Leading Through Change

The first steps for equality begins with us acknowledging legislation is the catalyst for reform, especially in addressing workplace disparities. Financial independence is the cornerstone of empowerment, and it starts with taking corrective actions now. While quotas exist for caste and religion in education to uplift the disenfranchised, I hold mixed feelings about workplace quotas, cautious of potential mediocrity. Notably, women's presence on boards surged only when legislation mandated gender diversity – a fact highlighted by the Credit Suisse survey, revealing a 25% outperformance by companies with 1 to 3 females on the board. The writing on the wall is clear – the next step in empowering women is overdue. Positive strides have been made, but there's still ground to cover. Legislation addressing equal pay and incentivizing corporations to hire more women, with rewards as benefits, can be a game-changer. Highlighting some empowering laws: 1. The Hindu Succession Act 1956 was recently amended ensuring equal property rights for sons and daughters. 2. The Triple Talaq Law (Muslim Women Act, 2019) safeguards Muslim women's rights. It aimed to address the long-standing issue of instant divorce, among Muslim women. An article in India Today cites a survey by Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan revealing that 95 per cent of divorced women received no maintenance from their husbands. 3.The historic women’s reservation bill amends the constitution to provide one-third reservation in Lok Sabha and state assembly. This move, coupled with extended terms for reserved seats, fosters sustained leadership opportunities and amplifies women's voices in local decision-making processes. First, our country has to set the standard to treat us equally by giving us rights only then can we hope to change and affect the fabric of society to respect and treat women with dignity. 'Beti Bachao' is the need of the hour. Legislators I hope you're listening. #Empowerment #Equality #LegislationForChange #womensrights #diversity

Trust is built in drops and lost in buckets, and we’re running out of buckets. If you're leading teams through #AI adoption, navigating #hybrid work, or just steering through the tempest that is 2025, there's a crucial factor that could make or break your success: #trust. And right now, it's in free fall. Edelman's Trust Barometer showed an "unprecedented decline in employer trust" -- the first time in their 25 years tracking that trust in business fell. It's no surprise: midnight #layoff emails, "do more with less," #RTO mandates, and fears of #GenAI displacement given CEO focus on efficiency are all factors. The loss of #trust will impact performance. The Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) research shows high performing organizations have 10-11X higher trust between employees and leaders. Trust impacts #engagement, #innovation and #technology adoption, especially AI. My latest newsletter gets beyond the research and into what leaders can do today to start rebuilding trust You can't command-and-control your way through a complete overhaul of how we work... Trust is a two-way street. Leaders need to go first, but we also have to rebuild the gives-and-takes of employer/employee relationships. Three starting points: 1️⃣ Clear Goals, Real Accountability. Stop monitoring attendance and start measuring outcomes. Give teams clear goals and autonomy in how they achieve them. 2️⃣ Transparency with Guardrails. Break down information silos. Share context behind decisions openly - even difficult ones. Establish guardrails for meaningful conversations internally (instead of rock-throwing externally). 3️⃣ Show Vulnerability. Saying "I don't know" isn't weakness–it's an invitation for others to contribute. The word “vulnerability” seems anathema to too many public figures at the moment, who instead are ready to lock themselves in the Octagon with their opponents. But what’s tougher for them: taking a swing at someone, or admitting to their own limitations? This isn't just about CEOs. Great leaders show up at all levels of the org chart, creating "trust bubbles:" pockets of high performance inside even the most challenging environments. If you're one of those folks, thank you for what you do! 👉 Link to the newsletter in comments; please read (it's free) and let me know what you think! #FutureOfWork #Leadership #Management #Culture

Good to see this critical climate leadership from Colombia: "Colombia is set to announce a $40 billion investment plan aimed at replacing fossil-fuel export revenues that are expected to decline after the country ended new oil and gas exploration two years ago.... Muhamad said the package will mimic the Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs) that have been signed between developed nations and Vietnam, South Africa, Senegal and Indonesia. These are aimed at reducing those countries' dependence on coal through early retirements of coal power plants and increasing renewable energy... However, the deals have struggled amid political divisions among ministries in the recipient countries and heavy bureaucracy. If Muhamad succeeds at forging a “JETP-like” arrangement, as she described it, it will be done using a new approach where multilateral development banks play a bigger role in terms of both finance and technical expertise…." “All of this is a huge economic transformation,” Muhamad said. “The portfolio of investments is around developing sectors that we think could start replacing oil revenues.” She added that the money will go to nature-based climate solutions, clean energy and electrification of transport, as well as projects that improve agricultural practices and protect biodiversity." #fossilfuelphaseout #climatetransition #climatefinance https://lnkd.in/g54XsGrV

