SackBerry

I didn’t start SackBerry to be “just another agency.”
I started it because founders building world-class companies were still invisible online. 

So I built SackBerry with one mission:
"Turn expertise into influence".

What we do:
- Build personal brands for founders, CXOs & investors on LinkedIn, Twitter/X & Instagram
- Grow visibility through social media, PR & paid ads
- Use AI-powered systems to scale presence without scaling headcount

What this means in action:
 ⚡ Took a SaaS founder from “ghost online” to 10K+ followers & weekly inbound leads
 ⚡ Turned a boutique firm’s anniversary into a story that drove clients
 ⚡ Helped a real estate founder build a brand so strong his DMs became his pipeline

Today, SackBerry is:
 ✅ 250+ clients across India, US & Canada
 ✅ 15-member remote team
 ✅ Featured across panels, podcasts & startup events

Founder / Agency Owner

Graphy

Content Marketer

Spayee

Content marketer for an Ed-tech B2B SAAS start-up.
a) Reviewing, editing and writing blog posts to guarantee high content quality.
b) Developing key messaging, branding and positioning statements.
C) WordPress Blog Management & SEO.
D) Writing comprehensive product guides from scratch. (Text, GIFs & Videos).
e) Creating content on Quora to build brand awareness.
f) Managing all the social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn & Twitter.
g) Initiating market research studies and analyze findings.
h) On-site SEO, link building & guest posting.
I) Collaboration with designers and the editorial team on marketing materials.
j) Defining and tracking campaign effectiveness and adjust strategies accordingly.

Achievements:

*Created the comprehensive product guide from scratch, consisting of more than 100 articles.

*Got 500X growth on Spayee platform organically.

*Figured out the already existing deviations and challenges and worked on it, leading to higher user engagements, increased footfall & massive conversions.

Toastmasters International

Vice President of Public Relations

WSE Group

*Collaboration with designers and the editorial team on marketing materials.
*Reviewing, editing and writing blog posts to guarantee high content quality.
*Developing key messaging, branding and positioning statements.

    Achievements:
*Comprehensively researched and proposed a suitable digital marketing and social media plan for the two major businesses of WSE Groups – Volercars and LYVE Games. 

*Figured out the already existing deviations and challenges and worked on it, leading to higher user engagements and rigorous PR.
Successfully implemented creative collaborations and contests.

Marketing Content Manager

Redefined Rhapsody

My love and quest for poetry and open mics have instigated me into founding this platform. Getting all the poets in one place and giving them a platform to present is the vision and mission. 
Here is the link to Insta profile:

https://instagram.com/redefined_rhapsody?utm_source=ig_profile_share&igshid=1a653a1oj9kc4

Founder

Blogger

I help in LinkedIn Growth 🚀 | TedX & Josh Talks Speaker| Influencer Marketing on LinkedIn| Personal Branding for busy Founders | Ghostwriter for Founders | LinkedIn Organic Growth | B2B Lead generation| Founders PR 🔥

I’m Sakshi Darpan, Founder of SackBerry Media, a personal branding and social media agency that’s helped 250+ founders, CXOs, and investors build their online presence and win trust in the digital world.

In the last 3 years, we have worked with clients across India, Dubai, US & Canada while generating millions of impressions for them!

What I do: 
- Build magnetic personal brands on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter/X
- Grow visibility for brands through social media strategy, PR, and paid ads
- Use AI-driven systems to scale outreach, content, and operations without adding extra headcount

🌍 What makes me different
I don’t believe in cookie-cutter content. I believe in storytelling that actually makes people stop scrolling, pay attention, and remember you. My clients don’t just get followers, they get leads, speaking gigs, media features, and opportunities they didn’t even know were possible.

📌 Beyond business
I’ve grown my own brand to 90K+ followers on LinkedIn by sharing my learnings in real time
I’ve been invited to speak on panels, podcasts, and judge startup events!
I’ve built an agency that runs on strong systems, so I can take vacations (sometimes a full month!) while the business grows


✨ What drives me
 Helping founders and brands turn their expertise into influence. 

Let's chat: sakshi@sackberry.com

Sakshi Darpan

In the last 2 months I have worked 3-4 hours a day, but the business ran as usual.

- Running a marketing agency with 35+ clients 
- Onboarding 3 clients a month
- Working on client retention

It's a chaos & as a single founder it got a little too much for me.

So, before It took away all my peace, I stepped back a little & let life play out.

- Attended a tonne of wedding functions
- Had a great Diwali week with friends & family
- Hosted another Diwali party for my team members
- Spent another 2 weeks with my parents in Chhath Puja
- Did journal, started to walk outside without fail 

Mostly I let life play out without stressing about everything 💜

Loved it :3

Do you ever slow down?


