In today's workplace, where deadlines loom and emotional bandwidth runs thin, leadership is no longer defined by control but by connection. And, it turns out, women may be biologically better equipped for it. Neuroscience is now catching up to what many women have long intuited. The brain can shape leadership. At the forefront of this research is Mr Kumaar Bagrodia, founder and lead neuroscientist at NeuroLeap, a brain enhancement company that uses non-invasive neurotechnology to assess and enhance the brain. Through deep brain-mapping of over 20,000 individuals, his findings show that women leaders, especially the younger women, consistently demonstrate stronger connectivity in regions tied to empathy, self-awareness, and social perception which are the pillars of emotional intelligence.

Take Aakanksha Sadekar, for instance, who leads a team of seven engineers in offshore AI drilling. In an industry where a single decision can impact a massive number of lives hundreds of kilometres away in the ocean, emotional regulation isn’t optional. It’s essential. She credits her leadership strength to her deep sense of self-awareness. “Being emotionally connected with the people around you, and understanding that a problem could be stemming from an emotional place can often solve issues more effectively than anything else,” she says.

Aakanksha Sadekar credits her leadership strength to her deep sense of self-awareness. Pic/Kirti Surve Parade