You're a successful senior woman leader working long hours to meet demanding KPIs while trying to manage your life and family. You'd love to quit your job to work for yourself, but money is a problem. This is the challenge I spoke about to these ladies from PHOENIXUS. Like many of the clients I meet in the course of my work, some of these ladies want to exit their corporate jobs to start their own thing, but feel tied down by financials. The solution? Start it as a side hustle. Build your practice until it is able to sustain your lifestyle before quitting your day job. To do that, you'll need a few things. This is what I shared in my talk: 1. Know your end game What are you going to do? Will you be a coach, a consultant, or a public speaker? Is this your second career or a retirement job? (Yes, it matters) What you want to achieve will be a big determining factor in deciding how to achieve it. 2. Identify your unfair advantage Why would anyone want to engage you? What do you have that no one else does? Knowing your own strengths and overcoming your own limiting beliefs will be instrumental in your success. 3. Build your brand In an extremely crowded market, how do you stand out? If you're holding a full time job, you don't have the time to be chasing down clients every day so you need clients to come to you. What kind of brand are you building to ensure that happens? 4. Create a system for yourself You're a senior leader. It goes without saying that you're busy. You need a system to keep your side hustle running even when you're busy. Delegate or automate as much as you can so that you're only doing the most high value activities in the building of your practice. I love speaking to the ladies, and received many positive feedback that this is something they're looking for. If, like these ladies, you're looking for support to come out on your own from corporate, PM me. #womenleaders #entrepreneurship #sidehustle #careertransition #secondcareer

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 Ever been in a situation where something goes wrong, and suddenly everyone’s pointing fingers—but nobody’s actually responsible? A deadline gets missed. The “why” turns into a blame game. People start defending, deflecting, or going silent. The real issues stay underground, and collaboration tanks. Energy shifts from solving problems to self-protection. You end up with a culture where people play it safe, avoid risk, and disengage emotionally. What you're tempted to say is: “Can everyone please be professional?” “Can someone explain why this happened?” “This team needs to get its act together.” “Let’s just move on. Next time, do better.” “I don’t want to hear about problems, bring me solutions.” As an emotion-focused psychotherapist, I learnt this term in unpacking systemic communication within families and couples: "Everyone is at fault, but no one is to blame." Because if you listen, the issue isn't what's said in blame but what's felt in one's needs. Blame is the enemy of wellbeing. The key to the deadlock in a culture built on zero-sum games is acceptance, accountability and amends. If you’re a leader (or even just a human at work), you’ve been there. Blame doesn’t just break trust—it breaks wellbeing. Chronic blame creates anxiety, kills psychological safety, and makes even the most talented people start plotting their exit. Here are 5 phrases to navigate the heavy conversation instead. 1. “I can see this situation is frustrating for everyone, and your feelings are valid.” This phrase acknowledges the emotional state of the team without dismissing or minimizing anyone’s experience. 2. “Let’s take a moment—what’s been the most challenging part of this for you?” This question invites deeper sharing and signals genuine curiosity, not judgment. 3. “We’re in this together. What would help you feel supported right now?” This phrase shifts the dynamic from ‘me vs. you’ to ‘us vs. the problem.’ It’s an invitation to co-create solutions, not just assign fault. 4. “I appreciate everyone’s honest emotions. Right now, let’s focus on understanding, not assigning blame.” This directly addresses the urge to blame and redirects the group toward constructive dialogue. It models calm and sets a tone for open communication, as suggested in the documents. 5. “Beneath your frustration, I know everyone is yearning for a better result. What could we focus on as our next step?” This phrase does two things at once: it acknowledges the real, raw frustration in the room (which is so often swept under the carpet), and it honors the positive intent behind it—the collective desire for improvement. The more energy spent on self-protection, the less available for creativity, empathy, and real performance. If you want a team that thrives under pressure, start by removing the sting of blame. Real growth comes when we solve the problem collectively without needing to make anyone the villain.