#PersonalBranding #Founder

It took me 5 years and 97k+  followers to truly understand this.
Because when you strip away the likes, views, and comments what really builds a personal brand is trust.

📍 Networking > Contacts = Trust
 I don’t measure my brand by how many people I know.
 I measure it by the 40 trusted humans who’ve referred me, vouched for me, and said my name in rooms I wasn’t in.

📍 Presentability = Trust in first impressions
A D2C founder once told me he hired us because we looked like people who get things done.
Since then, I’ve stopped seeing styling as shallow.
The first 10 seconds build or break trust before the next 10 slides even begin.

📍 Relationships > Sales = Trust over time
Some of SackBerry’s highest-ticket clients came back more than a year after the first conversation. We stayed in touch. We showed up.
 When the timing was right, they remembered.

📍 Visibility = Silent Trust
 Half the prospects who get on a call with me say,
 “I’ve been reading your posts for months.”
 Even if they never liked or commented once.

Consistency builds silent trust with people you don’t even know are watching.
That’s the real story of personal branding.

It isn’t hacks, trends, or virality.

It’s trust, built day after day.

And this is why SackBerry exists to help founders build trust at scale.

What does a personal brand mean to you?


#PersonalBrand #Branding

I visited a country with just 1.2 Cr of population.
While the city I stay in alone has 3.5 Cr of population. 

I spent the whole 7 days in Mauritius at 3 different beach-facing properties.

Life here doesn’t revolve around “what’s next?”.
It revolves around “what’s now?”

- People walk slowly.
- Cars actually wait.
- Shops close early.
- Beaches stay empty even in the middle of the day.
- And the locals are always smiling like they know something we don’t.

It felt like someone had lowered the world’s volume.
And because of that, I naturally slowed down too.

For one week, I slipped into their pace:
📍Woke up with the sound of waves
📍Sat with my tea looking at the water
📍Took long, quiet drives through green roads
📍Watched people fish like it was a meditation
📍Saw families sit by the beach for hours, doing absolutely nothing
📍Ate lunch without checking my phone 14 times
📍Didn’t hear a single honk for days 

Of course, I also took a couple of important calls because that’s life now.

But even then, the vibe was so relaxed that I didn’t feel like I was “working”.

What plans do you have for next year?


#Travel #PersonalBranding

It took me 3 years to build a 6-figure USD agency with a 15-member team.
But you can do this in less than a year!

When I look back at how SackBerry grew, I see two very clear chapters.
📍 The version of me who did everything out of instinct.
📍The version of me who finally built the agency like a real company.

>>> Things I’d definitely do again:

1. Build a strong content-first culture.
Good content saved us.
It made our content sharper, our clients happier, and our brand more trustworthy.
 
2. Focus on founder-branding instead of generic content.
“Show your face. Tell your story. Build in public.”
My founder-led content attracts inbound clients, builds deeper trust, and got me invitation to Josh Talks, Ted talks & multiple events.

3. Create systems before scaling the team.
If you scale without systems, you create stress, not growth.
The day we documented processes, built workflows, and set up a strong lead-gen + delivery engine…
things finally became predictable.

4. Invest early in client experience.
 Clear communication +  Weekly updates + Smooth onboarding.
 A team that genuinely cares.
 Clients don’t remember the content, they remember how you made them feel.

>>> And now… the things I’d never repeat:

1. Saying yes to every client who enquired.
 Some deals gave money.
 Most gave headaches.
 The wrong clients drain your team, drain your time, and drain your peace.

2. Undercharging out of fear.
 In the beginning, I kept pricing low because I was scared someone would say no. But the reality?
People respect you when you respect your pricing.

3. Hiring too fast.
 I thought more people = more growth.
 But more people without the right roles and systems = more chaos.

4. Doing everything myself for too long.
 I used to check every caption, approve every design, handle every escalation.
 It wasn’t leadership, it was fear.
 The day I let go, my team finally grew.

5. Putting content over mental health.
 There were days I posted even when I was anxious, exhausted, overwhelmed…
 because I believed consistency = survival.

Agency life isn’t glamorous.
It’s messy & unpredictable.
Sackberry made me who I am.
And I wouldn’t trade this ride for anything.

What lesson you learned in the past year?


#PersonalBranding #Content

I am hiring for 5 marketing roles for salary ranging between 30K-50K!

We recently expanded our services.

Clients? 
We’ve been signing them almost every single day.

But here’s the funny part:
The work has been pouring in, finding good marketing talent has been tougher than I expected.

We’ve been scouting like crazy, interviewing endlessly, and yet it feels like the market is drained out of the right resources.

