SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE with Vinay Kumar

Hosted by Vinay Kumar

Business CareersInterviews guestsExplicit

Website RSS feed

Episodes

187

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

In this business podcast that is all about people, Vinay Kumar, a Leadership Coach, Certified Professional Facilitator, OD Consultant, Podcaster, Global Nomad, Wildlife Stalker and Records Collector, interviews leaders, thinkers, strategists, and doers to reveal actionable insights, first-hand experiences, smart strategies, brilliant tips and lesser-known best practices on a range of subjects in business leadership and people management, from innovation, DEI, facilitation, technology, future of the workforce and sustainability to evolution of leadership, storytelling, negotiation, digital learning, mental wellbeing, the art of staying positive and even water wars! Plus each episode features curated recommendations from Vinay and his guest for your own RWL (Read Watch Listen) list to keep you shinier and happier!

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 11, 202654 min

Episode 187: Alison Lucas and Lizzie Bentley Bowers on ‘Goodbye’, the Art of Leading Change Better

Send us Fan MailFor too long, work and leadership advice has focused on beginnings – how to make a great first impression, nail a new job, or start projects on the right foot. But what about endings – how can we successfully lead through messy transitions like redundancies, retirement or mergers? In the current global environment of mass layoffs, ‘Good Bye: Leading Change Better by Attending to Endings’ is brilliantly timely, revealing how leaders can manage endings with care, respect and emotional agility. Our guests today is the dynamic author duo behind this book – top leadership coaches, Lizzie Bentley Bowers and Alison Lucas. Distilled from two decades of working with leaders in transition, and born out of practice, this highly practical book guides readers in navigating the four steps of endings – Reality, Emotion, Accomplishment and Ritual – offering a powerful framework for working through past, present, and future endings.Vinay traces Alison and Lizzie’s incredible journey to ‘Good Bye’. Hit play for the low down! [4:30s] Their journey into coaching [10:31s] Genesis of their book ‘Good Bye’[17:29s] The need to attend to endings during transitions [24:06s] Slowing down, breaking the ‘cycle’ [40:01s] Managing ‘goodbyes’ in the age of AI[47:46s] RWL Read: Alison and Lizzie’s book, ‘Good Bye: Leading Change Better by Attending to Endings’ Alison and Lizzie’s recommendation to READ: ‘Transitions’ by William Bridges, ‘Daring Greatly’ by Brené Brown; ‘Emotional Agility’ by Susan David; Connect with Alison on LinkedIn Connect with Lizzie on LinkedIn Connect with Vinay on LinkedIn What did you think about this episode? What would you like to hear more about? Or simply, write in and say hello! podcast@c2cod.comSubscribe to us on your favorite platforms – Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Tune In Alexa, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn + Alexa, Stitcher, Jio Saavn and more. This podcast is sponsored by C2C-OD, your Organizational Development consulting partner ‘Bringing People and Strategy Together’. Follow @c2cod on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook

May 28, 202647 min

Episode 186: Ash Sedeek on Strategic Leadership Communication

Send us Fan MailMeet Ash Seddeek, a globally recognized executive coach and change leadership advisor with over 15 years of experience helping leaders drive transformation through compelling communication and strategic influence. Ash has coached senior teams at Cisco, Uber, Google, Boston Scientific, San Francisco International Airport and Doosan Bobcat. A former leader at Deloitte, Oracle, and Cisco, Ash blends deep expertise in executive presence, strategic facilitation, and change sponsorship. Ash is also an Amazon bestselling author and creator of leadership frameworks such as Chief Excitement Officers (CExOs) and Exponential Value Moments (EVMs) through which he equips leaders to lead with clarity, align stakeholders, and inspire action. Ash is a two-time Fulbright Scholar, linguist, AI fintech inventor, and entrepreneur. Ash is currently also working on a passionate AI startup Intelligent Context AI. Hit play for the lowdown! [4:26s] Fulbright Scholar to Leadership Communication Coach[6:48s] The Top 1 % for Sales Leadership [9:36s] Strategic Communication in Leadership [16:10s] On his book ‘Meaning: How Leaders Create Meaning and Clarity During Times of Crisis and Opportunity’ [19:33s] What makes a great coachee[31:48s] On AI in the world of coaching[41:46s] On his Intelligence Context AI launch plansRWL Read: ‘Meaning: How Leaders Create Meaning and Clarity During Times of Crisis and Opportunity’ by Ash Sedeek and Leslie Rubin; ’The Path of Least Resistance’ by Robert FritzRWL Listen: Jim Rohn Motivation Connect with Ash on LinkedIn or email him at ash@executivegreatness.com Connect with Vinay on LinkedIn What did you think about this episode? What would you like to hear more about? Or simply, write in and say hello! podcast@c2cod.comSubscribe to us on your favorite platforms – Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Tune In Alexa, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn + Alexa, Stitcher, Jio Saavn and more. This podcast is sponsored by C2C-OD, your Organizational Development consulting partner ‘Bringing People and Strategy Together’. Follow @c2cod on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook

May 14, 202655 min

Episode 185: Laura Best on ‘Born to Buzz’ and Passion-Driven Leadership

Send us Fan MailMeet Laura Best, keynote speaker who helps global brands like US Bank activate passion as a science-back method to drive energy, motivation, engagement and performance in their people. She is the bestselling author of Born to Buzz and the founder of Passion Collective- a group of thousands seeking to embed more passion into their daily working lives. Today, Laura advises some of the world’s biggest passion-driven brands across sectors. Hit play for the lowdown! [2:54s] History to PR: Laura’s genesis story[5:25s] What first sparked ‘Born to Buzz’ [12:09s] Passion-led jobs versus passion-less ones[19:47s] Purpose versus Passion[32:55s] The generational aspect of purpose-at-work[36:21s] Laura’s top tips for organizations to cultivate passion [45:45s] Laura’s top tips for you to avoid burnout RWL: Read: Laura’s book Born to Buzz: How to Spark Your Passions (Without Quitting It All) Laura’s recommendation to read: ‘Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics’ by Dan HarrisConnect with Laura on LinkedIn Connect with Vinay on X and LinkedIn What did you think about this episode? What would you like to hear more about? Or simply, write in and say hello! podcast@c2cod.comSubscribe to us on your favorite platforms – Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Tune In Alexa, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn + Alexa, Stitcher, Jio Saavn and more. This podcast is sponsored by C2C-OD, your Organizational Development consulting partner ‘Bringing People and Strategy Together’. Follow @c2cod on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook

April 30, 202628 min

Episode 184 (Collab): Culture Matters podcast with Subbu Kalpathi featuring Vinay Kumar on The Leader As Facilitator

Send us Fan MailWe are thrilled to bring you this special collaboration with the chart-topping podcast that unravels the impact of organization culture on the workplace, 'Culture Matters with Subbu Kalpathi' - where it's Vinay on the hot seat for a change! On this Culture Matters episode 'The Leader as a Facilitator', Vinay and Subbu explore facilitation not just as a skill, but as a fundamental shift in how leadership shows up today. In a world where knowledge is abundant and easily accessible, the role of the leader is evolving, from being the one with answers to the one who creates the conditions for better answers to emerge.Hit play to get the full lowdown.RWL: Vinay's recommendation for you to LISTEN to Culture Matters where Learning Leadership and OD expert Subbu talks to leading academics, researchers, authors, corporate leaders, consultants and SMEs on organizational culture. From harnessing the science of happiness at work to innovations such as the 4-day workweek, Culture Matters will challenge the way you think about your people strategy for the new world of work. Connect with Subbu on LinkedIn Connect with Vinay on X and LinkedIn What did you think about this episode? What would you like to hear more about? Or simply, write in and say hello! podcast@c2cod.comSubscribe to us on your favorite platforms – Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Tune In Alexa, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn + Alexa, Stitcher, Jio Saavn and more.

April 16, 202649 min

Episode 183: Douglas O’Loughlin on Future-Ready Organizational Development (OD)

Send us Fan MailBest known for his work in organizational development (OD) spanning over three decades, Dr. Douglas O’Loughlin won over our listeners when he first came on this podcast four years ago. The episode was among our top listened episodes of all time! And today, the OD OG, the guru of OD is back to share from his treasure trove of insights and knowledge, and his belief that organizations and communities can be life-giving spaces for each and all.Originally from the US, Douglas has been living in Singapore since 1993, where he is the Principal of The Dao of Thriving, as well as being an Associate Consultant with Civil Service College, and has done projects in more than 20 countries. Douglas has co-founded several OD Networks, written numerous articles and blogs, spoken at global conferences, is a TEDx speaker, and has also written the books ‘ANDlightenment: Polarity Thinking from Self to Society’ and ‘Facilitating Transformation’.Hit play for the lowdown! [3:35s] What has changed in OD since 2022[12:00s] OD in the age of AI[20:45s] Common OD challenges today [32:13s] His work on Polarity Thinking [40:25s] OD in the near future [45:00s] Top tips for OD practitionersRWL: Read: ‘OD for the Accidental Practitioner’ by Larry Kokkelenbeeg and Regan Miller; Douglas’ books ‘ANDlightenment: Polarity Thinking from Self to Society’ and ‘Facilitating TransformationConnect with Douglas on LinkedIn Connect with Vinay on X and LinkedIn What did you think about this episode? What would you like to hear more about? Or simply, write in and say hello! podcast@c2cod.comSubscribe to us on your favorite platforms – Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Tune In Alexa, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Jio Saavn and more. This podcast is sponsored by C2C-OD, your Organizational Development consulting partner ‘Bringing People and Strategy Together’. Follow @c2cod on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook

