








Inaworldthatisconstantlyevolving,ittakesarareblend
of intellect, empathy, and unshakable purpose to stand out—not just as a leader, but as a catalyst for change. This special edition of Insights Success titled 2025’s Most ImpactfulPersonality,shinesalightononesuchexceptional individual:Dr.LakshmiPriyaGaggara
Herjourneyisnotjustinspiring,itistransformative.Fromher early academic brilliance to her groundbreaking contributionsinhealthcare,education,andsocialwelfare,Dr. Gaggara has continually demonstrated a relentless drive to create an impact where it matters most. Her leadership is rooted in compassion, her actions guided by clarity, and her legacy shaped by an unwavering commitment to empower others.
What makes her influence truly remarkable is not only the magnitudeofherachievementsbutalsothemannerinwhich sheupliftsthosearoundher.Inanagewheresuccessisoften measuredintitlesoraccolades,Dr.Gaggararemindsusthat true impact lies in how many lives one touches, heals, and transforms.
Thiseditionexploresthedepthofherworkandthevaluesthat anchorherpath.Throughexclusiveinterviews,storiesofher initiatives, and reflections from those inspired by her, we present a portrait of a woman whose presence transcends professional milestones to become a symbol of hope and leadership.
As you turn the pages, you may not only celebrate her accomplishmentsbutalsofindinthemasourceofmotivation topursueyourownpurposewithclarityandcourage.
HappyReading!
F E A T U R I N G
Dr. Lakshmi Priya Gaggara The Inclusion Champion and the Human Resource Revivalist
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Employee Empowerment as a Catalyst for Digital Transformation Success
18 Essential Competencies for Effective HR Leadership in Modern Organizations
Business
Business
In today’s dynamic corporate world, the true mark of leadership is not just strategy, but the strength to defy odds, evolve with grace, and anchor purpose in every policyandprocess.TheprofessionaljourneyofDr.Lakshmi PriyaGaggarareflectsallthis—andmore.Herjourneyof is not only a career path but a story of personal achievement, strategic innovation, and unshakeable dedication to diverse, people-driven workplaces. Dr. Lakshmi dedicatedly serves herroleofHumanResourcesBusinessManageratEcoren Energy, which is one of the leading clean-tech firms with a Hyderabad office. Her own tale is a compelling one of resilience, innovative problem-solving, and fervent commitment toward creating workplaces where individuals bringtheirwholestoriestotheworkplace.Startinginvillage in Andhra Pradesh, humble beginnings have only seen her shatterconventionsleftandright,becomingatrailblazerwho unites behavioural science, technology, and empathy to redefinehumancapitalforIndia'semergingrenewableenergy sector
Born in 1995 in a small paddy-farming village in Andhra Pradesh,Dr.Lakshmigrewupsurroundedbytradition.
Shecamefromafarmingfamily,wherethegenderroleswere asoldanddeeplyentrenchedasthepaddyterracesthatrolled across the countryside. Genius academically—scoring an excellent 96% in Grade 10 and zonal topper in the entrance exams of IIT—her dreams were challenged by an early marriage at sixteen and motherhood at seventeen. This dramatic interlude, the product of prevailing social convention,kindledinheragentlebutsmolderingresolve:to out-study and out-grow convention's limitations. Persuaded toreclaimheraspirations,shepursuedBachelorofBusiness Administration (BBA) from Sikkim Manipal University whileraisingherbabyboy Thissynthesisofmotherhoodand studiesbecamethefoundationofherindomitablespirit.
