to music and doing anything that you love must be part of your daily schedule.