Shape The Change - with Dr. Gitanjali Ponnappa

Time to read: 5 minutes

We all love to see the best parts of people's lives online. But real life isn't always perfect. Our professional lives are not a straight line up.

This newsletter is about real people who faced tough times and found a way to make things better. They did this by shaping the change and focusing on what they could control. I am very glad to share some of their stories, which are inspiring me—and hopefully inspiring you too.

Let’s learn from them and grow together.

Here is the second change-shaper of this series: Dr. Gitanjali Ponnappa

Architecting Change, Empowering People: A Conversation with Gitanjali

Gitanjali isn't just a consultant; she's an architect of transformation, a champion of diversity, and a mentor to aspiring leaders. With a career spanning continents and industries, she kept one thing certain: people are in the center of change.

When asked about her unique title, "Transformation Architect with a Heart for People," she quotes an EY Partner: "It is not companies that transform, it is people that transform."

Can you disprove that statement?

This simple truth underpins her approach. Gitanjali recognizes that transformation isn't just about processes and systems; it's about understanding and anticipating the human journey.

Her global experience, from Mozambique to Kazakhstan, has taught her that "different is not bad or good. It's just different." She is curious, and she wants to bridge cultural divides, which she illustrates with a story from Kazakhstan: lacking common language with a team, she used empathy, a non-judgmental approach, and mindful body language to connect. She carefully selected stories to share—only those that resonated with the local culture and context.

And hear her thoughts on the tendency to only show the good side of things: as a strategic advisor to the C-suite, she advocates for "reality checks" and honest insights. Leaders need advisors who understand change, stay ahead of technological disruptions, and, crucially, remain human-centered.

Gitanjali is not only a leader but also a storyteller, bringing innovation to life through her writing and speaking engagements. Her motivation stems from a desire to provide younger colleagues with a wider range of work-life templates and paths to success.

"The further into my career I go, I am convinced that we owe our younger colleagues a wider range of work-life templates and a broader set of paths to success," she shares. This belief led her to co-found #OpenDoorInnovation, a platform dedicated to opening doors for the ones that are interested in an corporate innovator's job.

As Gitanjali's fellow co-founder, I'm deeply grateful for her generosity in sharing her valuable time to create a space where corporate innovators and job seekers can connect and exchange authentic experiences.

What's next on Gitanjali's innovation agenda??

That’s driven by her passion for inclusive leadership. She quotes stark statistics: "132 years. That's the number simply to close the gender gap." Through her recently launched business NegotiateHer, she empowers women and people of color to navigate their careers with confidence.

She's also board-ready, offering her expertise in transformation, innovation, and tech to mid-sized companies in heavy industry.?

And after 25 years as a consultant, she's prepared to hop on a new adventure in the industry. It's a new chapter, a testament to her belief in continuous reinvention and growth. Read more about her career transition with her own words and follow her, if you are curious about the next steps.

For me, Gitanjali's journey is a powerful reminder, coming from someone I know and admire, that it's possible to make a real difference in the world through transformative leadership.?

Thank you for reading this episode of Shape The Change. In this newsletter, I tell the stories of transformational journeys, stories of those who dared to shape the change. I promise, it's all real talk and real change.

Subscribing to my newsletter helps me increase visibility, and more people can read the stories of my fascinating guests. Thank you for supporting me! Yours, Tünde