EarlyProfessionalChallengesandJoiningtheCorporate World
Her circumstances compelled her to take care of household,she started working at 19 and stepped into Hyderabad’s job market at 21 with little savings but a collectionofcertificates.Shefacedrejections,mostoftendue to her married and motherly status, not basis her ability. Unfazed, she earned a living from part-time entrepreneurial enterprises: cosmetics by day, tuitions in the evenings, and handingoverresumesdayafterday
ItwasduringanightshiftinaBusinessProcessOutsourcing (BPO) firm, her initial toe hold in business, that reality dawned. She switched to Human Resources (HR) here, starting out as a coordinator for walk-in interviews. Having passed an entry test in labour law, she landed a job in the renewable energy sector—a turning point that shaped her businessidentity
AcademicExcellenceandContinuousLearning
Dr Lakshmihasstayedcommittedtolearningastheforcethat overcomes challenges She completed MBA in Human Resources from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU), Kakinada (2019–2021), with a strict work-life balance. And further continued to Masters in Psychology from Counsel India with specialised counselling skills in 16 areas. To stay ahead of new HR practices and emerging technologies,sheacquiredthefollowingcertifications:
• HRAnalyticsfromXLRI(April2024)
• DiplomainLabourLaws(February2024)
• ICC trainer certification for POSH (Prevention of SexualHarassment)(January2021)
• Design Thinking Certification from SHRM (January 2019)
• Diploma in Digital Marketing from Google (January 2017)
She is pursuing a Ph.D. in Human Resource Management from ICFAI Business School, Hyderabad, adding further to her credentials and commitment to research-led HR innovation.
“Don’t outsource your dreams to social norms—compile daily, ship improvements weekly, and patch biases whenever they appear. ”
Dr Lakshmi’s professional journey formally began at IntelenetGlobalServices(September2017–June2018)asan HRCoordinator,whereshehandledrecruitmentprocessesfor over 100 positions, ensuring smooth onboarding and maintaining rigorous compliance. This foundational experience was crucial in honing her operational skills and understandingthenuancesoftalentacquisition.
She subsequently moved to Fourth Partner Energy Pvt. Ltd. (June 2018–September 2021) as a Human Resources Generalist.Herproblem-solvingabilitywasutilizedhere,for optimizingHRactivitiesanddeploymentof 12engagement initiatives annually and resultant boosting employee satisfactionby30%.Herleadershipthroughthetransitionto anend-to-endintegratedHRISplatformoptimizedreporting and planning, and she successfully onboarded 44 new hires withinthreemonths—enablingswiftoperationalexpansion.
FromNovember2021toOctober2023,Dr Lakshmiworked asManagerofHumanResourcesatVibrantEnergy Heryears were defined by tangible achievement of organization effectiveness improvement by 20%, and attrition decline by 15% She designed and executed HR policies that complemented business objectives and compliance requirements in perfect sync, and her approach to training programsledtoa25%increaseinemployeeperformance.All hercontributionsresultedinGreatPlaceToWorkcertification totheorganisation03consecutiveyears.
Asafreelanceconsultant(September2023–April2024),she wasengagedbyStalwartsServiciosandAbilioITSolutions, generating ₹25 lakhs revenue in three months through strategicclienteledevelopmentandtrained120professionals inindustryreadyskills.
“Balance is not about equal time, but energized time aligned with evolving seasons of work and life.”
Current Position: Culture and People Strategy at Ecoren Energy
SinceApril2024,Dr LakshmihasbeenservingastheHuman Resources Business Partner for Ecoren Energy, a clean tech company with over 300 employees that operates at high energy levels. Her role is the whole range of HR leadership from policy creation and digital marketing strategy to developing an inclusive culture and serving as an employee engagementchampion.
She initiated such initiatives as holistic HR policy enforcement of equality and transparency, which set organisational performance and morale enhancement underway Throughdata-basedHRanalysisandintervention based on empathy, she established a culture in which capabilityanddiversitytrumpbackgroundboxes.Herrolein digitalmarketingtooimprovedEcoren'sbrandimage,which created sustained business growth. Her expertise in transformingorganisationstoGreatPlaceToWorkcontinued withamaidencertificationtoEcorenaswellin2025.
VisionaryEntrepreneurship:TheConsultingVenture
After mobilizing eight years of all-round experience in IT, renewables,anded-techsectors,Dr.Lakshmiplanstolaunch her own consultancy in near future. Her focus will be a cutting-edge human-in-the-loop HR tech services and advisory organization at the intersection of AI and behaviouralscience.The positioningistopartnerwithSMEs scaling between five and over 500 employees, helping them build climate-resilient inclusive cultures without sacrificing organization’ssoul.