So I decided—why not put this out here?
👉 We’re officially hiring for 5 marketing roles:
- Linkedin & Instagram Ghostwriters
- Social Media Managers
- Customer Success Manager
- Instagram specialists
- Marketing generalist who can do a bit of everything

💰 Salary range: ₹30K – ₹50K

If you’re someone who loves building brands, creating content that actually works, and wants to grow with a team that’s scaling fast, this might be your cue.

- Drop a comment
- Tag a friend,
- DM me 
- Email us: talent@sackberry.com

#hiring #marketing #personalbranding #socialmedia #growth
#digitalmarketing

I’ve lost at least $5K worth of leads in the last 6 months.

Not because of bad content.
But because I didn’t follow up.

Believe it or not, but your warm audience is sitting & watching you.
- Every “We should work together” DM
- “X viewed your profile” notification from a dream client.
- A like/ comment on your post from your potential client

I know how to spot them & take action.
But, I lost track.

So over the last 60 days, I built an AI-assisted follow-up system that does 3 things:

1. Surfaces signals (profile views, DMs, post engagers) into one list every morning.
2. Scores intent (title, company, comment context) so I know who to ping first.
3. Sends gentle nudges (pre-approved DM/email templates) on Day 0/2/7
Most importantly, I get everyday reminders on who to follow up with

Result?
 → Replies I’d been “meaning to send” finally went out.
 → 3 calls booked last week from old warm leads
 → Pipeline looks healthier without posting more

If your content works but the follow-up system doesn’t, money leaks.

Want the checklist of all tools I use + the 3 messages I use?

Comment FOLLOW UP and I’ll share the exact workflow and templates.


#PersonalBranding #InstagramGrowth

Before SackBerry ever existed, I spent 3 years working in jobs that honestly felt nothing like each other.

→ 2 years in a tiny startup Spayee
We grew from a team of 4 to 30.
My manager was the co-founder himself.
I was a 19 year old in my first job who did everything "Content" & nailed it.

→ 1 year in a fast, high-pressure startup Unacademy
I led a team of 14 here.  
Very intense.
Very “figure it out and move”.
I had to learn, try, fail, and get up again in real-time.

At that time, I thought I was just “doing my job”.
Now I know I was collecting lessons that I’d need much later.

Here are the ones that shaped me the most:

📍How people actually work
 Everyone isn’t motivated by the same thing.
 Some people need clarity, some need freedom, some need reassurance.
 You can't lead everyone in the same way.

📍How to manage under pressure
 Startups don’t give you the luxury of slow learning.
 That pace trained me.
 It taught me how to stay calm even when everything around me was on fire.

📍 What good leadership really looks like
 I worked with leaders who supported me…
 and leaders who drained me.
 Both taught me what to do & what not to do.

📍Growth is uncomfortable
Those 3 years pushed me out of my comfort zone so many times that discomfort became normal.

And I didn’t realise it then, but all of this became the base for SackBerry.

I already knew how to build a team, communicate, set expectations & stay calm under pressure.

Those years made me a better founder long before I ever became one.



#PersonalBranding #Marketing #Content

AI is 10X cheaper. Still, zero clients left us because of "AI".
In fact, we still onboard clients every month.

Here’s how we do it at SackBerry 👇

1. Founder Deep-Dive Calls
Not interviews, but conversations.
The kind where a founder forgets they're being recorded.
We dig into:
 — how they think
 — how they solve
 — what shaped them
 — what they actually believe
By the end of this call, we know their voice better than any “brand guideline” ever could.

2. Narrative Mapping
Every founder has a pattern. 
Their rhythm, their instincts, their go-to analogies, the emotions they lead with.
We map all of that.
Their story arcs.
Their non-negotiables.
Their angles, opinions, contradictions, and quirks.
This is where the personality gets built. The persona behind the posts.

3. Context-Rich Writing
This is magic. ✨
We don’t write “content.”
We write like someone who knows:why the founder started,what they’ve gone through, what they’re building and what they won’t compromise on.

Every post sounds like: “Of course the founder wrote this.”
(And even their best friend wouldn’t doubt it).
Because personal branding is not about writing louder.
It’s about writing truer.

And when founders sound like founders not marketers, not templates, not AI their audience trusts them more, faster, deeper.
This is the SackBerry difference.
We don’t create voices.
We reveal them.

Do you think AI will take on creative jobs?


#PersonalBranding #Leadgeneration #AI

SackBerry Media is proud to be the Social Media Partner for MysticVerse Global 2026, happening on 6–7 February 2026 in Dubai. 

From the early days of my business, I’ve believed that building a personal or company brand is about purpose, not just posts. 

