Inspire Someone Today
Inspire Someone Today
E161 | Leading with Influence | Gauri Seshadri
The moment you forget your own name on stage can define you—or free you. We sit down with Gauri Seshadri, a global leader at Toastmasters International, to explore how a shaky first step turned into a career built on clarity, connection, and service. From introvert in a new culture to first vice president shaping strategy across 149 countries, Gauri shares the habits and frameworks that help nervous speakers become confident communicators and leaders who influence without titles.
We dig into the story behind her icebreaker, the mentors who nudged her forward, and the decision to say yes before she felt ready. Gauri unpacks a practical 3A approach—audience, authenticity, alignment—that reliably turns information into impact. She explains why great speeches are felt, not just heard; how to flip tense rooms with one better question; and what it takes to build trust across cultures and time zones. You’ll hear tangible examples from corporate workshops, volunteer leadership, and sales presentations, including the mindset shift that transformed nerves into excitement.
We also tackle the AI question head-on. Tools can draft and polish, but intent, empathy, and intuition remain human. Gauri offers a simple microhabit to grow clarity week after week: expand your library of knowledge beyond your bubble. Rounding it out, she shares crisp, adoptable habits—listen to understand, pause before speaking, keep it simple and sincere—and a closing mantra worth posting on your desk: clarity builds confidence, and confidence builds connection.
If you’re ready to communicate with purpose, lead through influence, and make your words move people, this conversation is your playbook. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a nudge, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway—we’d love to hear what you’ll try first.
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And I remember I was so nervous during my icebreaker that I actually forgot my own name. I stood there saying, My name is, my name is uh until a member of the club yelled out, Your name is Gaudi Sishadri, and don't you ever forget it. And that broke the tension. Everyone laughed, including me. And looking back, you know, I tell that version of myself to relax. You are in a room full of people who genuinely want you to succeed. They're not judging you, they are supporting you. And what I discovered that day was that courage isn't the absence of fear. It's courage is taking that first shaky step anyway. And that lesson has stayed with me ever since. Your group, your company, your team, whomever you surround yourself with, should be people who are uplifting you rather than people who are putting you down.
SPEAKER_00:Welcome to Inspire Someone Today Podcast, a show where we dive into the stories and insights that has the power to create ripples of inspiration in your life. I'm your host, Shrikan, and I'm thrilled to be with you on this journey of inspiration. In a world where communication defines connection and leadership, it begins with listening. Today's guest embodies both with grace and grit. Kaurishari is a distinguished leader at Toshmasters International, a mentor who has helped countless individuals discover the power of their voice, and a communicator who believes that speaking well is not about perfection, it's about presence. From overcoming the initial failure of public speaking to leading communities that celebrate confidence and authenticity, Gauri's journey is a masterclass in growth to courage. In this conversation, hopefully we expose what great communication is built around. One story, one pause, and one connection at a type. Stay with us as we uncover the art of finding your voice, leading with empathy, and building communities that speak from the heart. Dori, it's an absolute joy to have you back and have you to be part of for this episode of It's by Summon Today.
SPEAKER_01:Thank you for inviting me, Sri. That's such a pleasure and honor to be here with you today. I'm looking forward to this.
SPEAKER_00:Likewise. So two decades of stint with the Toastmasters. Boy, what a journey it has been. So, what drew you to Toastmasters and what has kept you committed for such a long period of time at Toastmasters International?
SPEAKER_01:Right. So, when I first started my career, but that also was over two and a half decades ago, as an environmental consultant in the US, a big part of my job was to pick up the phone and speak with clients and stakeholders that I'd never met before. This was challenging because I was working in a very different culture. You know, I'm India working in the US, and I needed to learn new communication styles. I honestly felt like a fish out of water. I'm naturally introverted, and at that stage, even a simple conversation with a stranger took a lot of effort from my side. And I remember one of my seniors in grad school had mentioned Toastmasters. So I decided to give a try just to build the courage to say hello, right? But what I found went far beyond that. I learned how to motivate, persuade, negotiate, lead teams, and most importantly, connect with people. And interestingly, Toastmasters is how you and I also connected. Let's do that many years ago, right? You know, it's been 20 years now with Toastmasters, and I can honestly say that I joined for confidence, but I stayed for the connection.
