The sustainable mindset needs to come from the top. As I keep iterating in most of my posts that leadership is not a designation but an attitude, sustainable leadership is an evolved attitude, it’s a mindset. That said, people with considerable clout need to be frontrunning this mindset.

I believe that the world becomes a better place to live when we are all open about learning from one another’s successes and mistakes.

Authentic leadership is about leading from the heart, and not just the mind. Therefore, authentic leaders communicate with empathy and connect with co-workers on an emotional level.

Change pushed me out of my comfort zone. It made me braver as I left my home grounds and explored a new land.

Feminism as an ideology, and social and political movement, is something that is rooted deeply in my psyche and that of millions of women worldwide. And that’s no surprise as the narratives around the political, economic, and cultural equality of women took root way back in the 19th century.

In 2019, during the first lock-down, when I was reading the bestseller by Giulia Enders on the human gut, I had an “Aha!” moment as I realized the startling similarities between nurturing soil and nurturing people.

The challenge is to keep the participants engaged – something that can be done with exercises, interactive breakout room sessions, and opinion polls. Participants’ focus is normally higher, as there are fewer distractions in a virtual format and people can’t simply wander off.

As I tell them the science of discovering their top strengths, I feel many fears fading away in silence. As I go about asking questions that let them introspect and realize what they are great at, that let them learn about their strengths on their own, I hear a lot of ‘wow’s’ and ‘whoa’s’ and ‘that’s interesting'.

Kindness exudes warmth, makes one approachable and creates an openness that draws people. No wonder it is the ultimate soft skill. As I have come to realize, a quality like kindness can be inherent or learned.

Teams are all around us. Many of you are part of teams, some of you lead teams and some of you are looking to build teams. Question is, how much do we understand about these fundamental units that are building blocks of an organization?

Trust is quoted to be one of the core elements of healthy company cultures and tops the list whenever I ask people what they consider important for their company ethos. So, what makes some companies more trustworthy than the others?

The virtual format also works well in terms of time management and content flow. One must keep to the schedule and there is little or no spill over.

Kindness exudes warmth, makes one approachable and creates an openness that draws people. No wonder it is the ultimate soft skill. As I have come to realize, a quality like kindness can be inherent or learned.

Teams are all around us. Many of you are part of teams, some of you lead teams and some of you are looking to build teams. Question is, how much do we understand about these fundamental units that are building blocks of an organization?

A team comprises people who may not know each other entirely. But to function as a cohesive unit, they need to trust each other. They need to have belief in each other’s abilities and judgement to achieve a common purpose. Trust is quoted to be one of the core elements of healthy company cultures and tops the list whenever I ask people what they consider important for their company ethos.

What I do know is that upper management and we as a society both have a long road to travel when it comes to all the protocols that were put into place in the last two years. As long as we strive to find a balance, have a choice, and make informed decisions - I think we will find that our new normal is filled with both relief and paranoia.

As a mentor and strengths coach that works with many large and small corporations, I am often judged for my appearance. There have been occasions where my naturally greying hair and sustainable and natural fabric attire have been perceived as out of place for the role of mentoring and coaching working professionals.

What affects us as an employee is that we don’t see it coming. Many of you may be personally affected either through a change in role or by losing your position in the company. When that happens, our first (and very human) reaction is to be shocked, in denial and point angry fingers at our employers.

My own journey with job loss started in 2017, after having spent 29 years and 11 months in a series of companies which emerged from one another, my role was made redundant and I left the company. While I had anticipated it about half a year before it actually happened and was well prepared, I did not anticipate how tough this would be emotionally.

Development is a lifelong obligation and in our VUCA world - it’s a need, which if left unattended will sideline you. Age, merit and designation alone are no guarantee for sustainable success. Plus, it sends a terrible message to an entire organization if its senior leaders neglect their own development.