And MysticVerse is exactly that kind of space.
- They brings together ancient wisdom (astrology, reiki, vaastu) with modern tools (AI, wellness tech) to help people and organisations evolve. 

- The blend between tradition + innovation, inner work + outward impact is how we build content for founders.

What we’ll do together:
📍 Help amplify the voices and ideas shaping conscious business and wellness.
📍Create content that highlights why MysticVerse matters 
📍And why you might want to be part of it

I am really excited about this!


 #MysticVerseGlobal #SackberryMedia #PersonalBranding #Storytelling #Wellness

My biggest case study is a million-dollar client & I pitched him through cold outreach.

People assume big clients come through fancy networks, warm intros, or some “secret connection”.

Mine didn’t.

My biggest case study is a million-dollar founder running a public company in the travel space.
Believe it or not but it started with something extremely simple:
A cold DM.

No one vouched for me or introduced us.
I wasn’t “known” then.
I just sent a message because I believed I could genuinely help.

And he took a chance on me.

And from there, we took his account from 15K → 100K followers within a year.

Here’s what that one DM turned into:

📍 a massive confidence boost
📍 the proof that cold outreach isn’t dead
📍 one of my strongest partnerships
📍 a turning point for my agency

People overcomplicate growth.

But honestly, so much of my journey changed the day I stopped overthinking and simply sent the message.

Sometimes the opportunity you’re waiting for…
is one DM away.

So tell me, what’s the one message you’ve been procrastinating?
And what’s stopping you from sending it today?


#PersonalBrand #Marketing

Most conversations about healthcare happen when something goes wrong.
But now and then, you come across a brand that talks about it with honesty, dignity, and hope long before people need it.

That’s what stood out to me about NephroPlus.

Dialysis is not easy.
It changes routines, families, plans… life.
It’s heavy.

Yet, NephroPlus chooses to talk about it with a kind of clarity and compassion that feels rare in healthcare communication.

It reminds people that kidney care is about letting patients live fuller, happier, more confident lives.

And you see that in the way they show up on social media too.
Simple, honest posts that help people understand dialysis rather than fear it.
Stories that remind patients that they’re more than their diagnosis.
Information shared without overwhelming people.

But the part that moved me most?
Their patient-centric initiatives.

Events like the Dialysis Olympiad where patients get to compete, celebrate strength, and be seen beyond their medical journey.

Or Aashayein, a festival that brings joy, connection, and community into a space that usually feels isolating.

These aren’t marketing activities.
They’re reminders that healthcare should treat the heart as much as the body.

Because telling someone “you’re not alone” is powerful.
But showing them through real experiences, real communities, real joy is what builds awareness that actually matters.

NephroPlus isn’t just raising awareness about dialysis care.
They’re normalising it.

Humanising it.
Giving it dignity.

And in a healthcare system that can feel cold and overwhelming, that kind of messaging can change how people see themselves…and how they see their future.

 #DialysisTohNephroPlus

Standardise and elevate people experience at GSK, globally. My team and I work at the intersection of People, Process, and Technology to improve how our employees perceive services from HR. This helps GSK  fulfill its purpose unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together.

GXO - Global Experience Owner | Human Resources 

DXC Technology

As global head of Operational Excellence at DXC Technology I lead a team that is committed to help DXC deliver on it's promises. 

My team helps improve and simplify DXC's delivery to client. We aim to prevent projects and engagements running into trouble and if they land there then we do what we can to recover. We also relentlessly apply Continual Improvement across the organization and establish compliance to all key quality, information security, and business continuity standards.

Director - Head of Operational Excellence 

As global head of quality at DXC, my team and I, strive to help DXC keep its quality commitments to customers. We do this with sustained focus on:

- Process, Tools, and Metrics
- Standards, Audits, and Certifications
- Business Continuity and related Compliance
- Process Improvement through Kaizen, Lean, Six Sigma, and Automation
- Performance reporting and workflow tools to simplify processes.

We are here to make an impact. 10x or more!

Director - Global Head of Quality and Continual Improvement

At DXC I lead the Delivery Excellence team to assure world-class delivery to clients, globally. 

DXC is the world's third largest IT Services Firm with over 100,000 employees and $20bn in annual revenues. More on DXC at https://www.dxc.technology/ 

I lead a global team to improve and simplify DXC's delivery to client. We aim to prevent projects and engagements running into trouble and if they land there then we do what we can to recover. We also relentlessly apply Continual Improvement across the organisation and establish compliance to all key quality, information security, and business continuity standards.