SPEAKER_00:What a lovely line there. Joined for confidence, stayed for connection, and what a beautiful connection it has been, right? Again, looking back from your first speech, Gauri, if you can kind of remember that. What was it? What did you discover about yourself then? And what do you tell Gauri now saying that looking back, what are some of the things that is added into your repository?
SPEAKER_01:Right. I, you know, it's been 20 years, but I still remember that first speech very vividly. Now, the first speech every Toastmaster gives is called the icebreaker. On the surface, it's a pretty simple speech. You just need to introduce yourself. But in reality, it's one of the toughest speeches you'll ever give as a Toastmaster because it's the first time you stand in front of an audience uh which is waiting to evaluate you, right? And you are ready to be evaluated. And I remember I was so nervous during my icebreaker that I actually forgot my own name. I stood there saying, My name is, my name is uh until a member of the club yelled out, Your name is Gauri Sishadri, and don't you ever forget it. And that broke the tension, everyone laughed, including me. And looking back, you know, I tell that version of myself to relax. You are in a room full of people who genuinely want you to succeed. They're not judging you, they are supporting you. And what I discovered that day was that courage isn't the absence of fear, it's courage is taking that first shaky step anyway, and that lesson has stayed with me ever since.
SPEAKER_00:Courage is not the absence of fear, but taking that first step. And from that first step, how many more bold steps that you had taken further beyond, isn't it? Just not that. I think you also donned leadership roles for the benefit of our business, girl. If you were to kind of talk about what is your role at Toastmasters today, how did you even get you to that role?
SPEAKER_01:Right. So, Toastmasters, for those who aren't aware, is a nonprofit organization which focuses on public speaking and building confidence. And a huge part of it is also better communication. You tend to become a better leader as well. So we have, because it's a volunteer organization like Cro Tree and Lions, we have a lot of leadership positions, club presidents, VP Educations. We have the whole world is divided into different districts. We are present in 149 countries. And while I've played many roles today, I'm very privileged and honored to be sitting on the board of directors. I serve as the first vice president of Toastmasters International. So a big, big honor and uh big privilege, which I do not take for granted.
SPEAKER_00:Tell us a bit more. What does this role entitle you to do? And more importantly, how do you prepare yourself for leadership roles like this? Like you mentioned, there's so many leadership roles within uh Toastmasters. How do you go about preparing for those kind of works?
SPEAKER_01:So just starting with what my current role does is because I sit on the board of directors, and since you work closely with the board at your organization, you know that the board of directors is looking more at the strategy or the strategic planning of the organization. Where is the organization going to be in three to five years or 10 years? You know, so we are focusing on not just what works for India, but what works for our members across the world. So it's more futuristic, uh vision focused, that kind of thing. But yes, how do I prepare myself for the role? Honestly, it might sound really stupid, but I've prepared for leadership by just saying yes to every opportunity that has come my way. Even the ones that I felt completely outside my comfort zone. I think it was uh Cheryl Sandberg who said, right, if you are offered a seat on a rocket ship, don't ask which seat, just take it. And that's kind of been my approach. Once I take on the role, though, I focus on learning very fast. So I have a very steep learning curve because sometimes I just sign up for things that I really don't know what I'm getting into. And I find mentors, I think mentors are so invaluable. I make sure that I'm asking a lot of questions and leaning on the systems that already exist. So there are always SOPs and checklists and procedures to guide you. But I think what really makes the difference is the people, Srikant. Whether it's in Toastmasters or in the corporate world, you're never leading alone. The team around you is your biggest source of support if you learn to leverage it well. Right. So that's how it's gone.