Dr.Lakshmiconsultingmodelhasanoperatingsystemthat consolidatespayroll,performance,andengagementdatainto predictivedashboardsandempatheticnudges.Inadditionto these, some other solutions include culture diagnostics, design-thinking workshops, and on-call HR analytics coaches. This concept was conceived during COVID-19 lockdowns,whenDr Lakshmiautomatedremoteauditswith an expense saving of ₹1.2 crore on compliance, proving she canconvertadversityintoopportunity.
Dr Lakshmi reinvents work-life balance as three-pillar resilientarchitecture:
Present-Moment Concentration: Parallel to-do lists of businessandfamilyduties,100%focusonwhatshowsupon thecalendar Whetheritisreadingaboardpaperlateatnight or attending a science fair at 03 p.m., she concentrates fully withoutapology
Radical Transparency: She puts shared priorities out in the open with her team and family members via color-coded calendars and shorthand language to mark elastic and nonelasticblocksoftime.
DistributedSupportandMicro-Rituals:Shebalanceswith worklike5a.m.writingmarathons,Sundaynightpreviewsof theweek,Wednesdayno-meetingdays,andmonthly"digital sunsets." Balance to her is not equal time but energized and synchronoustimewithvaryingprojectandparentingseasons.
SomeofthekeycompetencieswhichmakeDr Lakshmione oftheverybestinherprofessionareasfollows:
• Strategic Empathy: Skilled at reading data and emotions,craftingHRsolutionsinhumanlanguage.
• Learning Velocity: Achieving six new professional certifications within four years demonstrates her consistentlearninghabit.
• SystemsStorytelling:Translatingcomplexanalyticsinto compelling narratives that resonate across different stakeholdersfromCXOstotechnicians.
• Grit and Resilience: Demonstrated determination with 22-hour work-study cycles, which demonstrates her commitment.
Herapproachismarkedbyanunrelentingthirstforcalculated risks,adeterminationtomakeanimpactatnottheexpenseof returns, and the drive to re-invest successes in learning and innovation.
Despite such predominant strengths, Dr. Lakshmi identifies areaswheresheneedstoimproveat:
• Emotional Overflow: Over-emoting on behalf of other peoples' problems, which she redresses through reflectivepractices.
• Impatience with Bureaucracy: Proactively working at keepingupinorganizationaltransformationtomaintain themomentum.
• Under-Celebration: She confesses to being an unusual winner celebrator, something she is actively trying to changetoensurelong-termmotivation.
TheachievementsofDr Lakshmihavebeenfirmlycemented invariousroles:
• HR30Under30Honoree(Jombay,2024):Awardedfor her groundbreaking work in HR analytics and staff engagement.
• Young Achievers Award (Indian Achievers Forum, 2025):Forcontributionandleadership.
• Top Voice in Training & Development, LinkedIn (2024): Having received over 9 million organic impressions,shehasinfluencedavastaudiencebasedon thoughtleadership.
• CreativeHead,XLRIHR-AnalyticsCohort(2024).
• Independent Director Certification, Indian Institute of CorporateAffairs(2024).
• Scholarship: Academically, she has co-authored researcharticlesthatserveasfoundationsfortheworklife balance and employee mood-performance relationship,continuingtodemonstratehercombination ofappliedexpertiseandresearchscholarship.
• HRRisingStaroftheYearAward-fromPeopleFirstHR ExcellenceAwards2025
Personal Philosophy: Inclusion as Innovation, MotherhoodasLeadership
“Human capital is the most prized asset of any organization,” states Dr Lakshmi. She is staunchly convinced that HR initiatives should be supplementing business goal towards
performance improvement, profitability, and employee involvement.Hertwoguidinglightsare:
• Building Bias-Free Workplaces: Creating workplaces where a sixteen-year-old single mother's resume is an exemplarofgritinsteadofareasonforrejection.
• BeingaLivingSyllabus:Asamentorandrolemodelto her son and young women in her community, many of whomseekhercounseloneducationandcareer.