The old model of foreign aid is dying. And that might be the best news the climate transition has had all year. For decades, the approach was straightforward: governments provided aid to fund specific projects. But the scale of the climate crisis demands a bigger, smarter and more collaborative playbook. That new playbook is emerging right now across the Indo-Pacific. It starts with catalytic public funds. Australia's aid budget, for example, now includes a A$126 million 'Climate Catalyst Window' designed to de-risk projects. This initial spark of public funding is designed to unlock scale-up finance from development banks, creating the blended finance model needed to attract private capital. This incredible photograph from the Kyeema Foundation is the story in microcosm. It shows a coral gardener in Fiji from the Community-led Coral Reef Restoration project, a groundbreaking initiative that propagates heat-tolerant 'super corals' to build local resilience. The story behind this project is a fitting example of the new financial ecosystem at work. It's a community-led initiative, implemented by Marijke Frantzen's brilliant team at Kyeema, and supported by the Climate Resilient by Nature (CRxN) initiative. CRxN itself is a partnership between the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and WWF-Australia. Making this new financial architecture actually work on the ground requires a whole new kind of collaboration. It’s a complete ecosystem. You need the strategic practitioners like Lee Stewart (ESG Strategy), who design the frameworks for these community-led projects. You need the on-the-ground leaders like Eunice Wotene (Oxfam in the Pacific), who ensure this work creates real, equitable impact. And you need the brilliant communicators who can translate these complex partnerships into compelling public narratives – the vital work being led by people like Tui Marseu (WWF-Pacific), Veronica Joseph (WWF-Australia), Sheldon Chanel (UNCDF), Denali Hussin (CFAN), Hamish Wyatt and Mue Bentley Fisher (The World Bank) and Epeli Nakautoga (IUCN). It’s an exciting new era of financial innovation. Our job as storytellers is to craft the human narratives that will help direct this capital to where it’s needed most. #ClimateFinance #InternationalDevelopment #ClimateStorytelling #IndoPacific #BlendedFinance

"𝘽𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜" We talk about it for decades. Create programs. Launch initiatives. Yet women remain dramatically underrepresented in leadership worldwide.   Let me share what I learned studying 10,000 companies across ASX and NASDAQ:   𝗙𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟱% 𝗺𝗲𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮 𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽.   Traditional approaches FAIL because they focus on the wrong problem.   We keep trying to "fix" women: • More training • More mentorship • More confidence building   These approaches assume women need to change. They ignore the real barriers.   Women already know how to lead. They need DIRECT paths to actual positions.   𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮: • Training completion rates: 𝗛𝗜𝗚𝗛 • Leadership representation: 𝗟𝗢𝗪 • Board position access: 𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗠𝗔𝗟 • Real opportunity creation: 𝗔𝗟𝗠𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝗭𝗘𝗥𝗢   Here's what actually works:   1. Direct connections to decision makers 2. Intentional recruitment for leadership roles 3. Removing structural barriers 4. Creating measurable paths to power   I saw this work at our recent networking events. We stopped doing inspiration sessions. Started making actual introductions.   Result: Waitlist without marketing in 5 events.   OPPORTUNITY beats inspiration every time.   𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀: • Tangible leadership positions • Direct board connections • Measurable advancement metrics • Clear pathways to power   The future demands balanced leadership. Not because it's right. Because it delivers better business results. https://lnkd.in/gx9YunDn

A knee-jerk reaction to team resistance might be: “Fire them all and start again.” But here’s the truth you probably don’t want to hear: Your team isn’t resisting change, they’re resisting you. That’s a tough pill to swallow, but let’s be honest, change rarely fails because the idea is bad. It fails because trust is broken and because you skipped the “why,” and fear filled the silence you left behind. When your team pushes back, here’s what they’re really saying: “I don’t trust where this is going.” “No one asked me.” “I’m scared, and I don’t feel safe saying that out loud.” “You’ve changed things before and left us to clean up the mess.” Change is emotional, human, and messy. So if you want real buy-in? Don’t start with a strategy deck, start with your people. Here’s how: 1️⃣ Ask Invite input early. Before rolling out a change, ask your team what they think. What are their worries? What would make this easier for them? Use open-ended questions like: “What do you see as the biggest challenge here?” “How do you think this change could help us?” 2️⃣ Listen Really listen. Don’t just nod along, take notes, ask clarifying questions, and reflect back what you’re hearing. Acknowledge the emotion: “It sounds like you’re worried about how this will impact your workload. That’s a valid concern.” 3️⃣ Validate Show you value their perspective. Even if you can’t act on every suggestion, let them know their voice matters. Be transparent about any constraints. Make the change with them, not to them. Co-create solutions. Let the team own parts of the process. When things get tough, solve problems together, not in isolation. And when things get bumpy? Because they will: ✅ Celebrate the tiny wins, because they matter more than you think. ✅ Talk about the challenges and fix them together. When leaders try to solve the bumpiness alone, they leave their team feeling lost at sea. And let’s be honest, that’s a tough place to be left alone. So bring your team into the journey, or at least keep them in the discussion. My rule is simple: If it impacts them, communicate, don’t hide. Want to drive change that actually sticks? Start with trust, not tactics.

