TMR

The next generation of women leaders depends not just on policy, but on women stepping forward 

by HIDAYATH HISHAM & ANN ZAINUDDIN 

AS ORGANISATIONS across Malaysia navigate a more complex and diverse operating environment, leadership is increasingly being measured not just by authority, but by the ability to adapt, collaborate and build resilience across teams and sectors. 

The recent Women in Leadership Conference 2026 was built around the theme “LeadHERship Redefined: Unlocking Shared Strength and Diverse Corporate Future”, with a focus on empowering women leaders through community, mentorship and mutual support. 

Transforming Leadership for a Diverse Future: Shaping the Next Women Leaders in Today’s Corporate Era 

This panel discussion explored agility, inclusiveness, strategic thinking and emotional intelligence, while also examining stereotypes, structural limitations, institutional bias, diversity-driven decision-making and practical ways to build resilience, confidence and adaptive mindsets for leadership growth. 

Panellist executive coach and mentor Shanthi Nair, who previously held roles at Standard Chartered (M) Bhd, HSBC Bank (M) Bhd and Astro (M) Holdings Bhd, said leadership today is no longer about individual achievement alone, but about growing communities and bringing more women forward together. 

“In today’s landscape, leadership is not just about an individual but a community. That is, as you rise up, you bring women along with you,” she said. 

Shanthi said this community-based approach gives leadership greater sustainability, especially as workplaces become more diverse, multigenerational and demanding. 

From her perspective, the barriers facing women in corporate settings can be divided into two broad categories, namely structural barriers within organisations and internal barriers within women themselves. 

Communication helps women project authority and build trust, while confidence gives them the ability to step into bigger opportunities

On the structural side, she said women remain underrepresented in leadership despite progress in recent years, adding that better numbers should not be mistaken for the end of the journey. 

Women also need to stop waiting for mentorship and sponsorship to come to them and instead take the initiative to ask for those opportunities directly. 

“We don’t sit and wait for people to mentor us. We go out and ask for that mentorship, that sponsorship. We must be very courageous, be a bit more vocal in asking those things,” Shanthi said. 

She said courage and visibility matter because women will not be able to prove what they are capable of if they remain silent or hesitant about seeking guidance and support. 

Shanthi noted that bias continues to exist in the corporate world, but organisations can begin addressing it through practical policy changes, including fairer recruitment processes that ensure women are evaluated alongside men on the basis of capability, merit and performance. 

She said internally, women often struggle with self-doubt and imposter syndrome, which can be just as limiting as formal barriers in the workplace. 

The way to overcome that is to step up, step forward and speak up, while building confidence through action rather than waiting to feel fully ready. 

Shanthi added women should also look for male allies who can support their growth and advocate for them in organisations. 

She pointed to examples of women rising to senior leadership in banking and finance to show that these barriers can be overcome, but only if women are willing to take the first step. 

Shanthi also addressed the balancing act many women face between being assertive and being perceived as overly emotional or aggressive. 

“When you approach certain things like a promotion, for example, the manner in which you go and discuss it is very important. Stay calm, get your data right, make sure that the communication comes out crisp and clear without sounding emotional,” she said. 

Shanthi said women should approach difficult conversations, including promotions and workplace negotiations, with evidence, preparation and calm communication, so that they come across as assertive rather than confrontational. 

In her view, this distinction matters because women are often judged differently from men for similar behaviour, with aggression in men sometimes read as charisma while the same tone in women is labelled as emotional. 

(Second from left) Shanti says in today’s landscape, leadership is not just about an individual but a community. That is, as you rise up, you bring women along with you

Beyond barriers and communication style, Shanthi also strongly backed mentorship, coaching and sponsorship as critical tools for women’s leadership growth. 

Coaching has become increasingly important in leadership development, including for women returning to the workforce after a career break and struggling with lost confidence despite having once held senior roles. 

Organisations are beginning to recognise this need, citing programmes where women re-entering the workforce were paired with coaches to rebuild confidence and transition back into professional life, she added. 

