‘Best Revenge Is’: Ghazal Alagh Shares Inspiring Management Lesson

Ghazal Alagh, co-founder of Mamaearth, recently posted an inspiring leadership journey on LinkedIn. She shared a tale of self-doubt, bias, and unobtrusive perseverance. When she initially became a leader, she was in her 20s, a new mother, and just starting to establish her first brand.

“When I first became the “boss,” I was a 20-something woman with a newborn at home. Everything was new, both at home and work. My first baby and my first brand. I was learning!” she wrote on LinkedIn.

Choosing Courage Over Conformity

She remembered hearing that some employees had gone home early, not wanting to report to a younger, inexperienced woman. That hurt, and like many leaders beginning, she doubted herself.

“I questioned myself: Am I too young? Too inexperienced? For a while, imposter syndrome kicked in hard. But then I made a decision. I could either let others’ biases define me, or I could let my work do the talking” she wrote.

She set out to learn everything about the business, arrived at work confidently even when she had to pretend and owned her role as a mom and woman leader. Years later, in a full-circle moment, some of the same individuals who had left re-applied to her company and this time, had no issues working under her command.

“I owned my identity as a woman leader, a mompreneur, instead of trying to ‘fit in.’” she said.

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Excellence Overcomes Bias

Looking back at the journey, Ghazal said that being a woman in leadership, or a young mom in leadership, can feel like you have extra eyes on you, waiting for you to slip. But that’s fine, give them a show of excellence they can’t ignore.
 

She realizes now that the initial setback of losing those employees was not failure it was the encouragement she needed to expand.

“Losing those people 7 years back felt like a failure to me. But now I know, that pushed me to work even harder, and become the best version of myself.” she added.

To Every Woman in Leadership

Ghazal's message is a beacon for women facing leadership challenges and biases. She encouraged women to find their allies: family, mentors, peers, and team members who believe in them.

 "To any woman facing bias: I see you. And I can’t promise it gets better, but I can promise it’s all worth it. Every time you prove a stereotype wrong, you’re not just helping yourself but making the path a bit smoother for the next generation of female leaders... The best revenge is massive success.” she concluded.