Have you ever wondered what the reason is behind you becoming less successful than you deserve to be? Success is that oasis which keeps eluding even the most talented, skilled, experienced, worthy, and expert individuals.
Globally Acclaimed Leadership Expert, Top Executive Coach and Author Payal Nanjiani says, “Have you ever noticed how some people are super successful at work?”
The World Renowned Executive Coach
They generate ideas on the fly. They speak confidently and are high achievers. They build winning teams and seem to be born leaders. Others crave joining their missions and want to be around them.
What are the reasons that they are successful and you are not? Payal says it is because the prevailing myth is that success comes from external factors. The truth is that ‘Success is Within, https://www.payalnanjiani.com/product-page/success-is-within. It can be achieved with speed and serenity in any economy.
She adds, “As leaders, we have many goals. Our goals often go unrealized because of a lack of self-awareness. To improve your chances of reaching your goals with speed and serenity, it is imperative to stop and self-reflect at every step. During my training, seminars, and coaching, I give ample time for people to self-reflect so that when they leave, they feel accomplished and see their results manifesting.”
Meet Your Triumphant Self
Recognized by the media for her Success Within™ coaching, including The Times Group – ‘Most Influential Leadership Speaker & Executive Coach,’ FOX 50 News Channel, USA, ‘For Redefining Leadership,’ and New York’s Award-Winning Author, Payal is one of the world’s few Indian-American globally acclaimed motivational leadership speaker, executive coach and Author.
In her New York bestselling book, Success Is Within, Payal asks, ‘Are you where you want to be in your career? Have you gained accomplishments yet are still full of stress and worry? Your hard work is paying off. You are doing well in your field. You have skills and knowledge. But even with this progress. You aren’t where you want to be. Something is standing between you and the next level of achievement.’
Payal helps you transform your habits to achieve unstoppable success. Being an executive coach, Payal interacted with professionals in Fortune 500 corporations, medium-sized organizations, and small businesses around the globe. Some professionals long for success yet fail to achieve what they want. Other leaders and entrepreneurs can quickly build a thriving business and move from one success to the next.
How is that possible? What is missing? “I’ve found that the secret lay in successful leaders’ minds,” says Payal, who has become a business whisperer who gives professionals vital strategies to elevate their careers by transforming their mindset. “I call my system of leadership coaching ‘Success Is Within, and provide techniques for people to become the best versions of themselves and achieve high levels of success in their career,” she mentions, adding that though you absolutely have a positive purpose for achieving your outcome, your mind, actions and sentiments are often disturbed. A mind that is filled with tension will create poor results. “We want happiness and great results, but we are full of tension.” You take yourself with you everywhere. This means that if you feel successful, you take success with you everywhere; if you feel like a failure, you take failure with you everywhere. If you carry negativity, you carry it with you to your workplace. “It is on each of us to create the work environment we hope for.” It starts with ‘you. Get ready to look within and create a wave of change in your results! “Let’s go for it,” says Payal, whose trailblazing journey started with a question: “What creates a gap between where we are and where we want to be?”
The Arch of Fulfillment
Reflecting on her journey, she says that she never planned to become a globally acclaimed leadership speaker and author or, for that matter, an entrepreneur. “Honestly, I didn’t know what I wanted to do.”
Payal comes from a very loving family where education is the highest priority. And so, after completing her undergrad, she went into the B-School- not because she had a passion for it but purely because she was seduced by the culture and society of doing an MBA, and then life was pretty set in terms of career. So, she entered corporate America, where she was swamped with managing her work and living the so-called ‘American Dream.’
But she felt fulfilled because of the reality she saw around her. Despite the available information and resources and being in a land of opportunities, most people struggled at work. A huge gap existed between the ‘Successful few’ and the ‘unsuccessful many. “That made me uneasy. When I look back, I can say that uneasiness is good. It changed the trajectory of my life and brought me immense fulfilment.”
Payal left the comfort of her well-settled corporate American life and immersed herself in research to get to the root of this gap. “My curiosity and research helped me understand the reason for this gap.” It formed the springboard of Success Within Leadership, a leadership concept that is helping achieve high levels of success in their careers.