Global Head of Delivery Excellence

I lead a team of transformation specialists at the Global Delivery Services (GDS)  of EY. My team of 100+ is spread across locations in India, China, Philippines, Argentina, and Poland. We undertake high impact projects to significantly improve the capabilities of GDS to help EY create a better working world. 

We manage a multi level improvement projects architecture including Kaizen, Six Sigma, Lean, Automation, Robotics Process Automation (RPA) and Maturity Frameworks.

Transformation Director | Global Delivery Services | GCC Locations

HSBC

At HSBC I managed the offshore Process Re-engineering and Implementation team based in Hyderabad and Bangalore. Together we delivered large and high impact process improvement projects for the bank, globally. We delivered over $100 m in impact over 2016-17. 

As a program leader I also lead the Waste Elimination and Robotics (RPA) programs across HSBC global operations.

Head of Process Re-engineering and Implementation | GCC Locations 

Process Consulting is a part of the Global Change Delivery function at HSBC. Our team manages large high impact process improvement projects globally. I am currently leading transformation programs in Insurance and Retail Account Servicing.

Vice President - Process Consulting

ANZ Support Services

As Vice President - Business Excellence (Retail, Commercial, and Wealth), my role is to develop and deploy plans for achieving key operations excellence goals including productivity, utilization, turn-around time, accuracy, cost, and customer satisfaction. This includes programs to improve accuracy, reduce waste, cross-skill staff across teams, establish customer centricity, and improve productivity using a unique mix of Kaizen, Rapid Root Cause Analysis, Lean, and Six Sigma projects. As part of the leadership team I also lead change programs.

Achievements and Highlights 
•	Over 15 % improvement in productivity and  customer satisfaction 
•	Over 50% reduction in errors from priority teams 
•	Over 50% improvement in staff committing zero errors for a month 
•	Completed improvement projects leading to savings of over 50 staff 
•	Global trainer for ANZ's flagship operations excellence program with Cranfield University.

At ANZ I have realized my passion for leading teams to make a positive impact.

Vice President - Business Excellence | GCC Locations 

Infosys Technologies Ltd

As Principal - Quality Programs I head Infosys's Business Excellence program globally.  This includes driving beneficial change across business units and enabling functions, nurturing a global team of senior examiners, and leading over 25 assessments annually.  I also mentor select Lean Six Sigma projects.

Principal - Quality Programs

As Principal - Quality Programs and earlier Program Manager, my role was to lead a significant change program across the organization. This program, based on the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) of the USA, was designed to measure and improve management performance across Infosys. This included developing business excellence criteria, training and coaching examiners, conducting assessments, and presenting results to the board.

Achievements and Highlights 
•	All key units achieved a 600+ points goal during the three year program 
•	Conducted over 25 assessments annually and shared insights with senior leadership 
•	Developed a solution for to balance budget and benefits for a global marketing campaign 
•	Trainer for Six Sigma and Infosys Quality programs 
•	Managed Infosys' Customer Satisfaction Measurement and improvement program in 2007 
•	Won org-wide Excellence Award in 2007 and the best Quality program in 2008.

At Infosys I honed my passion for the Malcolm Baldrige framework for performance excellence.

Program Manager - Quality

Qimpro Consultants

As a COO, BestPrax and Business Leader, Qimpro Consultants, my role included consulting for key clients and managing the BestPrax Club.  Most client engagements were long term change (MBNQA/Deming) assignments linked to improvement in business metrics.  Others included training on quality and creativity tools. I also did business development, alliances, product development. 

Achievements and Highlights 
•	Trained over 1000 quality professionals across over 25 clients 
•	Clients included companies from the Aditya Birla, ICICI (Insurance), Reliance, and Tata groups  
•	Co-authored the International Quality Maturity Model for change management assignments 
•	Developed new businesses including Six Sigma, Best Practice insights, Courseware sales, etc.

I joined as a Consultant and rose to Principal Consultant.

Business Leader

MindaRika

Assisted in up gradation of ISO 9002 to ISO 9001.
Developed and conducted training modules on QS 9000.

Quality Assurance Engineer

Raymond Limited

Conducted several productivity improvement projects in manufacturing.
Conceived, designed, developed, and managed training for 3000 workmen in less than 100 days.
Managed stores and purchasing co-ordination including sanctioning indents.

Junior Officer

Global Head of Operational Excellence @ DXC Technology | Business Process Transformation and Mid-Career Coach ✅

With about 30 years in transformation, innovation, quality, and simplification (TIQS ✅), I work at the intersection of People, Process, and Technology to drive long term and beneficial change for large global organisations. 

I am currently the Global Experience Owner (GXO) for People Services at GSK. We aim to standardise and elevate the experience of our employees, globally. I am bringing better tools and methods including real uses of Artificial Intelligence to improve the day to day and longer term experience of our colleagues. 

