An invincible leader of the hospitality industry, Dinaz Madhukar is the Senior Vice-President, Mall Management for DLF Emporio and DLF Promenade, New Delhi. In her capacity as an ex hotelier and an inspiring professional, Dinaz has built an impeccable portfolio that boasts of her association with the prestigious Taj Group of Hotels for 24 years. A power woman in the true sense, Dinaz talks about her audacious journey and the success story behind it…
How has been your personal and professional journey so far?
To define my career, I would say my experiences have been adventurous and truly enriching. Growing up in Mumbai, I studied commerce and law at college. The turning point in my career came in when I joined the Taj Group of Hotels in 1986. Here, I got an opportunity to work with various departments, on many interesting projects and assignments across many countries.
Before joining DLF, I was employed with Taj in Kerala, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore for three years each, and Yemen for six years. I have always been a globetrotter, and my work has always taken me to places all throughout my professional life.
What are the challenges that you might have faced in running DLF and the various sub-brands under it?
DLF Emporio is the only planned luxury shopping destination in the country. One of the challenges for us is to keep outdoing ourselves. Even though there is no direct competition, we are constantly working towards rising above our own standards.
In the current scenario, there are many luxury brands penetrating the country, and we take it as a challenge to accommodate their needs.
What type of leadership style do you follow and who is your ideal leader?
I don’t believe in any static leadership style. My role is dynamic and keeps changing depending on a particular situation. There are certain characteristics that I appreciate in Indian leaders. I admire Mr. Ratan Tata for being a down-to-earth gentleman. Also, while Dr. KP Singh takes care of his employees well, Azim Premji is renowned for his philanthropic work. I appreciate these rare qualities, and I would like to incorporate these in my leadership style as well.
How do you see the company growing in the coming years and what is your success mantra?
In terms of luxury portfolio, the company is growing at a fast pace. We have two new projects coming up- the Chanakya and Horizon project. As in charge of these prominent properties, I am committed to develop and nurture them, in the best of my knowledge and capacity.
As far as my personal growth is concerned, my success strategy is to keep learning. After Emporio, I took over Promenade and now I am heading the new Emporio projects as well. It’s exciting to fit into so many shoes at a time. Keeping the need for designations aside, I have chosen assignments for my personal enrichment and not just for designations.
How do you connect to the concept of changing women’s lives through enlightening, education and empowerment?
I relate to the concept of women being the true epitome of power. I feel that we as a society need to focus more on education for women and empowerment will follow. Eduction is the basic foundation, the ladder of enlightenment. The government should take mandatory steps and focus on providing education.
When it comes to organisational development, how do you think a woman is better than a man?
Though a stereotype, women can genuinely multitask very easily. Men tend to compartmentalize, while a woman can don many hats at a time; simultaneously, she can be a teacher, a parent, or a business professional. I also believe women have a genuine advantage because people want to be polite and civilized around them.
Do you think emotion and empathy give power to a woman leader?
Yes they do, but only when used in the right manner. The most common error is to confuse empathy with sympathy. Emotions can actually help or confuse, so there has to be a judicious use of both..