SPEAKER_00:That's so very true. You kind of brought out two critical elements here. One is never say never for opportunities that come your way. And do the importance of relying on the network, mentors, team members, all of it. And where that confidence comes from. Because not many times what we tend to do is, like you rightly mentioned out, I don't want to necessarily sign up for a position until I'm very sure about what I bring to the table. That self-doubt is what prevents many of us to sign up for those big roles. So, how did you overcome that? Or what are the tips that you have that you can share with our listeners?
SPEAKER_01:Surround yourself with people who believe in you sometimes when you don't believe in yourself. And I'll just give you a quick example, Srikant. We reconnected a few weeks ago and you had invited me on this podcast, and I was like, Srikant, me on a podcast? You know, like why would you want to listen to me? And you were like, No, I think you have a message that people want to share. And if I were just given an opportunity, would I sign up for it? Probably not. But you believing in me has given me that extra oomph to believe in myself, right? So maybe, maybe Srikant is seeing something that I'm not seeing in myself, right? So I think your group, your company, your team, whomever you surround yourself with, should be people who are uplifting you rather than people who are putting you down. And I think that's the biggest thing out there.
SPEAKER_00:That's a message out there. Surround yourself with people who believe in you more than you believe in yourself.
SPEAKER_01:Sometimes, yeah, because you you do have self-doubts creep in saying, Am I good enough? You know, am I worthy? All of that sort of stuff. And women, especially, Srikant, uh, we this is a general statistics. So I'm not pulling it out of thin air that women tend to say, don't sign up for opportunities until they feel 100% ready. You know, they don't tend to step up that much. Though, of course, the world is changing today, and I'm so glad about it. Uh, there are more women leaders and toastmasters than you know our male panther parts. So it's it's a really nice, safe environment to be.
SPEAKER_00:That's wonderful. I so relate to it, Gauri. When it started this whole podcast about five years back, that imposter syndrome was so huge. But today, here we are. This is episode number 160. So if you know how far the journey has come, how far that belief has kind of taken through.
SPEAKER_01:And if I can just say that a few I I had no idea what the imposter syndrome was. I did know that I had self-doubts, and I think a lot of us feel that way. But uh someone once told me, I think you have imposter syndrome, and then I started labeling myself with it, which was even worse. You know, I started getting stuck in the quicksand of imposter syndrome, and um, the last few years I've been very intentional about saying no, it's not imposter syndrome, and I don't believe it that I've come to this spot because of the things I've done and the results I've achieved, you know. Of course, I have to say that over and over again for me to believe it, but that's true.
SPEAKER_00:And in the role that you have, you have and what you've seen in close quarters within Toastmasters, right? I'm sure you would have an empty number of examples to share. Was there moments where communication didn't just change an outcome, but transformed people in the room? Transformed people who they were to who they have become.
SPEAKER_01:Right. So I'm a facilitator also in my professional life. So I'll share an example from there. You know, we were doing a training session for a big multinational corporate, and the group was discussing why their teams weren't performing well, what were the challenges, who were the bottlenecks, those kind of usual questions for productivity that was there, right? And pretty soon the conversation turned into a long list of complaints. It's the internal stakeholder, it's the external stakeholder, it's the manager, it's the director. You know, there was a lot of finger pointing and blaming going around out there. And you could kind of sense the frustration in the room because everyone was stuck. So we decided to take a pause in the session, and then when we came back, we kind of flipped that question. Instead of saying what's not working, we asked, What do you need from each other to make this work? Right? So we changed that question a little bit. And what happened next in that room was remarkable. The energy in the room changed almost instantly. People began listening differently, seeing each other's intent rather than defending their own point of view, you know, rather than being very defensive out there. And that experience often reminds me of how powerful communication can be. Sometimes just changing and switching around a few words can change the entire dynamics of a room.
SPEAKER_00:That's so, so very true. And funnily enough, uh, when there is a communication-related challenge, particularly what I've seen in a corporate setup, is somebody is not great at communicating, somebody is not great at public speaking. The de facto reference that people give is go join a Toastmasters. Yeah. Why do you think that happens and what does Toastmasters can do to people?