Earlier as the Global Head of Operational Excellence at DXC Technology, I lead a global team to simplify and transform DXC's delivery to customers, deploying works class processes, ensuring compliance, continuity, and improvement.

I am also an ASQ Fellow since 2013, a LinkedIn Top Voice since Jan 2022, and a mid-career coach, who loves to share my knowledge and expertise with others. I have taught quality principles, methods, and tools to over 10,000 professionals, and helped my clients win several quality awards, including the Deming Prize. I have also led initiatives that generated over $250 million in benefits, focusing on composite outcomes around revenue, cost, customers, and employees. 

My mission is to make an impact and to lead people to deliver 10x results.

----
I have spoken at over 100 companies in 15+ countries, including Amdocs, ANZ Bank, Birla Group (25 Units), HDFC Bank, Hindalco, HSBC, Indian Navy, ISRO, Infosys, One.com, Reliance, Tata Management Training Centre, and more.

Also been a guest or keynote speaker at ISB, IIM Raipur, IIM Lucknow, Symbiosis, IIT Ropar, Somaiya, Christ College, GIBS, Alliance University, BITS Pilani, and many more.  I also run a LinkedIn Live show called ManageBetter, a YouTube channel, and a podcast series. The Live show is over 100 shows.

Anshuman Tiwari

Excellence and Qimpro Foundation have been inseparable since the late 1980s. And last week was one more such celebration,

On 14 November, Qimpro celebrated distinguished professionals who have made Quality happen. 

35th year in a row.

Qimpro Gold Standard 2025

Business: Saugata Gupta, Managing Director & CEO, Marico Limited

Education: Mr Nilesh Nimkar, Founder Director (CEO), Quality Education Support Trust (QUEST)

Education: Rashmi Misra, Founder President, VIDYA Integrated Development for Youth and Adults

Startups: Dr. Vaibhav Tidke, CEO and Co-Founder, S4S Technologies

Healthcare: Dr Rachita Dhurat, Organising Chairperson, Trichology Update, Professor & Head Department of Dermatology, LTM Medical College & Hospital

Qimpro Platinum Standard 2025

Education: Dr Pramath Raj Sinha, Founder & Trustee, Ashoka University

Healthcare: Dr Dr. Shekhar Bhojraj, Founder, Past President and Chief Trustee, The Spine Foundation

This mission is a lifetime of effort of Suresh Lulla, founder of Qimpro. And it was inspiration from Dr J M Juran that led to these awards to celebrate individual excellence. 

Jigisha Lulla, CEO of Qimpro Foundation manages the rigorous selection process and the event each year.

I had the honour of serving on the panel this year as a Trustee of the Foundation.

The event this year was attended by distinguished guests and past winners. Some prominent names include 

Dr Dr. Vidya Yeravdekar, Pro Chancellor, Symbiosis International University, 
I V Subramaniam, Managing Director, CEO & CIO, Quantum Advisors Pvt. Ltd., Burjis Godrej, Executive Director & COO and Head - Business Development, Godrej Agrovet Ltd, Dr Dr. Narayan Hariharan Ph.D, Faculty Mentor & Visiting Professor, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Amrita Sadarangani, Senior Director & Head, Ashoka Global Research Alliances

Other trustees at the event included Surendra Baliga and Nita Luthria Row

A celebration of excellence.

Who would you want to see on the awards list next year? 

🏆

AI for Awesome Employee Experience | GXO - Global Experience Owner for HR @ GSK | Process and HR Transformation | GCC Leadership | 🧱 The Brick by Brick Guy 🧱

You need to be in Delhi, Mumbai, or Bangalore if you want to make it big on LinkedIn. And you should be super fluent in English. SOBO style :)

Rubbish.

Shraddha Shrivastava proves this and many others wrong. 

She has built a strong following of over 100k and a business that just keeps growing. Shraddha helps clients create a presence on LinkedIn and then grow it. Most of this for B2B founders.

Shraddha has been building for 10 years. Quietly. 

Her company, Digital Height helps clients build a presence and use digital marketing to generate leads. 

We met on the LinkedIn India Creator Accelerator Program in 2022 and have stayed in touch since then. 

If you want to see a 'quiet' building, look no further. Coming from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh and with English not her first language, she has fought all odds and WON.

Much to learn from such friends.

🫡  

+++
And those who did not get what SOBO is, it is South Bombay. Now you get it? 😂

What can a 5 time World Chess Champion and a legend teach you about managing people?

Last week, I had this rare opportunity to be in the audience with the Legend Vishwanathan Anand. 

