Interview with Career Beacon x GlobalGyan Leadership Academy

Q1. Can you tell us about the Campus to Corporate program offered by GlobalGyan Leadership Academy and how it aims to bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world corporate requirements?

GlobalGyan Leadership Academy’s Campus to Corporate Program is designed to effectively bridge the gap between academic learning and corporate expectations of job readiness. We have several formats of this program, for instance, as a 2-3 days’ induction workshop, or as a year-long continuous learning through a mix of digital courses, virtual sessions and in-person workshops. Young graduates or trainees learn essential tools and skills required for their first days and months in a job, and build a mindset to take on diverse roles in future.

Our program addresses common challenges that most young professionals face at work such as time management, stress, workplace etiquette, effective business communication, dealing with a boss & colleagues, and financial literacy.

Q2. Can you elaborate on how GlobalGyan utilizes gamification in its training programs, & what benefits this approach brings to participants’ learning experiences and skill development?

Gamification is the hallmark of GlobalGyan’s innovative approach. We incorporate gamification at every stage of our program journey, creating an engaging and dynamic learning environment. In our leadership development programs, participants often begin the learning with a gamified simulation to uncover their leadership styles. Our pre-work digital modules feature gamified assessments that encourage learners to apply their knowledge in interactive ways, beyond traditional multiple-choice questions. During in-person workshops, we use GlobalGyan’s proprietary board and card games that may be around personal life choices, strategic decision- making, financial acumen, or customer centricity. The competitive spirit is fostered by rewards and recognition, which boosts participant engagement and transforms learning into an immersive and exciting experience.

Q3. Looking ahead, what are some of the upcoming initiatives or developments we can expect to see from GlobalGyan Leadership Academy in career development and upskilling?

GlobalGyan’s learning philosophy is built around three themes. First, learning should be practical and continuous. Second, we want to leverage the vast wisdom and leadership practices of India by creating cases and content from here. Third, we aim to expand the reach of high-quality leadership learning, by using technology.

We continue to invest in building our repository of digital courses and India-centric case studies and simulations. We are launching India’s first Strategy Case Contest, for professionals to learn and showcase themselves by solving real business problems. We are working on several initiatives to incorporate AI into our internal workflows and learning experiences – we hope to launch a few products around this later this year.

Q4. GlobalGyan primarily serves large conglomerates in its training programs. Can you elaborate on the specific challenges and objectives these conglomerates typically have when seeking leadership development and upskilling solutions?

The paradox of India is that we have a huge supply of people, yet most corporates find it difficult to get the right talent to fill available roles. Therefore, retention and development of employees is one of the top business priorities, else most growth aspirations of these companies could be undone without a leadership pipeline.

While functional and technical skills remain crucial at junior levels, there is greater emphasis on the ‘soft’ skills at all levels. The five major competencies that we generally observe in high demand are: Personal Mastery & Growth Mindset; Strategic Thinking & Decision Making; Customer Centricity; Managing and Influencing Stakeholders; and Developing and Motivating Teams. In addition, there is an emerging urgency to build a digital savvy workforce, particularly at the mid and senior levels of the organisation.

But there is also huge challenge of balancing the urgency of execution with the time investment in future preparedness. Add to this the highly distracted, busy and dispersed workforce. Engaging participants in longer development journeys and ensuring the connect of learning with business outcomes is a crucial design priority.

GlobalGyan primarily serves large conglomerates facing challenges in people management, influencing team members, managing high/low performers, strategic planning, understanding financials, data visualisation, effective delegation, designing and delivering presentations, thinking outside the box and solving problems through a customer-centric lens. Our clients often aim to build great people managers, develop trustworthy coaches, nurture a leadership pipeline, cultivate structured problem solvers, ensure sound decision-making, and create financially savvy managers. Through comprehensive diagnostic calls, we gain clarity on client requirements, objectives, and expectations, particularly regarding tangible outcomes. Our customised programs are then designed to address these specific needs effectively.

Q5. How does GlobalGyan tailor its training programs to meet the unique needs of these corporate clients and drive impactful outcomes?

To ensure our training programs meet the specific needs of Indian corporates, we undertake thorough needs assessments through elaborate diagnostic calls, which also helps us maintain continuous dialogue with our clients. We collaborate closely with client HR teams and business leaders to understand their strategic objectives and challenges, enabling us to design customised programs that address specific skill gaps and align with business goals. By incorporating case studies and examples from emerging as well as well-established Indian businesses, we develop content and facilitation methods that are relevant and relatable to our learners. This meticulous approach guarantees that our programs are not only effective but also directly contribute to the strategic objectives of our clients.

Q6. Beyond technical skills, what are some essential leadership qualities GlobalGyan emphasizes in its training programs, and how do these qualities translate to increased productivity and a positive work environment?

At GlobalGyan, we believe that the key to long-term professional success lies in leadership qualities such as influencing, financial acumen, critical thinking, adaptability and resilience, customer centricity, listening empathetically, overcoming unconscious biases, developing storytelling styles and building executive presence. Take technology, for instance. While technical skill of coding or developing software is valuable, the world is extremely dynamic. What is cutting edge today may become obsolete soon. However, the ability to understand customer (or any stakeholder) needs, critically evaluate options and manage a complex execution project are invaluable and eternal. In a world where artificial intelligence is touted to solve all known problems, maybe human empathy and creativity will be the keys to differentiation.

Q7. Throughout your career, have you encountered any leadership figures who have particularly inspired you? If so, what qualities did they possess that resonated with you?

I have learnt tremendously from two leaders, one of whom I never met but idolized. Steve Jobs’ relentless pursuit of customer centricity have guided the way I think about strategy, in designing our products and courses. I also admired his simplicity & passion of expression, often imitating his approach to communication. Ratan Tata, with whom I had the opportunity to work closely (and he is also an investor in GlobalGyan), always demonstrates curiosity and humility, the traits of exemplary leaders. His emphasis on business leadership while remaining committed to core values have shaped my thinking as an entrepreneur.

Q8. With a goal of becoming a top 5 leadership development brand by 2030, what are some key milestones or initiatives that will propel GlobalGyan towards achieving this vision?

Our vision is supported by three strategic pillars of content, faculty and experience. Building content that captures the ethos of Indian leadership and management practices, in various formats is a continuing investment. Encouraging (and enabling) business leaders to participate in the process of developing the next gen is necessary for us to enhance our delivery capacity. Finally, we lay huge emphasis on the learning experience, using a mix of human touch and scalable technology. How should we measure our success or effectiveness is a question that we ask ourselves a lot. The most appropriate metric, I believe, is the number of professionals whom we have enabled to make growth transitions, whether within the corporate ladder, or towards entrepreneurship.

Q9. Mr. Addepalli, with a closing message for our readers, what advice would you give to young professionals or aspiring leaders in India who are looking to navigate their careers in today’s dynamic job market?

With the way the world is changing around us, with sharp uncertainties, it is not going to get easier for managers. We must get stronger. Building resilience, or the muscle of leadership

will require discipline and investment. There are three leadership workouts that I would recommend. First, be always curious; read more, meet new people, travel when possible.

Second, embrace silence; create time for deliberate thinking, or not thinking, be bored. Third, pursue creative hobbies; try something different, push yourself, fail.