SPEAKER_01:I joined Toastmasters when I was working as well. Of course, no one told me at work to join Toastmasters. It was uh it was when I was in grad school, someone had told me, and I was like, oh no, uh, you know, I'm not gonna give presentations in the real world, PowerPoint finishes at college. And when I came uh to work, my boss called me for a sales presentation, and he said, you know, I want you to accompany me for the sales trip. And I was excited because I was new to the company. And but the next day I went back and said, Look, I'll teach you about the presentation, you do the presentation. And he just shook his head and said, Go back to your room and think about what he said to me. And I was like, what's he talking about? Right? I'm Indian, he's American, his English is better than mine, he can connect better. And it took me two weeks to realize that I was the biggest obstacle in my own career, that my fear was stopping me from getting the promotions, from the uh snatching the opportunities, and kind of headed to what uh my senior said, and I did go into Toastmasters. What I found was it's a very, very safe environment to fail, safe environment to fumble, make mistakes, and people are, you know, applauding you and still pointing out great things about you, and slowly with time, you do build the confidence. About two years after that incident, I did get the opportunity to go on a sales trip again. And uh I did my presentation. We got a half a million dollar contract, and my boss came out of the room and said, What changed? And I said, Toastmasters, and he said, Gary, do you know I was a Toastmaster too, and I had no idea. So I think everyone needs a little bit of support and a nudge initially, someone saying you're good enough rather than you're not good enough.
SPEAKER_00:And Goli, you interestingly mentioned that your way of overcoming fears was you joined Toastmasters and there it goes. Do you still have those fears even now today, or is it out of the window?
SPEAKER_01:No, no, no. It's absolutely there. Self-doubt still creeps in. Uh, I think it does for anyone who cares about doing their work well. Uh, the difference now, Srikant, is I try not to allow it to take the driver's seat. I've learned to see self-doubt or my nervousness as a sign that I'm stretching myself outside my comfort zone. If I feel a bit unsure, it means that usually I am growing in some aspect. I'm learning a new skill, you know, or a new thing. And honestly, it keeps me from resting on my laurels. It pushes me to be better uh and stay fully engaged, right? So instead of trying to silence it, I listen more, I prepare better, I remind myself that I have done hard things before and I can do this again, sort of thing.
SPEAKER_00:So it's a beautiful way of reframing as well, right? Rather than succumbing to it, you're reframing saying that you had done it well in the past. This is helping you to challenge you to kind of get better. That's loudly. Are there any specific uh tips, tricks, or processes that you kind of uh adapt to kind of be in that frame of mind?
SPEAKER_01:I actually have a little secret mantra Srikant. Something uh one of my mentors had taught me years ago, right? And I use it before most speeches or presentations. I use it otherwise also, but it's very obvious before speeches and presentations. So in my early uh Toastmasters day, before each speech, my mentor would come and ask me, Gauri, how do you feel? Are you ready? And I would always say, No, I feel a bit nervous. And this went on for a few speeches until one day he told me, you know, Gary, nervousness and excitement produce the same physical symptoms in your body. Your heart's heart races, your palms sweat, your breathing changes. Think of the roller coaster. I hate the roller coaster, my sister loves it. But we are both screaming on the roller coaster, but with very different intent uh there, right? So he told me, you know, before every speech, tell yourself you're not nervous, you are excited. So uh if you ever get to see me speak in person, you will notice that I actually take a tiny step forward before I speak or before I start speaking. And in that step, I tell myself, Gauri, you're not nervous, you are excited, and that kind of changes everything.
SPEAKER_00:Ah, beautiful. Nice. So, Gauri, you have had the experience of both the worlds. You have run teams as a leader, ran communities in the community world as well as in the corporate world. How easy, how difficult it is to run these kind of global teams in a corporate setup vis-a-vis in a community kind of a setup? And also the cultural nuances of it. Uh, by virtue of being part of Toastmasters, you are exposed to different countries, different country cultures. So, how do you navigate these differences uh while still keeping that leadership hat, looking at what needs to be done?