Women themselves should be more willing to offer support to others making similar transitions, instead of leaving the burden entirely to formal systems. 

Looking ahead, Shanthi said aspiring women leaders need to strengthen what she described as her “four Cs” — communication, confidence, connection and carpe diem. 

Shanthi said communication helps women project authority and build trust, while confidence gives them the ability to step into bigger opportunities. 

“We all need to put in some effort in our communication to speak clearly, and that will build confidence. And lastly, carpe diem — seize the day,” she said, explaining that women must say yes to opportunities, learning on the job and trusting that growth often comes through taking the chance first. 

Meanwhile, Scandic Nexus Sdn Bhd GM Diana Teoh said one of the clearest shifts in leadership today is the growing need for adaptability, especially in workplaces shaped by constant change and increasingly fluid career paths. 

From her own experience moving between the corporate world and the start-up space, she saw that leadership now demands a stronger ability to adjust to changing environments, people and expectations. 

For Teoh, adaptability is no longer a desirable trait, but a basic requirement for anyone hoping to lead effectively in today’s business landscape. 

Leadership is also moving away from a purely functional or title-based model towards one that is more grounded in values. 

“Leadership is not just the title that you carry. You can be anyone. You can be just a team member in a project but leading certain initiatives,” she said. 

Teoh added that even small acts, such as helping a colleague navigate a task can reflect leadership in practice. 

That view broadens the meaning of leadership, especially for younger professionals and women who may still be waiting for formal authority before seeing themselves as leaders. 

It also reflects the reality of start-up environments, where people often have to take ownership quickly and contribute beyond narrowly defined roles. 

Teoh noted that the start-up and venture space has also shown how persistent bias can remain, even in sectors that often present themselves as progressive. 

Unconscious bias still plays a powerful role in how women are assessed and given opportunities, whether in hiring or in wider business ecosystems. 

To illustrate this, Teoh pointed to a hiring process she had seen in which applicants were asked to submit their experience and achievements without names, phone numbers or other personal identifiers. 

The approach stood out because it focused only on what candidates had done, instead of allowing perceptions linked to gender or identity to shape first impressions. 

Teoh also drew attention to the persistent gap facing women in entrepreneurship and venture capital, where access to funding remains heavily skewed. 

When she first entered the venture capital or private equity space, women accounted for only around 2% of successful funding outcomes, and that the figure had improved only marginally over time. 

Teoh suggested this is one reason women need to be given more visible platforms to present ideas, demonstrate capability and claim space in the business landscape.

“A lot of times, it is because we doubt ourselves so much because we feel that we are incapable of doing it. Even sometimes you’ve been given the opportunity right to your face, you doubt yourself,” she said.

Teoh said women should be more willing to accept opportunities instead of disqualifying themselves before they have even tried. “Don’t reject it. Say yes and figure it out later,” she said.

Her point was not that preparation does not matter, but that too many women retreat too early when uncertainty is still manageable. 

The better approach is to trust that one can learn, adapt and seek help where needed, rather than treating uncertainty as a reason to step back. 

Teoh said she had been fortunate to benefit from strong mentors throughout her career, including senior leaders who acted not only as advisers but also as sponsors. 

One of her former bosses consistently pushed her beyond her comfort zone by assigning her major projects and trusting her to take the lead. 

Women need to stop waiting for mentorship and sponsorship to come, instead take the initiative to ask for those opportunities directly

The presence of an advocate who believes in someone’s potential can make a major difference in whether that person is given room to grow, she said.

At the same time, Teoh stressed that mentorship only works if women are willing to take it on board, learn from it and act on it. Teoh also said women should not rely on only one type of leader for guidance, but should seek both female and male mentors or sponsors to understand different leadership mindsets and ways of handling difficult situations.

That helps women see how different leaders navigate people, risk and high-stakes environments. 