Herstoryisatestamentofstrengthofeducation,empathy,and resilience—and of the fact that detours can, indeed, become runways.
TheleadershipofDr.LakshmistoodoutduringtheCOVID19pandemicwhensheledavirtualwarroomthat:
• Designed a geo-tagged wellness tracker guaranteeing vaccinationandmedicinedistributionto300+fieldstaff andfamilies.
• DevelopedanAugmentedReality-enabledremoteaudit solutionloweringcompliancecostby18%.
• Introduced a micro-learning playlist with 82% completionrateand27%boostininternalmobility.
• A five-day stay in oxygen-bed quarantine during the pandemicfurtherenhancedhergratitudeforeverynew morningdawn,andthisspurredherintohernewfocus onmentoringandfreeingupnon-valueactivities.
Dr. Lakshmi is a beacon of hope and a living example of transformational leadership in human resources Her journey—fromaruralvillagetothepinnacleofHRstrategy foraclean-tech—isatestamenttogrit,lifelonglearning,and humane leadership. She stands as evidence that systems change is possible when one uses data-wisdom steps with a heartforhumans.
HernextconsultingprojectaimstochangeSMEsbymeansof people-centric, technology-driven solutions that expand business and human beings responsibly As Dr Lakshmi continues breaking boundaries in HR, she invites others to lead the marginalized, challenge exclusionary conduct, and plant seeds of change, because "tiny acts compound faster thanmarketinterest.”
With the evolving and dynamic nature of today's
worldofwork,HRleadershipisnowthedriverof organizational resilience, strategy, and culture. No longer administrative in scope, today's HR leaders are cultural architects, business influencers, and strategic partners. With ever-growing organizational complexity triggered by globalization, digitalization, and changing employeeexpectations,successfulHRleadershipinvolvesa uniquesetofcompetencies.
Now let us discuss the skills which are indeed great HR leadersoftoday'sorganizations.
1.BusinessAcumenandStrategicThinking
Strategic thought is the bedrock of HR leadership in today's age.ItistheskillHRleadersneedtocomprehendthebusiness objectives,industrydrivers,andoperationchallengessothat they can plan human capital activities according to business strategy.Thisincludeskeenbusinessmodelinsight,industry drivers,andfinancedrivers.
Strategic HR leaders do not react to change; they expect it. Theyleverageworkforceanalytics,successionplanning,and organizationdesigntodriveperformanceandgrowthaheadof time. Their ability to translate business needs into people strategiessetsthemapart.
Themodernworkplacedemandsleadersthatcanspeakonthe human plane. Emotional intelligence—being able to know, understand, and control one's own feelings and possess the capacity to empathize with others—will have to become the coreofHRleadership.Itisespeciallyaprizedassettohavein working through conflict, diversity, or touching employee issues.
Emotional HR leaders build trust, improve morale, and developinclusivecultures.Theyareempatheticleaders,open communicators, and active listeners—skills more important inthepost-pandemicworld.
Modern organizations coexist with change as the sole constant each day being molded into new technologies, shifting marketplace needs, and shifting regulations Successful HR leadership is also about having the ability to leadandmanagechangewithconfidence.
Change management is leading individuals through change, reducing resistance, and sustaining productivity despite uncertainty. Effective HR leaders at this level build healthy organizationsthatthriveinthemidstofdisruption.
They implement open communication plans, engage stakeholders, and prepare employees along the way of change.
While technology increasingly molds each other aspect of work,digitaltoolsandplatformsmustbetherealmofdigital competenceofHRleaders.Fromcloud-basedHRplatforms to AI-powered hiring and analytics, new HR leadership cannotremainsegregatedfromtechnology
Digital fluency will enable HR professionals to make datadriven, well-informeddecisions, while routine activitiescan be automated and employees engaged more meaningfully. Furthermore, caution needs to be applied to track the upcoming trends like remote work technology, talent management software, and onboardthrough digital channels sothatanHRfunctionfuture-proofedwillbecreated.