SPEAKER_01:So, whether you're leading in the corporate setup or in a volunteer organization like Toastmasters, the fundamentals still remain the same. Like you need to build trust, uh, you need to communicate uh clearly and you bring people together towards a shared goal or shared project that you're working on. You also need to learn to bridge cultural and communication gaps and adjust to different leadership styles. And Srikant, I think that's true for any global team. Today, almost every big corporate is working in global teams and not local teams. So there's always that cultural and communication gap that you have to navigate through. Uh, but what's different in a volunteer setup is that you lead entirely through influence. Uh, so there are no paychecks, there are no hierarchies. People are following you because they believe in the vision and they believe in you, right? The connection has to come from the shared purpose and not the position that you hold in the organization. And I truly believe that it's one of the best leadership classrooms that there is. You learn empathy, you learn patience, you learn humility, and ultimately you realize that leadership is never about power, it is about a partnership. There was that saying, I love sayings. So if you can lead in a volunteer organization, or if you can get a lead volunteers, a set of volunteers, it's very easy to lead in an organization that pays because there are the money involved here. What are you going to use to lead them? Sort of thing. I obviously murdered that quote, but that was the intent of it.
SPEAKER_00:But but the crux of it is so very powerful, leading with influence. Right? So, how do you lead with influence without having those flashy titles, without having that power? So that that is very critical uh there. And how difficult it is uh to kind of get the wall in just like you pointed out, while the purpose is community, while the purpose is uh something uh a lot more for the community, but it doesn't have a revenue number against it. It doesn't have a tangible that you can go back and say measure saying that okay, you increase the sales revenue by X percent. So, in the absence of all of these things, how do you kind of still make influence work and still make those big uh hairy auditious goals being met?
SPEAKER_01:So we still have KPIs, right? I mean, there's still an organization that needs to run, and we do need the money to meet the mission, if I can say that. But we don't lead with that. We lead with, you know, how has your life changed? And do you believe in Toastmasters? And uh the fact that if you are mentoring somebody, are you growing? You are getting more opportunities to go and lead in a place and lead safely in a place where no one's going to fire you if you make a mistake. So come and learn about the real world and the safe environment so that when you go into your professional life, uh, you can lead much better. And it's a thing that we often have to remind us members as well that you don't join Toastmasters to become a better Toastmaster. You join Toastmasters so that you can pick up the skills here and then go into your world and apply those skills. And I think sometimes people forget about that, right? So we believe you have the potential, all we are doing is helping you discover that potential out there. And when people see themselves getting the results, they obviously are lifting up their hands to volunteer for more positions and morals as well.
SPEAKER_00:And who better than you to answer this particular piece? Which is in your view, what's the difference between a good speech and a great speech? Or the good speaker to a great speaker?
SPEAKER_01:A good speech informs and a great one connects. So you can have the perfect structure, you can have the perfect body language and delivery. But if people don't feel something, they're not going to remember whatever you said, right? They're not going to remember it. I'm reminded, I think it was Maya Angelow's beautiful line who said, People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you make them feel. So for me, a great speech or a great presentation is never about the speaker, it's about the audience. It meets people where they are and takes them somewhere new through stories, through pauses, through authenticity. And when people see themselves in your words, right, that's when a speech truly connects. And I'll just relate it to the corporate world as well. So let's suppose you're making a presentation to a stakeholder, to a client. They don't want to hear how many hours of work you put in and how much work you did internally. They want to know what it means for their company, what the results of the products or services, how can it help them, right? Don't come and tell us what you did at your end. And yes, we applaud your effort, but in the end, what does it mean for me? And I think that's very important that you connect with the audience more than you know, just say whatever you feel like saying.
SPEAKER_00:So know your audience, know your customers is what we can do. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, KYC.
SPEAKER_00:KYC.
SPEAKER_01:That's perfect.
SPEAKER_00:And to that extent, do you follow some kind of a framework or methodology that makes your speech stand out?