On communication, Teoh said it is often misunderstood as simply the act of speaking, when in reality it includes observation, timing, tone, word choice and sensitivity to context. 

She said in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence (AI), communication remains one of the few human capabilities that technology cannot truly replace. 

The discussion then moved from corporate and start-up settings into a more structured and high-stakes environment. 

The Defence Ministry’s Malaysia Institute of Defence and Security (MIDAS) director of Comparative Technology Study Centre Col Ts Dr Maimunah Omar reflected on leadership within Malaysia’s defence ecosystem.

She said leadership in defence should not be viewed narrowly as something confined to uniformed personnel or command structures alone.

“Defence is not solely the responsibility of those in uniform — it’s the responsibility of each of us to defend our country in terms of economy, education, resilience, building a community, living in peace and harmony,” she said. 

This reflects a broader whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, where leadership is increasingly shaped by the ability to communicate, build networks and align different sectors towards shared goals. 

Maimunah also said a broader view of leadership is becoming more important as organisations manage increasingly diverse workforces made up of different generations, capabilities and expectations. 

“As a leader, we need to know what are their advantages and weaknesses,” she explained. Effective leadership lies in understanding these differences and combining the strengths of each group, from the discipline associated with older generations to the creativity, collaboration and digital fluency more often found among younger ones. 

At the same time, Maimunah was candid about the barriers women still face in hierarchical and male-dominated environments such as the military. 

“Men have a perception that women are not suited to this job, even a burden,” she said. Maimunah added that such perceptions continue to shape how women are treated, even though there are many functions where women perform strongly, including in human resources, training and think tank roles.

The challenge is not always external, as women can at times face resistance from fellow women within rigid rank-based structures. To break through those barriers, she said women must build credibility through knowledge, preparation and consistency.

She said women must come prepared with substance and data, especially in high-stakes settings where credibility is closely tied to competence and outcomes.

Drawing from her own experience, Maimunah said she chose to pursue a PhD using her own funds at a time when women in the military were not strongly encouraged to further their studies. 

This decision eventually strengthened her professional standing and allowed her to inspire others, even though the path was initially marked by scepticism and a lack of support. 

For Maimunah, one of the most important leadership lessons is the ability to turn constraints into opportunities. 

After completing her PhD, she was placed in a think tank role which she used to expand her network, build friendships and strengthen her visibility beyond the institution. 

“I was recognised internationally before I was recognised locally,” she said. 

Leadership is not just the title that you carry. You can be anyone, you can be just a team member in a project but leading certain initiatives

International exposure, including programmes in the US, helped broaden Maimunah’s perspective and open doors that may not have come through a more conventional career path. 

Maimunah also addressed the balance between assertiveness and empathy, saying both are necessary in leadership, particularly in defence settings. 

She said assertiveness in the military serves as a form of boundary-setting, while empathy is often shown through quieter acts of care towards subordinates and their families. 

Looking ahead, she said aspiring women leaders must take ownership of their own development rather than waiting for institutions to plan their future for them. 

She added that women should make full use of opportunities to build skills and knowledge, while staying away from distractions that can derail long-term progress. 

“Avoid office politics and drama, you wouldn’t know when these will betray you,” she said. 

In closing, Maimunah urged aspiring leaders to keep moving even when the path is painful and isolating, saying resilience, adaptability and self-belief remain essential in navigating change and uncertainty. 

Taken together, the panel showed that while leadership challenges differ across corporate, entrepreneurial and institutional settings, the demands are becoming increasingly similar. 

Women leaders are being asked to combine confidence with empathy, agility with discipline and ambition with the willingness to help others move forward. 

Just as importantly, the discussion suggested that shaping the next generation of women leaders will depend not only on policy or representation targets, but also on whether women are prepared to step forward, keep learning and claim space in environments that may not always be designed for them.

• This article first appeared in The Malaysian Reserve weekly print edition

The post Women leaders must adapt, speak up and turn barriers into opportunities appeared first on The Malaysian Reserve.