Dear Leader, As you rise as a leader, the circle around you becomes smaller. The ‘top’ is not a title or designation. It is a vantage point and it looks different to every leader. This change happens not intentionally; you may have just naturally transitioned into it. Partly because the issues you deal with changes, fewer people share the context you have. Decisions become undiscussable, the doubts become less visible. The responsibility increases and you are expected to rise

Yes, you are a leader! A strong one at that! You decide the course of action your team takes. You decide the course your organization follows. There comes a point when reflection stops and transitions into a decision. The direction then becomes firm inside you. There is a shift. You can feel it. Strong leaders recognize this moment. The moment when the direction you want to head toward is no longer optional. The moment when alignment matters more than approval. This is a poin

Dear Leader, I have noticed something lately, the strongest leaders, leading from the forefront, calling the shots, whom the team looks up to, are beginning to question themselves. Question themselves in the secrecy of their hearts, in the space between the meetings : "Is this the path I wished to take?" It can tempt you into thinking you’ve outgrown your place, or worse, that you’ve lost your edge. But this is a crossroad. One that if led with awareness can lead to greater c

Once upon a time, a shoe company sent two salesmen to Africa to assess the market and see how the company can expand its reach. Upon doing a survey and research both the salesmen came back. One put his hands up and said, ‘There is NO market there…no one wears shoes’ The other excitedly said, “There is a BIG market there…no one wears shoes’ While one came back with an Obstacle the other saw Opportunity in the same situation. Objects  like pens, books, furniture all exist in th

I heard this story from one of my teachers and it has stayed with me like glue. Once there lived many rats in a house. They ate...

A few years ago I had an interesting conversation with my then 9 year old son. He went, “Mom, I wish I could see my future.” I turned...

#PowerfulWomen A little detour led me to this.. A few days ago, while on my way back home from a meeting, I took a little detour and paid...

Savita looked nervous and was constantly checking the time. It was 5:15 pm. My class ended 15 minutes late today. Savita, is one of the...

I was recently in a coaching conversation with a client who is the owner of a startup in India. He is doing fairly well for himself. He...

(I invite you to reflect on the questions I have added in the blog at the end of every piece) In one of my coaching conversations, a...

Sheeja Shaju was also the columnist for Dance Movement Therapy Journal of India and this article was originally published there. Sitting...