Empowering Your Organization Through the Art of Questioning

The transformative power of coaching and mentoring is undeniable studied, experienced, and felt by many. These interventions become even more impactful when they focus on uplifting middle managers, utilizing their untapped potential to create meaningful organizational change. Recognizing this potential requires a leader with a people-centric approach, someone who values growth at every level.

This newsletter features Priya Kandoth , a leader who embodies this philosophy. In the discussion, Priya shares her journey as a people-centric HR leader, her thoughts on coaching, and her vision for shaping future leaders.

Q. Tell a Bit About Yourself and Your Journey as a People-Centric Leader

Priya: I began my career in sales with HCL Hewlett Packard , recruited on campus by NIIT Limited , but my passion for Human Resources drove an early and transformative career shift. Over the course of nine years, I held diverse roles across three global multinationals: ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company Limited , Aditya Birla Group , and 英格索兰 India. These experiences broadened my perspectives, exposed me to multiple geographies, and prepared me for leadership. By the age of 37, I was part of an executive team, representing India on a global platform.

The next chapter of my career was devoted to Urjja , an entrepreneurial venture and a family business. This phase was pivotal, exposing me to leadership challenges that required crafting unique solutions across industries and geographies. It was here that I truly understood the value of personal leadership over positional power. This journey also underscored the significance of personal branding as a cornerstone of leadership.

A constant throughout my career has been the influence of mentors and coaches. Initially subtle, their impact became increasingly evident as I assumed leadership roles. Their guidance reinforced the importance of mentorship, coaching, and self-awareness in shaping not just careers but entire leadership philosophies.

My journey reflects the power of intentional transitions, diverse experiences, and the transformative role of mentorship in personal and professional growth.

Q. How Has Your Experience with Coaching and Mentoring Shaped Your Leadership Approach?

Priya: My experiences across various organizations have been deeply enriching, particularly during periods of transformation and change. Leadership transitions, organizational restructuring, and cultural shifts have highlighted the critical role HR leaders play in shaping and sustaining organizational resilience. These scenarios placed me in familiar contexts while also challenging me with uncharted areas, driving me to adapt and innovate.

A key takeaway from my experiences has been the critical role of cultural transformation in driving success. Through these experiences, I came to recognize the often untapped potential of coaching and mentoring in creating lasting impact. Over the past decade, this insight has continually influenced my approach to leadership and talent development.

For example, in organizations such as Bridgestone India , 英格索兰 and Urjja , I had the privilege of initiating and leading mentoring programs. One of these initiatives achieved global recognition, leveraging the expertise of seasoned leaders from diverse functions and geographies to nurture the next generation of leaders, particularly in engineering, technical, and business domains. This experience deepened my understanding of how structured mentoring can align individual growth with organizational goals, leaving a lasting legacy of empowered leaders.

Q. Please share More About the Personal Mentoring Initiative You Started

Priya: The initiative addressed a critical challenge: providing mentorship from global leaders to senior Indian engineers identified as a future talent pipeline. The key was creating buy-in from global mentors—articulating the need, the potential outcomes, and the value of their involvement.

Carefully matched mentors from diverse regions and functions were assigned to Indian leaders in a year-long program that became a recognized best practice in 2009. This initiative highlighted the importance of structured mentoring in leadership development and fostered global collaboration.

Central to the program was mastering the art of questioning—a vital skill in coaching and mentoring. While virtual interactions were necessary due to geographical constraints, we ensured regular face-to-face meetings to deepen the mentor-mentee relationship.

One of the biggest challenges was creating consistent engagement. Coaching and mentoring demand long-term commitment, often beyond regular responsibilities. Ensuring mutual value for both mentors and mentees was crucial to the program's success. Through ongoing interactions and structured frameworks, we maintained momentum, helping participants see tangible benefits over time.

This initiative underscored the importance of dedication, consistency, and relationship-building in driving long-term impact, a lesson I continue to carry forward in my leadership journey.

Q. What Would You Recommend for Engaging Stakeholders and Securing Buy-In for Coaching or Developmental Interventions?

Priya: Securing stakeholder buy-in for coaching or similar initiatives is no easy task—it requires persistence, multiple conversations, and a focus on building ownership and passion for the process. The key lies in demonstrating the value of their investment—not just in terms of time and effort, but also in the knowledge and experience they bring to the table.

One powerful way to engage leaders is by creating opportunities for self-reflection. Leaders often find value in revisiting their own journeys, which fosters greater self-awareness. Coaching and mentoring initiatives naturally facilitate this reflective process, making it an unconscious yet transformative outcome. This realization—both for the mentor and the mentee—becomes the most meaningful and rewarding aspect of the intervention. From an organizational perspective, it’s vital to sustain momentum and rigor, ensuring the process remains impactful and ongoing.

Flexibility is another critical element. Changes in mentors may arise due to various circumstances, but the process must always remain mentee-centric. Organizations need to balance this flexibility with business continuity, ensuring the consistency of the initiative while adapting to dynamic situations.

Ultimately, the success of such interventions hinges on creating a shared understanding of their long-term benefits. When stakeholders recognize how these initiatives contribute to personal growth, organizational resilience, and leadership development, their engagement transforms from transactional to deeply invested.

Coaching and mentoring transcend immediate goals and KPIs, which can often feel routine and uninspiring. These interventions focus on holistic development, serving as motivational factors that drive sustained growth for both individuals and the business. Highlighting this broader impact often piques the interest of business leaders, making them more open to exploring such initiatives.

A key aspect of gaining buy-in is helping leaders recognize that these initiatives allow them to fully leverage their expertise. Many leaders, mentors, and coaches are pleasantly surprised to discover untapped potential within themselves during this process. Coaching creates a platform for them to share their experience and knowledge in ways they may not have previously realized, unlocking hidden strengths and insights.