Engage Your Leadership Power and Potential for A More Significant Impact
Payal has impacted more than a million people’s lives today, so people like you and millions of others inspire her to move forward. “When I hear stories of people who have become successful using my ‘insider’ techniques and how it has transformed them into world-class leaders, I feel inspired to give more and serve more. Nothing gives me greater joy,” shares Payal.
Sharing the guiding philosophy that made her one of the world’s best leadership experts and executive coaches, Payal says that when you see yourself where you are not yet, you’ve got to do something different to get there. “I am constantly reinventing myself to help me reach my true purpose. I have a profound purpose to help people in the corporate world become the best version of themselves and achieve success.”
When you have a sense, it becomes your north star, and you only work towards making a difference in the world. “The most important thing is the ‘insider’ techniques I teach, which help people know what it takes to succeed. These are all based on the research my team and I do on the psychology of successful leaders and the brain’s science. These ‘insider’ techniques help my clients understand themselves and their environment to lead better,” reveals Payal.
The leadership landscape is continually evolving. When asked how she ensures that her clients remain adaptable and ahead of industry trends, providing innovative solutions, Payal says that one can’t help anyone much if they haven’t kept up with self-development. “I spend almost seventy per cent of my time developing my skills and knowledge to be valuable to my clients.”
Leadership is an Inside Job
Payal reiterates: ‘Leadership is an inside job. What goes on within you is what comes out of you. “Thus, I introduced the concept of the Success Within leadership approach,” which became extremely popular in the corporate world and for which she was recognized in the media for redefining leadership. “Success Within means that each of us is born to be successful, whatever is your definition of success.”
And you have to generate this from within you. It means that you take yourself everywhere. “In the business world, we are taught that when you feel there is no growth in your organization, you have a demanding boss, your team isn’t cooperative, or the work environment is hostile, it is time to pack your bags and leave. Find a new company, a new boss, a new environment. But we don’t realize that everything around you might be new; it’s the same old you with the same old pattern of thinking and behaving. Until you change, nothing changes. Begin to lead the change. Don’t just hop from one place to another. Learn to grow to the fullest wherever you are planted before you move into a new workspace.”
Payal hosts a podcast show, ‘The Payal Nanjiani Leadership Podcast.’ Sharing the key takeaways from interacting with so many influencers, Payal adds, “I must say I’ve been blessed to interact with these incredible influencers worldwide who are willing to openly share their experiences, their pitfalls, and their stories on my podcast to help millions of people who follow my podcast to become successful in their own lives and to help them get a jumpstart in their career which is possible only when you stand on eh shoulders of these successful leaders and see ahead.”
Stating the Top Five lessons, Payal says they include
- Be clear about where you are going.
- Deliver more than expected.
- Solve bigger problems.
- Be courageous to think bold and big.
- Keep Moving- a rolling stone does not gather moss.
Ready for Your Transformation?
The coaching process adopted by Payal is completely different from that of other coaches. “I don’t pay much attention to what other coaches are doing. But if I were to speak about my coaching process, it’s a transformational coaching program that helps you develop your inner leader and become the best version of yourself. I work towards helping leaders bring about a massive transformation in their thinking and behaviours, which allows them to grow and significantly impacts the company’s bottom line. My job is to help you engage your power and potential for a more significant impact while you make meaningful and lasting changes yourself. It is crucial for me that my clients improve their performance and capabilities. An effective coach is more than someone who helps you master your skills. I aim to help leaders maximize their leadership potential, succeed in the corporate world, and experience a fulfilled career. And most importantly, every change you bring in yourself through my coaching is measurable.”
According to Payal, the profession of executive coaching has taken over the world, becoming a growing need today. The whole profession of coaching has evolved over the years. Initially, when you think of coaches, you would most likely think of sports. But now, coaching has entered the corporate world. Over the last two decades, research has confirmed that the No. 1 thing employees want from their company is coaching. The desire for personal growth and fulfilment is even more important these days than it has ever been.