Today's workforce is more diverse than ever Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not ethics period they're business imperatives. Success in HR leadership drives DEI initiatives from compliance to creating authentic, inclusive cultures.
Thatiscreatingfairhiringpractices,providingequalaccessto careeradvancement,andcreatingenvironmentswhereallcan come and remain. HR leaders must be advocates and voices for underrepresented populations and policy changes and visibilitywithintheorganization.
OneofthemostcriticalareasofHRleadershipcouldbetalent development When organizational talent is allowed to flourish and grow, organizations thrive. HR leaders must invest in continuous learning, employee development, and leadershippipelines.
It involves filling skill gaps, offering learning moments, developing future leaders, and creating growth mindset culture. Coaching skills are most valuable as they allow HR leaders to guide individuals through their career and life development.
Thespeedofchangeandtherequirementsofleadershipcall upon HR professionals to remain calm, unflappable, and agile.
GreatHRleadershipcanrideoutthestorms,performwellin crisis,anddisplayeven-temperednessduringcrisis.
Resilience isn't about personal resilience about empowering teams to respond and recover. Whatever it is—managingredundancies,survivingworkforcedisruption, or crisis leadership—great HR leaders always begin with people-firstsolutionsasthecenteroftheirpractice.
HR professionals are generally charged with confidential information and choices that can influence individuals' careers and lives. Exceptional HR leaders are founded on unyieldingethicalstandardsofconductandintegritytomake accountablechoices,withfairnessandprivacy.
Maintainingethicalvaluescreatestrustamongtheindividuals who are employed in the firm and ensures that all the HR practices follow the values of the company Honest and courteousculturesareconstructedbyintegrityleaders.
9.CommunicationandInfluence
Communication. One of the HR leadership building block skills From crafting good policies to having difficult conversations, HR leaders should be clear, influential, and empatheticcommunicators.
And don't overlook the indirect power influence skill—HR leadersneedtoinfluenceseniormanagement,workwithother departments, and negotiate on employees' behalf. Strong communicatio
misunderstandings,andpromotestransparency
Successful HR leadership today is not single-minded. It's business smarts and emotional intelligence, technology and the human touch, and strategy and heart.As work becomes morefluidinnature,sodoesthetalentofthosewhodoit.The best HR leaders are the ones who are curious, learning-because-they-caretypeswhohaveastakeinthewell-beingand successofboththepeopleandthebusiness.
Lastly, HR leadership has nothing to do with managing people it's empowering people. It's about creating workplaces where people can flourish, add value, and grow. As the custodians of culture and transformation, HR leaders are the ones who can make future-proofed organisations a reality.
Withtherapidlychangingworldofworktoday,HR
leadership is now a leading force for organizational resilience, strategy, and culture. Nolongerconfinedtoold-fashionedadministrativetasks,HR leaderstodayareculturalarchitects,businessinfluencers,and strategic partners. As organizational complexity grows through globalization, digitalization, and shifting employee expectations, effective HR leadership means possessing a specialsetofcompetencies.
LetusthentalkaboutthecompetenciesthataretrulygreatHR leadersintoday'sorganizations.
1.BusinessAcumenandStrategicThinking
Strategicthinkingisthefoundationoftoday'sHRleadership. It is the ability HR leaders should have to understand the organizational goals, forces of the industry, and issues of operationstoconnecthumancapitalactivitiestothebusiness strategy Thisrequiresdeepbusinessmodelacumen,industry drivers,andfinancedrivers.
Strategic HR leaders are not in response mode to transform; they expect it. They apply workforce analytics, succession planning,andorganizationaldesigntodriveperformanceand growthinadvance.Theircapacitytoconvertbusinessneeds intopeoplestrategiesdifferentiatesthem.
2.EmotionalIntelligenceandEmpathy
The modern workplace needs leaders who can relate on the human level. Emotional intelligence the ability to know, understand, and manage one's own emotions and empathize withotherpeoplewillhavetobecomethefoundationofHR leadership.Thisisparticularlyavaluableskillwhenhandling conflict,diversity,ordelicateemployeematters.
