Founding Year: 2012 (Türkiye) | 2024 (Wyoming, USA)
Website: www.novidaglobal.com
A New Paradigm of Leadership
As we look at the global business landscape in 2026, the role of women in the workplace has fundamentally shifted. Women leaders are increasingly being recognized for driving innovation and improving organizational performance by shaping how organizations think, adapt, and grow.
Today’s most effective industry leaders understand that navigating constant disruption requires a departure from rigid, top-down management. Instead, the modern enterprise demands a blend of high-level strategic foresight, deep emotional intelligence and the ability to align complex systems with the humans operating them.
It is exactly this intersection of strategy and empathy that defines the “10 Most Inspiring Women to Watch 2026.” We selected M. Işık Deliorman and Novida Global for this issue because she exemplifies this new paradigm. In a world where organizations often struggle to translate brilliant ideas into coordinated execution, Işık has built a strategy, facilitation, and capability-building consultancy that turns complexity into clarity. She proves that the most inspiring leadership is not about having all the answers, but about creating the conditions where the best solutions can emerge.
The Origin Story: From Corporate Complexity to Entrepreneurial Clarity
Işık Deliorman’s journey has always been driven by a deep curiosity about how organizations evolve and how the people within them grow. Her foundational years were spent in the high-stakes, multinational environments of Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft. Leading critical functions across operations, human resources, marketing, customer experience, strategy, leadership and culture exposed her to complex organizational dynamics. “I became fascinated by how small shifts in leadership thinking or organizational alignment could completely change the trajectory of a company,” says Işık.
Over time, she observed a recurring phenomenon: companies do not struggle because they lack visionary ideas or strategies; they struggle because they cannot translate those ideas into coordinated, everyday action. Recognizing this gap, Işık founded Novida Global. What began in Türkiye in 2012 and expanded to the U.S. in 2024 was built on a singular vision—to create a space where strategy, innovation, and human-centered transformation seamlessly converge. This is brought to life through structured, facilitation-driven workshops that translate strategy into coordinated execution.
In conversation with M. Işık Deliorman
What does being an ‘inspiring woman’ mean to you personally?
For me, being an inspiring woman is not about titles or visibility—it is about courage and authenticity.
It means pursuing meaningful work, staying true to your values, and contributing positively to the people and communities around you. It also means being willing to step forward even when the path is uncertain.
Inspiration often comes from consistency and showing up every day with curiosity, determination, and the willingness to keep learning.
How would you describe your leadership style and core values?
My leadership style is collaborative, reflective, and purpose-driven.
Three core values guide my work.
First, integrity—doing what is right even when it is difficult.
Second, curiosity—remaining open to new perspectives and continuously learning.
Third, impact—ensuring that ideas translate into meaningful outcomes.
I also strongly believe in human-centered leadership. Organizations succeed when people feel trusted, heard, and empowered to contribute their best thinking.
How do you support or empower other women in your industry or community?
For me, supporting women is about ensuring access, opportunity, and confidence—so that more women can fully step into their potential.
We actively support women entrepreneurs through our services and workshops by helping them turn ideas into structured, viable ventures—clarifying strategy, strengthening business models, and building the confidence to act decisively. Where relevant, we also help them navigate and access existing support mechanisms more effectively.
Through mentorship and dialogue, I encourage women to trust their perspective and pursue opportunities confidently. In many industries, talented women hesitate to step into leadership roles simply because they underestimate their own capabilities.
I also believe in creating environments where diverse voices are welcomed and valued. Innovation and strong decision-making both benefit when multiple perspectives are present.
Finally, I try to lead by example showing that it is possible to build a meaningful career while staying authentic and values-driven.
What advice would you give to the next generation of women leaders?
My advice would be simple: discover your authentic self, and never stop growing into it. The world does not need more women trying to fit into someone else’s mold; it needs women who lead from truth, courage, and self-awareness.
Do not wait for perfect certainty before taking action. Growth often happens through learning, experimentation, and reflection. Invest in developing both strategic thinking and emotional intelligence. The strongest leaders understand systems, but they also understand people and they remain deeply connected to who they are.
Finally, build supportive networks. Leadership does not have to be a solitary journey. When women support one another and lead authentically, they create powerful change for themselves, their communities, and the world around them.
What are your goals or exciting plans for 2026?
In 2026, my focus is on expanding Novida Global’s impact across strategy, growth, transformation, and innovation. We are continuing to design and develop innovative workshop-based programs—including strategy, business design, and leadership alignment workshops—that strengthen leadership capability, innovation thinking, and strategic alignment, while also shaping new startup venture programs that support founders from idea to scalable growth. We also support organizations in organizational change management, particularly in complex contexts such as digital transformation initiatives and M&A processes.
Another exciting area is the development of our facilitation and capability-building programs, designed to help organizations build internal facilitation capability and sustain these practices over time. I am also working on new professional books, training, and thought leadership resources that translate practical experience in leadership and change, creativity, and facilitation into structured, usable insight.
Alongside this, I am exploring new collaborations and initiatives that bring strategy, innovation, leadership development, and facilitation together—across executive workshops, leadership offsites, and multi-session programs—in ways that help organizations and professionals navigate complexity with greater clarity, creativity, and confidence.
M. Işık Deliorman, Founder & CEO
M. Işık Deliorman is a strategic advisor, transformation partner, and creative entrepreneur. With a background in Industrial Engineering and a Master’s degree in Innovation, Strategy, Change and Culture, she brings a rare, multidisciplinary perspective to the business world.
Having held senior leadership roles driving operations, HR, strategy, and change management across Türkiye, Europe, and the Middle East for tech giants like HP and Microsoft, she possesses a deep understanding of global organizational dynamics. Today, she is recognized for building trust-based partnerships, turning complexity into clarity, and empowering leaders to craft future possibilities through dialogue and creative vision.