SPEAKER_01:Not really. I've I've never had like a very rigid framework, but over the years, if I were to force it in a framework, over the years, what I've learned is it comes down to three things. The first is the audience, like we spoke about, kind of learn who your audience is, right? Understand who is in the room, what matters to them. I have an engineering degree, an environmental engineering degree. I cannot be coming and talking particulate matter and knocks and socks to the average audience in the room. They're not going to understand what I mean, right? So I need to speak the way that they understand. Also, especially in global teams, the audience is very different. You know, in your internal teams, you can be very technical. When you're speaking with a client, you have to lose a little bit of your jargon and speak the language that they understand, right? Also, with global teams, you know what happens is the cultural context, the humor, the tone, the body language doesn't always translate across borders. What works here doesn't work uh out there at all. So if you miss those nuances, your speech, your presentation will fall flat. So the first and foremost thing is, of course, audience. Uh, the second thing is authenticity. If I don't believe in what I'm saying, then I cannot make you see or I cannot sell you what you know I want to sell you, right? So people can sense your words and your intent if they're matching or not. And more than you realize it, your audience is much more smarter than you. So they know when someone is truly being authentic, do they really believe in what they're saying? And finally, alignment. The things that you use for your speech and presentation, the stories, the tone, the body language, the activities that you might do, are they all aligned to the message, right? So if they are all in sync, the connection automatically happens.
SPEAKER_00:I'm saying you know framework to actually you gave us a framework. I call this the 3A framework that you said audience, authenticity, and uh alignment. Gauli, in a lot many ways, yours is a true journey of what a lot of our uh English would be kind of looking up to. Girl brought up in a city like Bangalore, studied here, went for masters uh in the States, then got on yourself associated with a community called the Toastmasters. Coming back home, you're doing wonderfully well in terms of creating impact for the communities around. So if you were to kind of look back at your journey and call out three moments that really transformed to the person that you are today, what would those three moments or three conversations be like?
SPEAKER_01:I think the first and foremost thing was uh, and I speak of this as Gaurish Sashadri, the girl to whom I am today, is leaving home, leaving that comfort nest and going out on my big adventure. It was not something that was easy uh for my parents to allow. I'm the first female in my entire family who uh went abroad, you know, crossed the seven seas, like they say, uh, for her professional degree. Didn't know anybody out there. And so I think everyone should leave their house at least once and see the outside world because there's a lot more that you learn from interacting with different people, different cultures, than you can get from your textbooks as such. Two is stepping up even when you are not sure, you know, opening. The door when opportunity knocks, because if you don't open that door, it'll go quickly knocking on somebody else's door. So saying yes and then trying to figure out how to do it. And there's always a great support system, whether in Toastmasters or in the corporate world, you're never leading alone, right? You always have a team around you. And third is occasionally look back and see how far you've come. Because there's always that self-doubt that creeps on Srikant. And when that comes in, you're always looking at that moment and in the now. But if you just pause and reflect back on your journey, you will see that you have done great things and you're capable of doing great more things in the future.
SPEAKER_00:So that's a brilliant articulation of how far you have come. It's not just where you have to go, but how far you have come as well.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I have grown.
SPEAKER_00:So Daudi, if you could whisper a message to your younger self before her first Toastmaster's speech, what would what would it be?
SPEAKER_01:I would tell her, you know, Gawi, just relax, breathe, and start speaking. Don't wait till you're fully ready because you'll never feel completely ready. And that's okay. Growth uh rarely feels comfortable when it's happening. Every speech, every stumble, every ah ooh, awkward pause, they're all part of the process. So trust that voice inside you, even if it's a little shaky, even if you're stammering a little bit, uh, even if you forget a little bit, because one day that same voice will help other people find their voices.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, that stuttering voice today is giving a podcast, which is uh testimony of uh how far that little girl has come for.
SPEAKER_01:And how far people believe in me, yes. And I'm very grateful for that.
