Mamaearth's Ghazal Alagh 'stopped pretending to have all answers'. Instead she did 4 things that helped her team perform better

Pressure in leadership rarely shows on the surface, but it’s often simmering quietly underneath. For entrepreneurs navigating constant change, the weight can be relentless—especially when stakes are high and decisions need to be made fast. Mamaearth co-founder Ghazal Alagh recently opened up about one such time when her team had to tweak their strategy almost overnight. What she did next wasn’t about grand speeches or quick fixes—but about connection, honesty, and small shifts that made a big difference.

“There are days as a leader when the pressure feels almost invisible to the outside world, but you and your team go right through it,” Alagh wrote on LinkedIn, sharing a personal memory from a tough phase in Mamaearth’s journey. The team was working long hours, dealing with uncertainty, and pushing through difficult decisions. And instead of pretending to have all the answers, she chose to show up differently.

“I started every meeting by simply checking in, asking, ‘How’s everyone really doing today?’” she shared. These short conversations, sometimes lasting just a few minutes, helped create space for honesty and togetherness—a sense that they weren’t going through the chaos alone.


Over time, Alagh found four things particularly helpful in navigating high-pressure moments with her team:

Share context honestly

Don’t just tell people what to do. Help them understand why it's being done. Transparency builds trust.

Open the floor for input

Good ideas can come from anyone, not just leadership. Letting the team contribute helps them feel more involved and motivated.

Prioritise and simplify

Focusing on three clear priorities for the week beats ambitious lists nobody can finish,” she explained. It keeps things doable and realistic.

Notice effort, not just outcomes

Especially when results take time, recognising hard work keeps morale up. People need to feel that what they’re doing matters.

And finally, Alagh highlighted the power of simple, shared moments—like grabbing chai or coffee together. “It lightens the mood,” she wrote. These breaks may seem minor, but they help people feel connected even when the work is intense. “There’s no perfect playbook,” she admitted, “but leading with empathy and practical steps always keeps the team steady and engaged.” She ended her post with a question to her readers: “How do you keep your momentum steady when the stakes are high?”