New leadership

Sejal Shah Gulati

What does it mean to lead with values? How do you integrate your personal values into your leadership style and decision-making processes?

Leading with values means that you have your personal board of directors in your head keeping you aligned with what is important not just what is expedient.

What is keeping you excited about your work today?

I love working on scaling companies and how that scale will have a positive impact not just on the company but on the clients and stakeholders the company serves.

If you were to start over, what is the one thing you would do differently?

I would not do anything differently however what have I learned that I am now doing differently – I would take more risks.

What’s your favorite way to unwind and enjoy some personal time?

I love to read and run but not at the same time.

Devrupa Rakshit

What does it mean to lead with values? How do you integrate your personal values into your leadership style and decision-making processes?

For me, leading with values means using empathy, authenticity, and respect for my community to guide my actions. If I had to break this down, I’d say: one must first work to identify their values clearly, and then, align their actions and decisions accordingly. It’s a fulfilling approach to work, but not an easy one. Consistently making choices that resonate with those values can be challenging, but for any leader, it’s most important to set examples through actions, not just words.

What is keeping you excited about your work today?

My book on emotional abuse in intimate relationships, a podcast at the intersection of sex and disability, and abortion laws in India. The common theme across these is their potential for impact, and that’s exactly the thing that motivates me. Every project I work on must provide me with fresh opportunities to make a difference — mostly, to society, but every once in a while, to my own sense of self. What keeps me going from one project to another is the fulfilment of seeing progress and positive change unfold. It gives me a sense of purpose. 

If you were to start over, what is the one thing you would do differently?

Honestly, if I ever had the chance to start over, I would prioritize self-care, cultivating greater empathy for those whose experiences don’t echo mine, and maintaining a stronger front against self-doubt. It’s easy to neglect personal well-being in pursuit of goals; just like it’s easy — especially when we’re young — to be patronizing about the “good deeds” we’re supposedly doing. But, both, neglecting self-scare and acting like a know-it-all savior, diminishes the effectiveness of our work. Besides that, I think I would also seek mentorship earlier — especially through a program like the G.P. Birla fellowship for women leaders — and do a better job at asking for help when I need it, instead of trying to manage everything alone.

What’s your favorite way to unwind and enjoy some personal time?

My favorite way to unwind is to cuddle with my cat. But if Her Highness isn’t feeling up to it, I focus either on consuming art or creating it — media forms no bar. One of the forms of art I really enjoy is upcycling waste bottles, lids, and boxes — among a bunch of other things — is what helps me calm my autistic, ADHD brain. It’s almost like my version of meditation. But if I’m too low on energy to make art — which happens more often than I like given that I’m a disabled, chronically ill person — I simply watch Bollywood movies.