SPEAKER_00:Fantastic. And no conversation these days, Gauri, is complete without talking about AI, right? With the world driven so much by AI. What remains uniquely human about communication?
SPEAKER_01:It's a question we're getting quite often in our organization as well. You know, why not using AI tools? Toastmasters still very relevant as such, right? But in today's AI-driven world, uh, what remains uniquely human about communication is the intent, the empathy, the intuition. AI can now read, write, it can even speak very convincingly. And I confess I've used my share of Chat GPT and a lot of AI-related apps, but it doesn't truly understand why we communicate, right? It doesn't feel the emotion or notice what hasn't been said at all. Human connection goes or human communication goes far beyond the words. It's in the pauses, in the silences, the raised eyebrows in the rooms, you know, the warmth in the voice, or even the trepidation in the voice that you can hear. It's knowing when someone in the room is feeling left out and kind of gently inviting them into the conversation. That's what true human connection is in terms of communication. Communication is not just about the words, it's about all of this, right? So I think technology can help us be faster, it can help us be more efficient, but connection, real human connection will always depend on our ability to listen, care, and uh, you know, respond more with intent on what that person wants. But having said that, I will also say this that whether in communication or in any other field, I think a person who uses AI as a tool is much more stronger and more relevant than a person who does not leverage the power of AI. Consider it as a tool to emphasize or uh you, but it doesn't replace you in any way.
SPEAKER_00:It doesn't replace you. That's a key word. Leverage to your advantage, leverage to your strength. Okay, here comes the power of three rounds. After talking to Gauri on all aspects of uh leadership growth, her journey through Toastmasters, here we are in the power of three round segment. The first of the power of three round question, uh Gauri, three communication habits that you recommend for our listeners.
SPEAKER_01:So if I have to pick three, uh, the first one definitely would be to listen, but listen to understand and not to reply, right? It sounds simple, but real listening is quite rare. And that's where trust actually begins, right? The second one is uh something that I'm struggling with, but and I'm still learning, is pause before you speak. A short pause gives your words a lot more weight, uh, gives others space to think and absorb what you have said. It also shows calm, confidence, and presence. And third, which is keep it simple and sincere. Simplify the message, simplify the complex. You don't need big words or jargon to sound intelligent. You need clarity to be understood, and the best communicators uh don't make things sound smart, they make things make sense.
SPEAKER_00:Three books or podcasts that influenced you?
SPEAKER_01:Uh many. But I'll keep it corporate. First is the Maxwell Leadership Executive Podcast. I think that's what it's called. It offers very valuable lessons. It's one of my favorite podcasts. It offers valuable lessons on how to lead effectively and bring your team along. And what I love about it is how it focuses on small shifts in mindset and tone that can create big changes in the teams and how they respond to you. The second one is a very popular podcast, which is um Work Life with Adam Grant. I really enjoy how he blends behavioral sciences with stories from the workplace, and I think it kind of brings that human element, or we kind of see communication, motivation, and culture through a more human lens. Uh, the third one is one of my favorite books called Turn the Ship Around by David Market. It's a brilliant example, it's about a submarine, but it's a brilliant example of how the same process can lead to entirely different outcomes depending on the kind of leader you are, right? So it's a reminder that leadership isn't about control, it's about creating ownership. You know, you need to own your work to lead people as such. So these three.
SPEAKER_00:Larly talk about leadership. I cannot miss this opportunity to ask you about three leadership lessons that you have picked up by virtue of associating with Tourchmasters.
SPEAKER_01:In Tourchmasters, it's all about servant leadership. Uh Srikant. So the first thing is definitely leadership starts with service. When you focus on helping others grow, you automatically grow yourself. Uh, the second one is communication and leadership are inseparable. They are two sides of the same coin, right? You can't lead if you can't connect. And you can't connect without communicating well. So it's all a part of the same journey. And third, this has come from my own years of leadership and Toastmasters, is that to lead others well, I need to learn to lead myself effectively. And what Toastmasters has taught me is that self-awareness and consistencies, you know, make good leaders integrate ones. So those are the three lessons that I've picked on.
