‘Leadership in workplace has to be an embodiment of patience, compassion & empathy’

How do you feel being part of this renowned list of 40 under 40 leaders?

I am absolutely privileged and humbled to be considered worthy of the prestigious recognition. My heartfelt gratitude to entire Exchange4Media team and the esteemed jury. The recognition is special because I get to share the stage with extraordinary industry leaders and peers who have been doing amazing work and establishing high benchmarks for others to match. I firmly believe that no accomplishment could be individualistic in nature, and so, I would like to dedicate this recognition to my colleagues, team, and mentors, past and present, for contributing to my growth as a professional in the communications industry.

What are the top 3 skills you believe are essential in today’s professional landscape?

In today’s professional landscape, with respect to the communications industry, the following three skills could really make a difference.  

• We are living in a world where ideas and beliefs are diverse and strongly held. Hence, developing persuasion skills would be highly advantageous.
• We are also working in an era when technology is disrupting every aspect of our lives. So being tech-savvy, and by that, I mean developing the ability to adapt to evolving technologies, would be important.
• Also, Gen-AI and other evolving technologies would impact many core functions across industries. For Communications Professionals, the ability to build meaningful relationships will remain the most important skillset in the future.

What emerging trends or technologies do you believe will shape your industry in the next 5–10 years?

In the next decade, these are some of the emerging or developing trends that will shape the Communications industry.

• GenAI and other advanced technologies will shape the industry, but I am interested in how rapidly policies and standards are formed at an organisational, industry, and Government level to deal with them. For instance, the rise of GenAI has posed several questions, such as, 'Should AI-generated content be considered original, authentic, and acceptable in the communications space?' Policies at various levels would need to answer many such questions that evolving technologies are posing to us.
  
  
• There will be an increased focus on driving data-driven, hyper-personalized, and contextualized communication strategies, as brands will be interested to know on how effectively they are reaching the target audience with the desired messaging.
  
  
• The earned media space is expected to undergo further transformation, with monetization becoming important for the survival and growth of these platforms. There will be a greater focus on digital PR for generating positive online conversations organically.
  
  
• Today, engaging influencers has become an integral part of a brand’s communication strategies. With several policy-level interventions expected, the influencers' engagement trend may moderate over time, while fewer authentic, credible voices earn stronger importance. Increased spotlight would be on local-level influencers who are more connected to brands’ target audiences.
  
  
• Considering the developing global uncertainties, there’s an increased likelihood of these factors impacting brands, their operations, and businesses. Hence, I feel there will be an increased opportunity for specialized issue-specific and crisis communication strategies, including integrated PR and online reputation management, internal communications, and stakeholder management approaches.
  
  
• Last but not least, the audience is evolving with the times. The next generation will be more interested in purpose-driven communications from brands. With less time to spare, they will be keen to relate with clutter-less, authentic communication.
  
  How do you define leadership in the modern workplace?

 The world is experiencing a rapid pace of change and consistent shifts, which are leading to the emergence of a new generation every decade or so. They are exposed to relatively newer experiences, hold a different worldview, and are growing up with different value systems. The leadership in the modern workplace has the biggest challenge of managing an inter-generational workforce, ranging from Baby Boomers to Gen Z to soon-to-be seeking employment Gen Alpha. They are also dealing with a workforce belonging to varying economic strata and diverse sociocultural backgrounds.

There are also unprecedented challenges pertaining to uncertainties related to global geopolitics, trade, technology disruptions, and climate change. In the scenario, I feel leadership in the modern workplace has to be an embodiment of immense patience, compassion and empathy, and resilience to drive collective wisdom from a diverse group of followers. Leadership would have to exhibit stronger ability to connect and communicate vision and plans, and make employees more connected to brand purpose. Leading by example will still remain highly relevant specially to the younger generation who would be looking forward to leadership commitment translating into real outcomes

What are your future plans? What’s one lesson you want to pass on to young professionals?

At a personal level, my future plans would be to keep pushing my limits, learning and growing as I evolve as a professional. The idea is to work on more interesting projects and mandates, especially those making a tangible impact on the ground. It may sound archaic or oft-repeated, but for young professionals, the one lesson that I would like to state is that there’s no replacement for hard work and diligence. Also, it is important to stay honest and committed to the work you are doing.