And since I had a front-row seat, Anand was sitting 2 ft away. And I remember shivering. The man who single-handedly brought down the Soviet/Russian dominance in Chess and turned India into a superpower was sitting next to me. 

He is a shy, introverted, and almost reluctant speaker. But the power of his presence and achievement is such that you listen. 

What did I learn?

1. It's your team
For a sport that seems 'individual', Anand spoke in 'team' mode. While I know a bit about Chess, the extent of it being a team sport was surprising. A lot of preparation goes into a game. 

2. Keep learning
What would a genius want to learn? Well, firstly, a Chess World Champion is not playing with us mere mortals. He is playing with other champions. And the game also keeps changing. So, keep learning.

Anand was clear that the game he plays today is vastly different from the game he started playing as a 6 yr old. The board is the same but the game is at another level. 
 
3. Humility - learn from youngsters
Anand was humility in action. Just the presence exuded a calm and serene outlook. Nothing was rushed. He told us how he assembled a world-class team twice in his career. The first time in 1998 Anand was the youngest in the group but the next time in 2007 he was the oldest. 

Computers had arrived big time by then, and the game had changed. Learning from youngsters is key. And today he is learning how esports streaming works. 

Chess is very predictable. No unknowns

But there was one more key lesson...

As I was sitting near Anand, the thing that amazed me was that he did not check his phone even once. He came, thanked the audience for the applause with a shy smile and a nod and took his seat. And sat exactly in the same position for the next half hour. No phone. No fidgeting. Just calm. 

And in that moment, I felt terribly ashamed. Anand surely has a busier life than any of us. And yet the calm he exuded was unreal. 

And to make it worse, the photographer has captured me on my phone and Anand sitting serenely. ☺ 

This one was special. I have never wanted to meet a movie star, really. I have met some but don't remember much, and can't recall what I learnt. The kind of people I want to meet are Anand, Leander, and Harsha. ☺ 

Have you ever been in a room with a legend and come back with lessons for life?

+++
Thanks much to HROne and Pulkit Joshi for the invitation. It was an event I will never get over. 

Photos - Evidence. 😂  And that one photo of Anand and me in the same frame will remain with me.

I started as average in almost everything. 

Education. Confidence. Conversations. Speaking. Relationships. Work. 

And more. But I am getting better. 

Thanks to a reading habit, pushing myself into conversations, and knowing that there is a lot to improve. 

And of these three, reading is the easiest. Start there. 

Reading helps you..

1. Build a world view beyond what you know

2. Helps you think, speak, and write better 

3. Often changes something inside you. Forever.

So do yourself a favour. Build a reading habit.

If you find it tough, start with 1 page a day. And build from there.

What am I reading these days? 

Ghaban by Munshi Premchand.

A forever classic. At par with the works of Dickens and Austen. 

What are you reading this week? 

brick by brick 🧱

The attendance and participation certificate your kids are getting in school today, are setting them up for failure at work later.

Yes. Read that again.

Attendance and Participation in events is part of a child's job. Why give out a certificate. When these children grow up they expect a reward for just showing up or doing what is expected. 

And this has messed up the workplace big time.

We can't change how schools operate but can surely teach our children and temper their expectations.

Be that parent. 

And this holds true at work later. 

Be that manager. 

🧱

Visible leadership is not about grand speeches. It is about small, daily actions your team actually sees.

You don’t earn respect by hiding behind dashboards and email threads. You earn it when your presence makes work easier for others.

You don’t need another leadership model if you

1. show up when the team is under pressure
2. take five minutes daily to check in, not check up
3. recognise good work without waiting for a formal review
4. roll up your sleeves during crunch time
5. respond even when you don’t have all the answers
6. explain the “why,” not just the “what”
7. give credit publicly and feedback privately
8. step in to remove obstacles, not create new ones
9. stay accessible, not aloof
10. keep your promises, especially the small ones.

Respect is not demanded. It is observed. Every single day.

Bonus 11th point - If you can't be with your team in their hour of grief, stay away in their joy and victory also. 

I call all of this Visible Leadership. 

What is the ONE visible leadership act that makes you follow your leader?

🧱

Life happens. And then we win. 

Be that person. 

🧱

10 Management & Leadership I recommend a lot...

Most Mondays, I share a book post.  Today, I am sharing my Top 10 recommendations for management and leadership books. 

How did I get to the list?

Mostly, top-of-the-mind recall. The first list had over 25 books.

The shortlisting was based on impact, popularity, and longevity. Some fell off the list because they focused on a single topic, such as Marketing or Quality. 

Here is the list, then. No jargon. No motivational fluff. Just practical ideas we can use from Monday morning.