Mid-managers are the most important recipients of executive coaching as their attitudes, efforts, and vision affect the outcomes of the entire organization. They need a coach to get out of their echo chamber and help them steer the ship. Most people in their jobs get pushed from one role to another, from one department to another- and 75% get stuck in the mid-level. The reason is- lack of vision. “In my early career years, I reached the middle-level role and hit a plateau, too- simply because I didn’t know how to maximize my leadership potential. Many of us don’t realize that leadership is not about skills.” After a certain level, it’s about knowing what behaviour changes to bring about and how to change how you think and act. This is what sets you apart in a nosy corporate world.
A person at any level can get lost in the weeds, but when a leader loses sight of the big picture, it quickly demotivates a team. When leaders work with coaches, it allows them to talk through their challenges with an outsider. In having higher-level conversations, coaches guide leaders toward simplicity, lifting them out of the fog.
Realize Your Dreams
In her precious advice to our budding business leaders of tomorrow, Payal says that success never discriminates between a man and a woman. Success only demands commitment from you. So when you have a dream or a purpose in life you want to fulfil, remember one thing: write your dreams in pen and write your plans to achieve them in pencil. This way, you will be ready for any change. One of the Bible’s most well-known and quoted verses says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord!”
“It’s a promise that even though things might not make sense to us now and life will throw curveballs at us,” God’s plan is still good. So take care of yourself––physically, emotionally, financially, and spiritually. You can only play your role and win the game if you feel fit, stable, and nourished in all dimensions of your life. “Many of us must realize that leadership is not about skills.” After a certain level, it’s about knowing what behaviour changes to bring about and how to change how you think and act. This is what sets you apart in a nosy corporate world.
Sharing the obstacles she faced in her journey, Payal recalls the biggest challenge for her was getting corporate America to believe in her leadership content. “You see, America is a place where people from India are seen as head-down, hardworking people with an MBA or an IT degree.”
“When I first got started in this field of leadership speaking, coaching, and book writing, there weren’t women of Indian descent in America that I was aware of that was doing exactly what I wanted to be doing.” It’s typically a white male-dominated field. So there wasn’t any role model or any guidance. “I had to work a lot on myself, my confidence, and shutting out all the noise from outside while going inside myself and getting the answers to who I am.” Slowly and gradually, by 2017, Payal was recognized as the only woman of Indian descent to be a leadership speaker and author in the USA.
Executive Coaching in India
When probed about how is the training and coaching industry different in India from the US, Payal reveals that for over 21 years, having coached and trained leaders from corporate America and companies in India, she has seen that coaching is a very mature market in the United States. Executive and leadership coaching in India is still in its infancy stage. Approximately 4,500 trained coaches across India and several Indian and international coaching courses are offered. Yet, the quality of the coaches could be better. Every second person says they are a coach—adherence and expertise are lacking.
“For instance, I’ve encountered many so-called business coaches and gurus in India who aren’t good at what they do.” They give you some techniques and tools and then make you dependent on them, where you spend thousands of rupees but never get the results. In addition, most organizations in India invest in short-term training programs, but too few persist with the long-term commitment required to develop their leaders. “In the United States, we focus more on the long-term development of leaders with the primary objective of helping them reach their full potential.”
According to her, there are significant challenges Indian companies and individual leaders face regarding coaching. Though the future of coaching in India is bright, most companies in India have yet to embrace hiring a coach for their senior leaders and executives. Organizations in India mainly focus on skill training for individual contributors and new managers. And then, based on their functional expertise, these so-called ‘trained’ employees are often promoted to managerial roles. And most of these managers find leading themselves and the people challenging. It is why most managers fail.
There needs to be more help available for senior leaders and executives. Most of the content is for people either just starting in a managerial position or those wanting to get into an administrative role.
Further, many leaders in India see coaching as a ‘hush hush’ activity. They feel that hiring a coach means they (the leaders) have some problems. Hiring a coach is considered a stigma. Coaching means that you are investing in your growth and progress. It means you are willing to bring out the best in yourself. It is not a remedial measure, nor does it mean something’s wrong with you.