Additionally, facilitating such programs involves shifting the focus beyond visible, surface-level outcomes like program structure, skills, or time commitments. Instead, the emphasis should be on the profound, intrinsic benefits that emerge—enhanced self-awareness, stronger team dynamics, and a deeper sense of purpose. When stakeholders see this transformative potential, they are more likely to embrace the initiative.

Orientation programs play a pivotal role in this process. They offer an opportunity to align stakeholders with the deeper value of coaching and mentoring, enabling leaders and decision-makers to resonate with the long-term, meaningful impact these initiatives bring.

Q. How can the success of these programs be measured?

Priya: The success of coaching and mentoring programs hinges on several factors, including the quality of orientation sessions, adherence to timelines, and the collective commitment of all participants to the process.

Effective measurement begins with a structured timeline. For example, programs could run for six months, with reviews conducted at intervals—such as every three months—based on the intensity of learning and desired outcomes. The decision on the review cadence and inputs should be made collaboratively by key stakeholders, including the learning head, facilitator, HR leader, and business representatives. This ensures clarity on what is being reviewed and its alignment with program objectives.

The review process in coaching and mentoring should primarily involve the mentee or coachee to ensure the process remains focused and accountable to their development journey. Limiting the scope of reviews to this level helps maintain confidentiality and trust, which are critical for the program's success.

From an organizational perspective, it is natural to seek insights into the success and impact of such initiatives. To balance this need with the principles of psychological safety, a central anchor—such as the HR or OD leader—can facilitate informal feedback mechanisms. These processes should be designed to gather insights in a way that protects the mentee’s or coachee’s sense of security and autonomy within the program.

Psychological safety is the foundation of effective coaching and mentoring. It ensures that participants feel free to explore, grow, and engage fully without fear of judgment or external pressure. When this safety is upheld, the intended outcomes of the process can truly be realized, benefiting both the individual and the organization.

Ultimately, the true measure of success lies in the outcomes for the mentee or coachee. Key indicators include their career mobility, growth within the organization, and the broader impact of the program on their productivity and leadership behaviors. While some aspects, such as behavioral shifts and long-term leadership development, can be challenging to quantify, their influence often becomes evident over time through improved performance and stronger alignment with organizational values.

Q What are your views on psychological safety in coaching and mentoring?

Priya: As I mentioned, psychological safety is a cornerstone of any effective coaching or mentoring initiative. It begins with fostering a mindset of genuine passion and commitment to the process, which naturally conveys a sense of safety and trust to the mentee or coachee.

A key element of psychological safety is maintaining strict confidentiality. There should be no external reviews of the coachee’s or mentee’s learning journey involving third parties, such as HR or administrative stakeholders. Coaching and mentoring must remain mentee-centric or coachee-centric. When accountability is externally imposed, the learning process becomes restrictive and risks derailing the program entirely.

These initiatives are inherently future-focused and designed to provide a risk-free environment for growth. They are not tied to performance metrics but instead emphasize personal and professional development. In this context, feedback is essential but should be approached in a psychologically safe and informal manner. The focus is on understanding the mentee’s or coachee’s perspective: Are they finding value in the process? Are there aspects they would like to adjust?

From an organizational perspective, there must be an anchor—a central facilitator who ensures the program runs smoothly while respecting its core principles. This role involves safeguarding the mentee’s or coachee’s experience, ensuring the process remains supportive, and fostering an environment where they feel free to explore, reflect, and grow without fear of judgment or external pressure.

By prioritizing psychological safety, organizations can create a nurturing environment where true learning and transformation can thrive.

Q. How do you see AI playing a role in leadership development and shaping GenZ leaders?

Priya: The integration of AI into human-centric interventions, such as leadership development and organizational culture, is no longer optional. Much like the adoption of virtual tools during the COVID-19 pandemic, AI is reshaping how organizations operate and evolve. Virtual meetings became a necessity during that time, and while they transformed traditional modes of interaction, they did not eliminate the need for human connection. Similarly, AI's role in leadership and culture is about enhancing processes, not replacing the personal touch.

In leadership development, AI offers transformative tools for data analysis, simplifying complex processes, and providing actionable insights that would otherwise be impossible to achieve manually. It facilitates smarter decision-making, uncovers rich patterns in data, and drives organizational efficiency. However, as pivotal as AI is, its value must be balanced with the irreplaceable elements of human interaction.

AI also highlights individuality within leadership. For example, when Gen Z employees enter the workforce, organizations must leverage AI's capabilities to provide insights while respecting each person's unique contributions. When you have a batch of 20-30 Gen Z trainees in your organization , AI can help identify trends or commonalities, but it’s the human element—coaching, mentoring, and personal interactions—that acknowledges their individual strengths, ideas, and approaches. These nuances are what differentiate one individual from another, even in similar roles.

Coaching plays a critical role in ensuring that leaders and employees go beyond relying solely on technological tools. It helps nurture the human aspects of leadership: empathy, emotional intelligence, and the ability to build meaningful connections.

While AI enables efficiency, coaching ensures that individuals continue to lead with humanity, fostering cultures where both technology and personal growth thrive in harmony.

Priya Kandoth 's journey reminds us that leadership is about more than titles or accomplishments—it’s about the impact you create through authenticity, empathy, and a commitment to uplifting others. Her insights into coaching and mentoring offer a roadmap for organizations to cultivate leaders who inspire and drive meaningful change.

Thank you for your invaluable time Priya and thank you everyone for reading. You can reach out to Priya on Linkedin