Leadership journeys rarely unfold in predictable ways. They often take shape in the middle of life’s most personal moments — when ambition, family and self-doubt collide in unexpected ways.

In this personal reflection for Adtech Today’s Women’s Day series, Anvesha Posiwala shares how some of her most defining leadership lessons emerged not in boardrooms, but in wedding celebrations, maternity leave, and the everyday moments that quietly reshape confidence.

Walking Forward, Even When the Road Wobbles

Leadership, for me, has never been a straight road. It has been more like walking in heels on cobbled streets — occasionally graceful, wobbly, always forward.

Honestly, some of my biggest leadership inflection points didn’t happen in boardrooms. They happened in bridal lehengas, hospital rooms, and airport lounges with a four-month-old baby in tow.

The Mehendi Interview

When I was getting married, most people around me were busy with guest lists and jewellery trials. I was busy refreshing my inbox.

I wanted to move locations after marriage, so I applied for an internal role at the company. The interview date came through, and it happened to fall on the day of my mehendi.

I still remember looking at my hands half-covered in henna, wondering whether to reschedule. My family didn’t blink.

“Go,” they said. “We’ll handle this.”

I stepped out in the middle of the function, dupatta carefully pinned, hands drying, heart racing — and took that interview.

I cracked it.

That day taught me something powerful: 

“Life doesn’t pause for ambition. But ambition doesn’t have to pause for life either, if you’re willing to claim space for both.”

Motherhood, Work, and Showing Up Anyway

Years later, during my maternity leave, another moment tested that belief.

I had just begun settling into a new rhythm — one dictated by feeding schedules, burp cloths, and very little sleep — when I received my first invitation to speak at an international conference.

I read the email twice.

I was thrilled.I was terrified.

Could I travel with a four-month-old? Should I? Would I be distracted? Would I still “have it” after months away from work conversations?

My husband didn’t overcomplicate it.

“We’ll go,” he said.

And we did.

I spoke at the conference while he took care of our daughter during those hours. I would step off stage and step back into motherhood within minutes.

It was messy.
It was exhausting.
It was deeply empowering.

Around the same time, during maternity leave, I made it to the final round of the Economic Times Young Leaders program. I almost didn’t apply. I had been away from the daily pulse of work and wondered if I would sound rusty or disconnected.

Imposter syndrome loves maternity leave.

But I showed up.

And I made it to the list.

That experience reminded me of something we don’t say often enough: capability doesn’t evaporate because you step away for a life stage. If anything, perspective deepens. You return sharper about priorities, more empathetic about people, and clearer about trade-offs.

Finding My Voice

One of my biggest growth curves, however, wasn’t logistical — it was psychological.

Like many women, I often second-guessed myself. I hesitated before raising my hand. I waited to be perfectly ready. I softened my language.

I would say “please” unnecessarily in professional conversations, as if asking for alignment required apology. I would frame updates as “we are trying to” instead of saying “we will.”

A manager once called it out gently but firmly.

“Why are you cushioning everything?” he asked. “Say what you mean.”

It sounds small. It wasn’t.

Learning to speak in affirmatives changed how I was perceived — and more importantly, how I perceived myself.

“We are launching this on Monday.”
“I recommend this approach.”
“This is the decision.”

“Sometimes leadership is simply about removing unnecessary apologies from your vocabulary.”

Choosing What Matters

Motherhood also sharpened another truth for me: we cannot balance everything at once.

The myth of “having it all” is often just another pressure point. What we can do instead is make conscious choices.

There will be seasons where work demands more.
Seasons where family does.
Seasons where you step forward, and seasons where you step back.

The key is not to dilute yourself with guilt in either.

Equally important is asking for support instead of silently expecting it — from partners, managers, and peers.

Leadership is not an individual sport.

When I travelled for that conference with my infant daughter, it was because I asked for support and received it. When I stepped out of my mehendi for an interview, it was because my family created that space. When I found my voice in meetings, it was because a manager invested in sharpening it.

Owning the Choices We Make

Today, I care less about appearing composed and more about being intentional. Less about proving I can do everything, and more about choosing what matters in that moment — and standing by it.

If there’s one thing I would say to women navigating leadership and life together, it is this:

Raise your hand before you feel 100% ready.
Drop the unnecessary “please.”
Ask for help without guilt.

And once you make your choice for that season — own it fully.

“Leadership is not about perfection. It is about presence.”

And sometimes, it begins with the courage to say, clearly and without apology:

“I’m ready.”

This article is part of Adtech Today’s Women’s Day 2026 series, where women leaders reflect on the journeys, choices, and experiences that shaped their leadership.