April 2, 202652 min

Episode 182: Alain Bejjani on Leading through War, Disorder & Disruption

Send us Fan MailFrom AI’s explosive rise to climate disruption and escalating geopolitical strain, history is hitting a tipping point today. Amidst all this, Alain Bejjani offers a striking counterpoint: however fast and complex the world feels today, it is the slowest and simplest it will ever be again.In his soon to be released book ‘Next: Leading Through the New Realities’, Bejjani invites leaders to take a clear-eyed view of how to live and lead through major transformation and turbulence. Alain is the former CEO of the major retail group, Majid Al Futtaim, responsible for one of the world’s largest shopping complexes, ‘Mall of the Emirates’ in Dubai, and during his tenure, he led Majid Al Futtaim 50,000 employees across 17 countries, producing $9.5 billion in revenue. He is a globally recognized business leader, investor, and strategist with more than two decades of experience driving cross-border growth across the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. Applying the invaluable lessons he has learned from growing up in war-torn Beirut to decades leading through major change, Alain explores how leaders can navigate the storms to come – and those presently – in the book. Hit play for the lowdown! [4:21s] Alain’s origins story [11:07s] Leading a multi-billion-dollar company: Insights, Learning, Challenges[32:50s] Genesis of ‘Next: Leading Through The New Realities’ [36:10s] Top leadership traits to lead in new and fast-changing realitiesRWL: Alain’s book ‘Next: Leading Through The New Realities’ - link to order to be updated shortly as soon as the book is released. Connect with Alain on LinkedIn and InstagramConnect with Vinay on X and LinkedIn What did you think about this episode? What would you like to hear more about? Or simply, write in and say hello! podcast@c2cod.comSubscribe to us on your favorite platforms – Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Tune In Alexa, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn + Alexa, Stitcher, Jio Saavn and more. This podcast is sponsored by C2C-OD, your Organizational Development consulting partner ‘Bringing People and Strategy Together’. Follow @c2cod on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook

March 12, 202647 min

Episode 181: Natalie ‘Nats’ Lim-Ang on Growth of GCCs in The Philippines

Send us Fan MailIn this Shiny Happy People special, we bring you a deeply insightful conversation mapping the fast-growing landscape of GCCs in the Philippines – with Natalie ‘Nats’ Lim-Ang. A Board Trustee with the Global Capability Center Council (GC3) in the Philippines since 2019, Nats brings in a unique perspective as a pioneer of the Manila Shared Services Center who has closely witnessed, and been a part of, the growth of GCCs in the Philippines. [4:27s] Her journey into the shared services industry [06:53s] Growth and evolution of GCCs in the Philippines [15:44s] Geographical growth spread of GCCs across the Philippines [18:32s] GCC talent in the Philippines: Opportunities and challenges[26:55s] Top three challenges for GCCs in the Philippines today[30:05s] Growth of global leadership roles in GCCs in the Philippines [35:17s] Role of the Global Capability Center Council (GC3) [42:21s] Future outlook for GCCs in The PhilippinesFind more about GC3 at www.giccphilippines.com Connect with Nats on LinkedInConnect with Vinay on X and LinkedIn What did you think about this episode? What would you like to hear more about? Or simply, write in and say hello! podcast@c2cod.comSubscribe to us on your favorite platforms – Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Tune In Alexa, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn + Alexa, Stitcher, Jio Saavn and more. This podcast is sponsored by C2C-OD, your Organizational Development consulting partner ‘Bringing People and Strategy Together’. Follow @c2cod on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook

February 26, 202651 min

Episode 180: Patrick Hardy on Designing any Disaster

Send us Fan Mail“Prepare for a disaster, and you'll never experience one.” Between setting the world record for 28 hours of nonstop CPR, building emergency shelters with LEGO blocks, and evacuating 240 cats in 90 minutes, Patrick Hardy aka Disaster Patrick’s mission is to push the edge of what’s possible in preparing for disaster. Not your typical disaster expert, keynote speaker and author of the book ‘Design Any Disaster’ , Patrick brings in real, actionable insights from the forefront of the world’s toughest disaster challenges. Patrick’s 20 years of hands-on experience and crisis-related certifications have translated into universal techniques of personal leadership which make it possible for people from any background regardless of life situation or even disability to become elite disaster responders. His lessons keep people safe, focused, and ready to face any crisis head-on. Hit play for his lowdown on how you can go disaster-free in life if you prepare for it right! [03:08s] Patrick’s genesis story [06:30s] Disaster management by corporates versus by communities versus by individuals[17:51s] On his book ‘Design Any Disaster’ and preparing for a disaster[29:34s] Readiness of disaster management organizations today[40:32s] Wishlist for disaster management: “Prepare for a disaster, and you'll never experience one.”RWL: Read Patrick’s book ‘Design Any Disaster’ Find out more about Patrick’s work at www.disasterpatrick.comConnect with Patrick on LinkedInConnect with Vinay on X and LinkedIn What did you think about this episode? What would you like to hear more about? Or simply, write in and say hello! podcast@c2cod.comSubscribe to us on your favorite platforms – Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Tune In Alexa, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn + Alexa, Stitcher, Jio Saavn and more. This podcast is sponsored by C2C-OD, your Organizational Development consulting partner ‘Bringing People and Strategy Together’. Follow @c2cod on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook

February 12, 202651 min

Ep 179: Steve Brown on the AI Ultimatum

Send us Fan MailWe are in the ‘Intelligence Age’ and the ‘humans versus AI’ debates are everywhere. So, we thought we’d bring in an AI futurist and a leading voice in AI, digital transformation, and how AI will shape business, education and society. Meet Steve Brown, entrepreneur and former Google DeepMind and Intel executive who has helped brands like Bank of America, Lenovo, Nespresso, Cameco, and Intuit prepare for what he calls The Intelligence Age. Drawing upon his decades of experience in artificial intelligence and high tech to help leaders build winning AI strategies that fuel innovation, boost performance, and drive growth, Steve succinctly explains the radical global transformation with AI, in his book: ’The AI Ultimatum: Preparing for a World of Intelligent Machines and Radical Transformation’Hit play for Steve’s take on the AI ultimatum and key takeaways from his book. [2:46s] Genesis of Steve as an AI futurist[10:09s] On ‘The AI Ultimatum: Preparing for a World of Intelligent Machines and Radical Transformation’[22:08s] On AI innovation, ethical AI, regulations [36:16s] Top 3 future trends in AIRWL: Steve’s book ’The AI Ultimatum: Preparing for a World of Intelligent Machines and Radical Transformation’Connect with Steve on LinkedInConnect with Vinay on X and LinkedIn What did you think about this episode? What would you like to hear more about? Or simply, write in and say hello! podcast@c2cod.comSubscribe to us on your favorite platforms – Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Tune In Alexa, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn + Alexa, Stitcher, Jio Saavn and more. This podcast is sponsored by C2C-OD, your Organizational Development consulting partner ‘Bringing People and Strategy Together’. Follow @c2cod on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook

January 29, 202651 min

Ep 178: Sara Daw on the Growth of Fractional Leadership

Send us Fan MailHave you heard of part-time C-Suite leaders? Meet Sara Daw, our guest this episode, who is a leading voice on the future of executive work and a pioneer of the fractional leadership movement. She heads The CFO Centre & The Liberti Group, the world’s largest network of fractional leaders, where skilled C-Suite leaders work for businesses in a freelance role from a few hours a month to several days a week, instead of being a full-time hire.Sara shares deep insights on why senior executives are moving to portfolio careers, and why more companies are hiring CFOs, CMOs, and other senior leaders for just a few days to several weeks instead of full-time. Sara is an award-winning global leader in fractional C-Suite talent and author of ‘Strategy and Leadership as Service’, the first research on applying the access economy to C-suite leadership, built on her research at Oxford University. She was named to the Independent’s E2E Female 100 Track in 2024 and 2025, recognising the UK’s fastest-growing female-led businesses.[3:41s] Sara’s origin story - from Chemistry to Finance to Fractional Leadership[6:56s] Tipping point for fractional leadership [15:22s] The fractional edge over a fulltime role[28:35s] Fractional leadership in bigger organizations[31:23s] On access economy and ‘Strategy and Leadership as Service’RWL: Must-read Sara’s book ‘Strategy and Leadership as Service’Connect with Sara on LinkedInConnect with Vinay on X and LinkedIn What did you think about this episode? What would you like to hear more about? Or simply, write in and say hello! podcast@c2cod.comSubscribe to us on your favorite platforms – Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Tune In Alexa, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn + Alexa, Stitcher, Jio Saavn and more. This podcast is sponsored by C2C-OD, your Organizational Development consulting partner ‘Bringing People and Strategy Together’. Follow @c2cod on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook