Life Acumen @ Work Podcast

Picture this: You're standing at your office window on a quiet Friday evening, looking out at the setting sun. You've just closed a major deal, and by all traditional measures, you're at the peak of your career. You have been through the ruthless climb up the corporate ladder, the sacrifices, the wins, the losses, the political battles, the strategic victories. You've built the career, earned the respect, and achieved the position you wanted. Yet there is a question that keeps appearing during those rare moments of reflection.  How to redefine what success means in the second half of the career” In Focus: Many senior executives have reached the pinnacle of their careers - the corner office, the title, the compensation package - yet they find themselves asking, "What's next?" or "Is this all there is?"For many senior leaders, the corner office isn't just where you work; it's become a fundamental part of who you are.Is the fear also about being stripped off this professional mask of title, power and authority and exposing to the world the vulnerable you?How do professional and personal relationships evolve in this stage of an executive's career?What about the work-life integration piece? How does that change in the second half of a career?How does financial security play into career decisions at this stage?How should executives think about their legacy in the second half of their career?Related episodes:Creating a Culture of AccountabilityBuilding Business-Savvy Executive TeamNavigating Career Crossroads.Podcast Description:Vinod Wadhwani is long-time executive coach, who works with corporate leaders to help them in seeking new perspectives, while focusing on tangible benefits to them and their organization. On this podcast, he shares insights from the coaching conversations he has had with corporate leaders focusing on the specific leadership challenges they faced in their work life. Published:24 January 2025

Imagine you're a senior leader who has navigated market shifts for decades. But suddenly, you're confronted with technologies that don't just change how business operates, but fundamentally redefine what's possible. The question isn't just how you'll adjust – it's whether your leadership can transform this disruption from a threat into your organization's greatest competitive advantageIn FocusHow do you maintain strategic clarity when the technological landscape shifts beneath your feet almost daily? How do you lead with confidence when your younger team members might understand new technologies better than you do? And perhaps most crucially, how do you balance innovation with stability?Related episodes:Creating a Culture of AccountabilityBuilding Business-Savvy Executive TeamNavigating Career Crossroads.Podcast Description:Vinod Wadhwani is long-time executive coach, who works with corporate leaders to help them in seeking new perspectives, while focusing on tangible benefits to them and their organization. On this podcast, he shares insights from the coaching conversations he has had with corporate leaders focusing on the specific leadership challenges they faced in their work life. Published:2 December 2024

What is a culture of accountability? How crucial it is for leaders to model accountability? What environment makes accountability thrive? In FocusHow do we, as senior leaders, foster a culture of accountability? How do we navigate the complex web of human emotions, corporate politics, and bottom-line pressures to create an environment where accountability isn't just a buzzword, but a way of life?How do we create accountability without resorting to fear tactics?How do we ensure fairness in our accountability practices?How do we move from theory to action in creating a culture of accountability?Related episodes:Building Business-Savvy Executive TeamNavigating career crossroads.Why effective feedback critical for leadership growth?Podcast Description:Vinod Wadhwani is long-time executive coach, who works with corporate leaders to help them in seeking new perspectives, while focusing on tangible benefits to them and their organization. On this podcast, he shares insights from the coaching conversations he has had with corporate leaders focusing on the specific leadership challenges they faced in their work life. Published:16 November 2024

Picture this, a founder CEO struggling to build a business savvy team? What exactly does it mean to have a 'business savvy' team? How to build such a team?In FocusHow do you nurture holistic business acumen among your top-tier leaders?How do we help executives develop the breadth of understanding, needed to navigate the complexities of modern business?How do you balance this kind of broad exposure with the need for deep functional expertise?How do you create an environment where this kind of stretch-thinking is embraced rather than challenged?How do you maintain this focus on business savvy over the long term?Related episodes:Navigating career crossroadsWhy effective feedback critical for leadership growth?Podcast Description:Vinod Wadhwani is long-time executive coach, who works with corporate leaders to help them in seeking new perspectives, while focusing on tangible benefits to them and their organization. On this podcast, he shares insights from the coaching conversations he has had with corporate leaders focusing on the specific leadership challenges they faced in their work life. Published:18 October 2024

Whether you’ve been a C-suite leader for just a few years or a seasoned veteran of many years, there comes a time when you reach a pivotal moment. A moment where you're faced with critical decisions that could reshape not just your career, but your legacy. Have you ever paused, to wonder, if the path you’re on, is still the right one? Or maybe, you’ve considered stepping away, but are not sure, how to take that next leap?In FocusHave you ever paused to wonder, if the path you’re on, is still the right one? Or maybe, you’ve considered stepping away but are not sure how to take that next leap?How often do you find yourselves stuck in a career rut, afraid to make a change?What exactly is a career crossroads for an executive?What does a career crossroads really feel like?How do you navigate this moment? How do you choose the right path?Related episodes:Prevent burnout in the workplace.Why effective feedback critical for leadership growth?Podcast Description:Vinod Wadhwani is long-time executive coach, who works with corporate leaders to help them in seeking new perspectives, while focusing on tangible benefits to them and their organization. On this podcast, he shares perspectives from the coaching conversations he has had with corporate leaders focusing on the specific leadership challenges they faced in their work life. 

Many senior executives struggle to get effective feedback from their team.  That’s a pivotal challenge leaders face constantly. When leaders don’t receive clear insights, into their strengths and areas of improvement, it can create a cascading effect, that ultimately impacts team performance.In FocusHow can leaders effectively break down the barriers that hinder candid feedback from their teams? How can leaders create an open environment for feedback?Collaborative and respectful communication a must for effective feedbackModelling openness and vulnerabilityDetachment from personal egoRelated episodes:Why is burnout so pervasive in the workplace?Why you must build bridges with your boss?Is your manager undermining you?Podcast Description:Vinod Wadhwani is long-time executive coach, who works with corporate leaders to help them in seeking new perspectives, while focusing on tangible benefits to them and their organization. On this podcast, he shares perspectives from the coaching conversations he has had with corporate leaders focusing on the specific leadership challenges they faced in their work life. Published:28 September 2024

The World Health Organization has officially recognized burnout as an occupational syndrome. According to some estimates more than a third of employees' experience burnout intermittently, with nearly 25% feeling it recurrently or constantly.In FocusWhat is Burnout?Does, each one of us experience burnout differently?Why is burnout so pervasive and what triggers it?What is Employability?“Role overload”, “Role conflict” and “Role ambiguityBurnout in the workplace - Five things stand out for me.Related episodes:How do I hone my persuasive communications skills?Why you must build bridges with your boss?Is your manager undermining you?Podcast Description:Vinod Wadhwani is long-time executive coach, who works with corporate leaders to help them in seeking new perspectives, while focusing on tangible benefits to them and their organization. On this podcast, he shares perspectives from the coaching conversations he has had with corporate leaders focusing on the specific leadership challenges they faced in their work life. Published:19 September 2024

Persuasion is not to be seen as tricking or forcing other people to your point of view, it is to be seen as understanding what engages and opens other people up to new ideas and insights.In FocusHow do you define persuasion? How does engagement influence persuasion?What is physical and temporal proximity?What are some techniques for increasing engagement?What are some of the behaviors which come in the way of engaging persuasively with your stakeholders?How to enhance a person’s sense of certainty?What were the three key takeaways for KD in his coaching conversation?Related episodes:Why you must build bridges with your boss?Is your manager undermining you?Podcast Description:Vinod Wadhwani is long-time executive coach, who works with corporate leaders to help them in seeking new perspectives, while focusing on tangible benefits to them and their organization. On this podcast, he shares perspectives from the coaching conversations he has had with corporate leaders focusing on the specific leadership challenges they faced in their work life. Published:23 January 2024

Many middle managers make the mistake of relying too much on their job performance, consequently leave too much to chance and fail to effectively manage their careers.In FocusAre modesty and quiet work not virtues in the corporate world?But doesn’t good performance help you secure your job?Is there a weak link between job performance and promotion?Great job performance by itself is insufficient and may not even be necessary for getting and holding positions in the c-suite?it is imperative to manage and have a good equation with your boss. But why is It often an uneasy relationship? Boss as a supporter and evaluatorRelated episode:KC’s manager is denting his confidence!Podcast Description:Vinod Wadhwani is long-time executive coach, who works with corporate leaders to help them in seeking new perspectives, while focusing on tangible benefits to them and their organization. On this show, he shares perspectives from the coaching conversations he has had with corporate leaders focusing on the specific leadership challenges they faced in their work life. Published:9 February 2023 

Recent research on people’s life satisfaction by social scientists suggests, that in general, life satisfaction follows a “U” shape. It starts at the upper range in youth, bottoms out in 40s, and then picks up again in older age. In FocusWhy do you feel anxious despite being successful?What are some of those specific things that start to get in our heads when we hit the 40’s?What does your definition of success look like?Related episode:My manager is denting my confidence!Host:Vinod Wadhwani is an executive coach and facilitator. Vinod founded Life Acumen LLP with a mission to help corporate executives with purposeful integration of work & life; and help build high performance culture in organizations. Vinod leverages over three decades of leadership experience in investment banking, management consulting and merchant navy to help corporate leaders in seeking new perspectives, while focusing on tangible benefits to them and their organization. Podcast:   On this podcast, Vinod shares perspectives from the coaching conversations he has had with corporate leaders focusing on the specific leadership challenges they faced in their work life.Published:26 January 2023