Most leaders and managers often get 'building trust' wrong. They think it’s built through team bonding, feel-good speeches, or simply “giving it time” to get to know each other. But trust doesn’t come from feeling good. It comes from clarity. A few years ago, a large CRM company went through mass layoffs. They brought me in to run leadership workshops, and one exec asked me: "𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵-𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯? 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴, 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮-𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘹𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘴?" I told them: "Because you can’t build trust if people don’t even have clarity on where they stand." 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱, 𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺, 𝗻𝗼 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 ‘𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲’ 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗶𝘅 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁. When people are uncertain, they don’t need reassurance. They need clarity. Clarity on the past → Why something happened. Clarity on the present → The reality we’re in. Clarity on the future → What’s known, what’s uncertain, and what it means for the team. You don’t ask people to trust you. You create an environment where trust is earned through transparency, consistency, and delivering on what you can control. If you’re leading a team, start here: Before asking for trust, ask yourself: Have I made things clear? Would love to hear your take. Drop it in the comments. #Leadership #Trust #Teamwork #Clarity --- I’m Hugo Pereira, co-founder of Ritmoo and fractional growth operator. I’ve led businesses from €1M to €100M+ while building purpose-driven, resilient teams. Follow me for insights on growth, leadership, and teamwork. My book, Teamwork Transformed, launches early 2025.

“Isn’t everything we do already gender-inclusive?” Well — not necessarily. A well-meaning question from a colleague during a recent internal discussion on #gender and #mobility is one worth considering. Gender inclusion doesn’t happen by default. It needs intent, design, and action. Here are two examples — one where we are intentionally weaving inclusion in, and another where we discovered a powerful opportunity to do better. 🔌 Electrification of auto-rickshaws: A gender lens in action   In our ongoing work to implement Chennai’s EV policy, we saw the electrification of auto-rickshaws not just as a clean mobility solution — but also as a strategic lever for advancing gender equity. Chennai has over 100,000 autos on the road. Fewer than 500 are driven by women. Let that sink in. This disparity isn’t due to a lack of interest — it’s rooted in systemic and social barriers: lack of gender-responsive training, complex licensing processes, safety concerns, societal perceptions, and limited welfare support. Interestingly, one health-related barrier we heard from women was the vibration of ICE autos, which EVs eliminate. A small but telling example of how technology, when paired with intent, can improve gender outcomes. 🅿️ Parking management: A fresh lens for inclusion  This month, a progressive parking policy was adopted in Chennai. It includes provisions for professional parking fee collection and enforcement. During a conversation, a gender rights advocate made a striking point:  "What if the policy mandated that at least 50% of parking management staff were women?" That one clause could change perceptions of safety, unlock new jobs for women, and set the tone for inclusive implementation. It was a moment of clarity: 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥-𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐬. 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐢𝐧 — 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐝. 🎙️ I had the opportunity to share these reflections during a panel discussion hosted by the Tamil Nadu Sustainable Development Goals Coordination Centre (SDGCC)-UNDP and the Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission, focused on boosting women's workforce participation. It was heartening to see intent turning into conversation, and conversation turning into commitment. We're seeing signs of progress.  But to truly transform our cities and systems, we must incorporate the gender lens into every space—from auto stands to policy tables. We at ITDP - India are excited to collaborate with all departments and partners we work with to advance inclusion. How are you intentionally designing inclusion into your projects? We would love to know more. Grateful to: Alagappan Ramanathan, Sivasubramaniam Jayaraman, Sooraj E M, Vaishali Singh, Bezylal Praysingh, Aditya Rane, Jagdish Temkar Ravneet Goraya #GenderEquity #WomenInMobility #InclusiveCities #UrbanPolicy #EVPolicy #ParkingPolicy #SustainableTransport