SPEAKER_00:Beautiful. Gauri, what are three microhabits or micro experiments that you would recommend our listeners to pick for them to fine-tune their communication skills, fine-tune their volatory skills?
SPEAKER_01:Rather than three, I'll give you one strong micro habit if that works. Okay. Uh, you can make this daily or you can make it weekly. The one simple thing, a practice or habit that I recommend is expand your library of knowledge. Every day or every week, do something that broadens your perspective, which means speak to people who are outside of your usual circle, read a few pages of a book or listen to a podcast. So when you expose yourself to diverse thoughts and experiences, you automatically become a more confident communicator. And I say this because confidence grows from clarity, and clarity grows from understanding other people better as such. So the more stories, the more ideas, the more viewpoints that you have, the easier it will be for you to connect with somebody else and communicate with them confidently. So expand your knowledge.
SPEAKER_00:So earlier on, we had a conversation where we said, What would you let your anger self tell? I'll ask a different variant of the same question. If Gauri and Srikant were to have this conversation 10 years from now, what would Gauri tell her future self?
SPEAKER_01:I would say you've done a good job, but there's still a long way to go. I have learned over the years, I'm trying to be nicer to myself, Srikant. I think I'm my own worst at any in some ways. And I've learned that I'm very critical to myself. So I want to learn, and I'm trying to learn to appreciate myself more in an era where mental health is like one of the big things that people look at. It's important to take those little breaks, pat yourself on the back and say, hey Srikant, you know, where we started when we first said hello, to where we have come today. And we did that a couple of weeks ago. To hopefully in 10 years saying, Hey, you know, I'm applauding for you, and hopefully you're applauding for me. And really happy to see you there.
SPEAKER_00:Super. Great. You are playing a very critical role at the being part of the board at Toastmasters. If you were to kind of vision out the future, what do you see the next two to three years to kind of have in terms of just not from a Toastmaster standpoint, but more in terms of the need to have effective communication in the world that we are in, with changes being so dramatic. What are some of the skills that one needs to kind of hone in to embrace, to adapt to the changing world dynamics?
SPEAKER_01:I would say communication is going to become even more important than it already is. You have been on the recruiting side as well in uh your corporate world, and you know that communication is one of the top skills that people are looking at. Yes, you need the technical skills to qualify for the job, but communication is out there. And with the changing world, with the world becoming smaller and smaller, when I had gone to the US so many years ago, you know, I had to take a phone card, then scratch it, and then call back home. And today, you know, there is WhatsApp, there's Skype, there's a lot of things, video calls, which we didn't have back in the days. So the world's becoming smaller, everyone's working in a global team. You can really be misunderstood if you don't say things clearly and with clarity. So make sure that while you're honing your technical skills, you're also honing your communication skills. You might be great, but you need to communicate to others how great you are. And if you can't do that, there is absolutely nothing. So keep communication on top of your list.
SPEAKER_00:Boys, this was lovely to reconnect with you to have this uh conversation. So thank you so much for taking time and sharing your experience with me and my listeners. This show is all about creating repulse of inspiration. So before you and I sign off, what's your inspire someone today message to all the listeners?
SPEAKER_01:If I were to leave you with something, first of all, thank you. But uh, if I were to give some sort of message, I would say aim for clarity and not for perfection. Like I mentioned before, confidence doesn't come from big words or saying things flawlessly or showcasing the perfect accent. It comes from knowing what you mean and meaning what you say. Because clarity builds confidence, confidence builds connection, and that's where great communication actually begins.
SPEAKER_00:Fantastic. Thank you so much, Gaudi. Clarity, confidence, and connection. Couldn't have uh left this conversation without the 3C framework. Thank you for sharing that and thank you for uh giving some of these lovely notes for me and my listeners. Thank you. Thank you for joining us on this episode of Inspire Someone Today. This is Srikant, your host, signing off. Until next time, continue to carry the ripples of inspiration. Stay inspired, keep spreading the light.
