From representation to real power: What leadership needs next

The panel discussion on “From Representation to Real Power: What Leadership Needs Next” at the 6th edition of the PR & Corp Comm Women Achievers Summit 2025 brought together an insightful conversation on leadership, inclusion, AI, empathy, and the evolving workplace. Moderated by Aman Dhall, Founder, Commscredible, the session featured Deepa Dey, Independent Consultant and Mentor; Vandana Chopra, Partner & Head- Brand & Communications, KPMG; and Amandeep Singh, Executive Director PNG Marketing, Corporate Communication & Advocacy, IGL.

Setting the tone for the discussion, Aman Dhall shared data highlighting the gaps in women’s leadership representation in India. Citing McKinsey data, he stated that women make up only 13% of C-suite roles in India despite accounting for 31% of entry-level roles. He also pointed out that women occupy 17.1% of board seats in India against the global average of 19.7%, according to Deloitte.

Speaking about whether representation alone is enough, Vandana Chopra said that while diversity has improved over the years, decision-making still remains concentrated within a small group. “Your ideas are acknowledged and heard, but decisions are often already made,” she remarked, adding that breaking through those ranks and ensuring implementation remains a challenge for women leaders.

Deepa Dey emphasised on her own journey and said representation may open doors, but real influence comes from ownership and preparation. She introduced the audience to the concept of the HIPPO in the room - the “highest paid individual whose opinion matters.” She said women cannot wait for change to be handed to them and must actively prepare themselves to take difficult decisions and own leadership spaces. “If we do not take ownership of that change and prepare ourselves, it’s never going to happen,” she said.

The discussion also explored the importance of networking in shaping leadership journeys. Deepa shared how one of her first bosses in the hospitality industry pushed her to exchange visiting cards at every event, teaching her the true value of building relationships. Calling networking the cornerstone of her career, she said it helped her successfully transition across industries including hospitality, telecom, aviation, healthcare and FMCG.

Offering the male perspective on the panel, Amandeep Singh acknowledged that while change has happened, true empowerment comes only when women are able to shape narratives and drive decisions themselves. Using an analogy from the gas sector, he said, “Access without authority is like an empty pipeline. The gas only flows when women have their hands on the valve.”

He also highlighted how leadership is truly tested during crises and cited the example of senior government officials handling public communication during recent challenging situations. According to him, moments of crisis often become defining points where leadership capability and trust are established.

The panelists repeatedly returned to the idea of ecosystem building and collective leadership. Vandana Chopra stressed the importance of creating strong support systems around women leaders, both professionally and personally. She encouraged women to build collaborative ecosystems that enable them to thrive. She also advocated for collective accountability within teams, saying leadership today cannot function through control alone. “You are only as good as your team,” she asserted.

Defining real power, Deepa Dey explained leadership today is fluid and deeply contextual. According to her, leadership is not about brute force or hierarchy but about self-awareness, adaptability and understanding when to lead from the front and when to observe from the balcony. She described leadership as the ability to listen, assimilate multiple perspectives and guide people with clarity. “Real leadership is quiet. It listens to everybody before it speaks,” she said.

The conversation later shifted to the changing nature of leadership in the age of AI. Amandeep Singh reflected on how communication has evolved from physical press releases in the 1990s to real-time digital crisis management today. He stressed that leaders now need humility — not just to learn, but also to unlearn outdated approaches. “The power of compassion and taking everybody together is what defines leadership now,” he said.

Vandana Chopra added that adaptability will become one of the most critical leadership traits as AI continues to reshape industries. She shared an example of how AI tools are already drastically improving efficiency in consulting and communications, reducing the need for large teams handling repetitive work.

Deepa Dey brought another important perspective to the discussion by highlighting the gender gap in AI adoption. Quoting insights generated through AI-assisted research, she said men are currently using AI tools more aggressively for research, presentations and strategic work, while women are using them more cautiously, often for writing support or healthcare information. She also pointed out that many women globally do not view AI as a safe space and argued that organisations must work towards making AI systems more inclusive and gender-sensitive.

One of the most striking observations from the session came when Deepa explained how AI systems themselves may carry biases depending on who trains and uses them more frequently. “If more men are feeding the algorithms, then the responses stop becoming balanced,” she noted, sparking conversations around gendered technology design and workplace inclusion.

While the panel acknowledged AI’s growing role, all speakers agreed that empathy and human intelligence will remain irreplaceable. Sharing experiences from the utility sector, Amandeep Singh said that despite automation and AI-driven systems, customers still prefer speaking to real people during moments of stress or crisis. “Nothing can beat human empathy,” he said, adding that technology should empower humans, not replace them.

As the discussion concluded, the panelists shared their views on what leadership may look like by 2030. Vandana Chopra said empathy will become the defining trait of future leadership as workplace pressures continue to rise. 

Deepa Dey added that leadership in the future will require courage, fairness, contextual awareness and the ability to navigate both peace-time and crisis situations effectively. 

Singh explained, “Leadership will become collaborative. A leader is known by the team he leads and to achieve the efficiencies, he chooses to achieve. It's very important that empathy, collaboration and understanding of and developing an ecosystem where the entire team thrives.”

Summing up the conversation, Aman Dhall observed that younger generations increasingly trust machines more than humans, making mentorship and emotional intelligence even more critical for the future. He concluded that leadership is likely to become more distributed, collective and collaborative, with empathy remaining at its core even as workplaces continue to evolve rapidly through technology and AI.