Emotional HR leaders establish trust, boost morale, and create inclusive cultures They're active listeners, open communicators, and empathetic leaders that are even more vitalduringthepost-pandemicera.
3.ChangeManagementCapabilities
Organizationstodaylivewithchangeallthetimeadaptingto new technologies, adapting needs of the marketplace, and changing regulations. Effective HR leadership also entails being capable of leading and managing change with confidence.
Change management is leading people through change, minimizingresistance,andmaintainingproductivityintimes of uncertainty. Successful HR leaders at this skill develop adaptable organizations capable of thriving in the midst of disruption.Theycreateclearcommunicationsplans,involve stakeholders, and make employees feel ready in the change process.
4.TechnologicalAcumenandDigitalProficiency
Astechnologykeepsshapingeveryotherfieldofwork,digital platforms and tools should be the domain of digital proficiencyofHRleaders.Fromcloud-basedHRsystemsto AI-basedhiringandanalytics,modernHRleadershipcannot bekeptinsulatedfromtechnology
Digital fluency can help HR professionals make informed data-driven decisions, automate routine tasks, and enhance employeeengagement.Besidesthis,caremustbetakentobe awareoffuturetrendssuchasremoteworktechnology,talent management platforms, and on board through digital channels so that a future-proof HR function can be established.
The modern-day workforce is more diverse than ever Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not only ethical requirements, but they’re also business requirements. HR leadership success propels DEI efforts from compliance to creatingtrulyinclusivecultures.
Thisinvolvesdevelopingequitablehiringpractices,offering equalopportunitiesforgrowth,anddevelopingenvironments where everyone can contribute HR leaders should be champions and advocates for underrepresented groups and policyreformsandvisibilityacrosstheorganization.
One of the most important areas of HR leadership is talent development.Organizationsthrivewhentheirtalentisgiven freedom to grow within them. HR leaders must invest in ongoinglearning,employeegrowth,andleadershippipelines.
It includes identifying skill gaps, offering learning opportunities, mentoring future leaders, and establishing growth mindset culture. Coaching skills are particularly valuable as they enable HR leaders to help others navigate theirlifeandcareergrowth.
Thepaceofchangeandtherequirementsofleadershiprequire HRprofessionalstostaycool,grounded,andnimble.Strong HRleadershipcancauseweatherstorms,respondinapositive waytocrises,andshowequanimityintimesofcrisis.
Resilience is not about personal toughness it's about empowering teams to react and rebound. Whatever it is managing layoffs, weathering workforce transformation, or
leadingincrisissuccessful HR lea
s always prioritize people-first solutions as the hub of theirpractice.
HR practitioners are generally entrusted with confidential information anddecisionsthatcanpotentiallyaffectpeople'scareersand lives. Exceptional HR leadership is built upon unwavering ethical standards of behavior and integrity to act in fairness, privacy,andresponsibility.
Upholding ethical standards brings confidence among the organization members and guarantees that company values are observed by all the HR practices Integrity leaders establishtruthfulandrespectfulcultures.
Communication is among the HR leadership building block skills. From creating effective policies to having tough conversations, HR leaders must be open, persuasive, and empatheticcommunicators.
AndthenthereistheskillofinfluencingbyindirectpowerHR leadersmustinfluenceseniormanagement,collaborateacross departments, and advocate for employee interests. Excellent communication builds alignment, reduces misunderstandings,andpromotestransparency.
Effective HR leadership of today's organization is manysided.It'sbusinessacumenandemotionalintelligence,ITand human kindliness, and strategic thinking and compassion. Withworkincreasinglydynamicinnature,sotootheskillof those that lead it. The optimal HR leaders are the inquiring, learning-for-the-sake-of-it ones who have passion for the wellnessandthrivingofboththepeopleandthecompany
Finally, HR leadership has nothing to do with people managementit'saboutempoweringthem.It'saboutcreating workplacesthathelpindividualsthrive,contribute,andgrow by design. Being the custodians of culture and change, HR leaders are the ones who can bring the best out of futureproofedorganizationstolife.
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