The mission of Fostering Leadership in India
This is why, Payal believes that coaching and leadership training is essential and the need of the hour in India. The business world is going through transformation and disruption. Most of the leadership content out there in the world today is outdated.
“The best example I can give you is how the education system in India focuses on churning out thousands of MBAs and engineers each year who work heads down in corporate America, with only a few getting into senior executive roles or becoming CEO.
Further, research stated that from 2000 to 2019, the United States had more Fortune 500 companies than any other country. In 2020, the U.S. was surpassed by China, where 124 companies were reported, compared to 121 U.S. companies. India is not up on that list.
This is mainly because Indian business leaders have focused on developing technology rather than on people who can be business leaders. “We haven’t nourished their souls and spirits to be industry winners.” Along with being focused on the numbers, the top management must be willing to step up and help their people develop world-class habits and behaviours that can go a long way in growing the company.
Additionally, leadership is often a very lonely role. All leaders today need a quiet space to reflect with someone who knows what they are doing. “So, if we don’t focus on good coaching for our leaders now, we will soon be left behind.”
An Ever-Advancing Vision
Finally, when asked about the future, her vision, and how she aspires to continue significantly impacting global leadership, Payal says, “Thank you for this question. It’s very close to my heart. For 21 years, I’ve been helping corporate America and the Western world develop world-class leaders. Every time I would travel to India, I noticed one big problem -that Corporates in India were still following the concept of trained leaders- where leadership is based on position titles where there is much focus on skillsets. India is recognized for churning out MBAs and engineers rather than leaders.”
“I unite my vision with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of India being a developed country. That’s what I have come down to India for. A massive chunk of the economic growth of a nation comes from the organization and its people. I have seen that India has excellent talent, rich talent, and a considerable workforce. When this workforce develops itself as a world-class leader, it significantly impacts the organization’s growth. When the organization grows, it highly affects the economic development of a country.”
“I feel honoured that I am now associating myself with numerous organizations and many people here in India, helping maximum people to develop a leadership mindset, inspiring people to believe that their innate quality is to lead and to succeed, regardless of their title, irrespective of their circumstances and for this I feel blessed that now I have you know, it’s like a mission for me. I have now dedicated most of my resources, time, knowledge, expertise, and a massive part of my life here in India to help leaders and organizations grow, transform, and amplify India in the field of leadership, creating an enormous abundance of leaders here.”
Meet the Indian-American Top Executive Coach Payal Nanjiani, who is transforming leadership training and coaching in India.
Recognized by the TIMES Group as the most influential leadership speaker and executive coach, Payal Nanjiani is an Indian-American globally acclaimed leadership expert, executive coach, and author.
With a mission to humanize leadership, Payal has popularized the concept of Success Within Leadership with the primary focus on leaders making sustainable changes in their thinking, behaviours, and actions.
She has spent over two decades helping leaders achieve a massive leadership breakthrough, reach their next level, and achieve extraordinary success for themselves and the organization.
For the last 21 years, Payal has been a highly sought-after leadership speaker for organizations and conferences that have chosen Payal for their most important events.
As an Executive Coach, she has coached some of the world’s leading CEOs, Government Officials, and executives to become ICONIC leaders in their fields and get to the next level.
Maximizing Your Leadership Potential
In 2019, she launched The Payal Nanjiani Leadership Podcast to help people believe in their innate qualities to lead and succeed. The podcast, rated in the top 10% globally, features some of the world’s most prominent leaders, spiritual gurus, and CEOs.
A New York award-winning author, Payal’s books help you be a peak performer and reach your next level.
Payal Nanjiani has a big vision for India, bringing about a leadership transformation in the youth and corporate India so that India is recognized in the field of leadership.
“This is just the beginning of something big in India. I envision a world where high-performing, successful and impactful leaders are plenty—not rare.,” concludes Payal.
“Ready for Your Transformation?” If yes, then get in touch with Payal, by clicking www.payalnanjiani.com, https://in.linkedin.com/in/payalnanjiani, or contacting her at 9481250530.
