The webinar explored how empathy, entrepreneurial spirit, and strategic leadership could bridge the gap between aspiration and opportunity for India's diverse workforce. It offered a unique perspective on formalizing employment, nurturing talent from all strata, and challenging hidden biases in traditional frameworks.

Key Takeaways from the Webinar:

• Empathy Beyond Sympathy: True empathy involved stepping into others' shoes and empowering them with agency, rather than just offering quick fixes.
• The Power of Policy: Legislative changes, like India's Labor Code, were vital for formalizing the workforce and providing social security, impacting millions.
• Bridging Aspiration & Reality: Addressing the mismatch between youth expectations and skill sets required mentorship, clear career mapping, and relatable role models.
• HR as a Catalyst for Social Change: HR professionals and coaches had a crucial role in providing thought leadership for macro-level societal shifts towards organized employment and inclusivity.
• Navigating the Coaching Dynamic: Effective coaching involved earning trust, facilitating self-discovery, and managing one's own ego to allow clients to find their own solutions.

#Coaching #HR #HumanResources #SocialImpact #LeadershipDevelopment #Empathy #SystemicChange #Employability #India #GrassrootsImpact #Entrepreneurship #FormalEmployment #Coacharya #InnerEyeSeries #CareerDevelopment #YouthEmpowerment #DEI #SkillDevelopment #PublicPolicy #BusinessLeadership #FutureOfWork

This episode was recorded on 16 July, 2025 as part of the Opening the Inner Eye Webinar Series

You can watch the recording on our YouTube channel.

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The discussion opened with insights from Amy Edmondson and Brené Brown, highlighting how trust is built incrementally through "micro moments" and the critical role of vulnerability. Asha shared a powerful personal anecdote of how her vulnerability during a challenging period in Bangladesh fostered deep team connection and enabled significant professional achievements. The conversation then expanded to practical strategies, including The Elevate School's CBI (Credibility, Benevolence, Integrity) framework for assessing and building trust. They also tackled the unique challenges of cultivating trust in today's unpredictable, hybrid work environments, emphasizing the paramount importance of a leader's consistent "presence." Finally, Smita and Asha offered actionable takeaways for both new and seasoned leaders to continuously strengthen trust, underscoring that a truly trustworthy leader models the desired behaviors and fosters a culture of open communication, accountability, and genuine human connection.

Trust as the Foundation of Teamwork: Trust is the "invisible thread" and "oxygen" that creates psychologically safe spaces, enabling individuals to be authentic, take risks, and foster high-performing collaboration.

Micro Moments Build Macro Trust: Trust is not built through grand gestures but through consistent, small, daily interactions and acknowledgments, as highlighted by Brené Brown's "sliding door moments."

The Power of Vulnerability (When Appropriate): Leaders' vulnerability, when coupled with steadiness and appropriate timing, fosters deeper connections and relatability. Asha's personal story exemplified how accepting help during a vulnerable time transformed her leadership journey and built immense trust.

The CBI Framework for Trust: A robust framework for assessing and building trust involves:

Credibility & Competence: Demonstrating knowledge, skills, and the ability to effectively fulfill responsibilities, proving you "walk the talk."

Benevolence: Showing genuine care and concern for team well-being, consistency in kind actions, taking responsibility, and ensuring people feel seen and supported.

Integrity: Maintaining consistency between words and actions, adhering to ethical principles, honesty, and giving credit where it is due.

Consistency is Non-Negotiable: For all aspects of trust-building, consistency in a leader's behavior is vital for dependability and to avoid confusion or mistrust within the team.

Strategic Presence in Hybrid Work: In remote or hybrid settings, maintaining a leader's "presence" (even virtually) is crucial for building trust, fostering connection, and ensuring team members feel engaged and not isolated. This requires intentional check-ins and empathetic communication.

Tailored Trust-Building Approaches:

For New Leaders: Focus on humility, active listening, observing, showing genuine respect for existing structures, and thoughtfully offering input that supports rather than overshadows.

For Seasoned Leaders: Leverage immense wisdom and experience by continuing personal growth, learning, and adapting to new viewpoints and generations, becoming profoundly inspiring through evolving relevance.

Indicators of High-Trust Teams: Teams with strong trust exhibit candid and respectful conversations, open sharing of diverse opinions, shared ownership of mistakes, reduced politics, increased collaboration, and a clear focus on collective goals.

Practical Steps for Strengthening Trust: Regular practices include checking in personally (beyond just tasks), recognizing efforts and planning (not just outcomes), modeling accountability by owning mistakes, and leading with consistent, thoughtful intention. "Cultural listening" – observing subtle team dynamics – offers powerful insights.

Model the Desired Behavior: The most effective way for leaders to build trustworthiness is to embody the behaviors they wish to see in their team, setting the "tone at the top" through their actions rather than just words.

#LeadershipTrust #EcoSystemicLeadership #TeamBuilding #VulnerabilityInLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #WorkplaceCulture #CBITrust #OrganizationalDevelopment #HighPerformingTeams #CoachingCulture #EmployeeEngagement #FutureOfWork #AshaMinion #TheElevateSchool

Eco-Systemic Coaching is Holistic: This approach goes beyond individual development, focusing on how leaders and teams operate within the broader organizational system and its interdependencies.

Balancing Ask vs. Tell: Effective leaders blend directive and coaching styles, understanding when to empower through questions and when to provide clear instructions.

Presence and Observation are Crucial: A leader's conscious presence and the ability to observe non-verbal cues are vital for fostering trust and ensuring all voices are heard within a team.

Coaching Culture Requires Intentionality: Building a coaching culture involves top-down leadership modeling, formal skill development for managers, and the measurement and reward of coaching behaviors.

Human Connection Remains Paramount: Despite advancements in AI, the unique human elements of intuition, empathy, and making individuals feel seen and heard are irreplaceable in coaching.

#LeadershipCoaching #EcoSystemicLeadership #TeamDevelopment #CoachingSkills #OrganizationalDevelopment #HighPerformingTeams #LeadershipDevelopment #WorkplaceCulture #CoachingCulture #EmployeeEngagement #SoftSkills #FutureOfWork