1. Execution – Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan
Still the most practical book on how leaders get things done.

2. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – Patrick Lencioni
If you manage teams, this book will save you years of trial and error.

3. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen Covey
Old, yes. But the principles remain bulletproof.

4. The One Thing – Gary Keller & Jay Papasan
A simple reminder: focus is a superpower.

5. The 80/20 Principle – Richard Koch
Why a few actions create most results. A must-read for mid-career professionals.

6. Managerial Breakthrough – J. M. Juran
A masterclass in problem-solving, change, and driving real performance improvement.

7. Multipliers – Liz Wiseman
Leaders who expand people vs leaders who drain them. We’ve all seen both.

8. Radical Candor – Kim Scott
Clear, caring feedback. Hard to practice, but changes teams.

9. The Practice of Management – Peter Drucker
The original management handbook. Drucker saw the workplace decades before the rest of us.

10. Winning – Jack Welch
A brutally practical playbook on leadership, performance, and building strong teams.

You will notice a lot of popular leadership books are not on the list. Mostly because I focused on Business Leadership and not Individual Leadership. The only exception I made was for 7 Habits. Why? Because it is exceptional and timeless.

I kept my favourites - Grit and Mindset also out as they are more personal/individual leadership. 

These 10 books won’t magically make us “great leaders”. 

But they will give us better judgment, better habits, and better decisions. And that is what leadership really is.

Which one would you take off the list and replace with...?

+++
As I worked on the list, I was very aware of my limited qualification to judge these classics. Who am I to have this opinion?

But I love books and lists. So it was not tough as well. :)

Leadership is a gift. From your team. 

And you have to earn it daily. 

Be that manager. 

🧱

Indra Nooyi + “Thank You” letters = Visible Leadership

During her time as CEO of PepsiCo, Indra Nooyi began a simple practice that became famous.

Every time she travelled to a country or reviewed a business unit, she wrote personal letters to the parents of her leadership team members, thanking them for raising exceptional professionals.

It took her time and effort. It was not part of any KPI.

But it was visible to the entire organisation.

People saw a leader who valued people, honoured families, and recognised contributions beyond the workplace.

That small, visible act created deep loyalty and transformed how people saw leadership at the top.

That's visible leadership for me.

++++
Photo - Me with one of the quietest and visible leaders I have seen - Chris Drumgoole of DXC. I interviewed him during last year's World Quality Month celebrations.

Why do people use a much younger photo as their display picture on LinkedIn? 

Why? 

🧱

Very proud of my friend and colleague Sumit Harwani. Such a powerhouse of HR knowledge and insights.

He was recently a panellist at the BW Businessworld HR Conclave and later spoke with Savi Khanna in a quick 2 min chat. 

This is one of those conversations where the summary is longer than the conversation. Here are some key points Sumit made.

1. Personalization and Learning Fatigue: 

The discussion highlighted how personalization is going to disrupt the ways of learning in future. A key focus within this shift is ensuring that learning becomes personalized while simultaneously avoiding the creation of learning fatigue for employees.

2. Shift to Skill-Based Taxonomy: 

A major HR trend anticipated for 2026 is the "workforce of the future". This trend involves organizations moving towards a skill-based taxonomy instead of the original role-based taxonomy.

3. Embedding AI in Skills: 

Organizations are heavily embedding a lot of AI in the mix of skills. It was noted that skills combined with AI and talent intelligence are expected to drive the future of the workforce.

4. Crucial Skill Requirements: 

To effectively balance global scalability with local talent, several skills are deemed necessary. Leadership skills are identified as being at the front and center of this mix. Additionally, change management has emerged as one of the most important drivers for the organisation, while technical skills remain essential for driving core delivery.

5. GCC Transformation Philosophy: 

Global Capability Centers (GCCs) are transforming from initial support organizations or cost centers into innovation hubs. This transformation is supported by an enterprise, people, and ecosystem pillar-led philosophy, which requires the right leadership strategy, strong technical leadership, and the correct ecosystem of HR and talent processes.

Some deep insights.

I will share a link to the video in the comments. 

Where do you stand on this topic? How will AI disrupt Learning and Development?

Tag Sumit in your comments and he will share his views.

Communication is not what launches. It is what lands.

At work, we don’t get points for how much we say. We get judged by how much is understood.

You don’t need another communication workshop if you...

1. speak to impress, not to clarify
2. send long emails no one reads
3. don't check if your message landed
4. assume silence means agreement
5. communicate only when things go wrong
6. talk in jargon your team can’t decode
7. think speed matters more than clarity
8. never tailor your message to your audience
9. believe listening is optional
10. confuse broadcasting with communicating

Good communication is not about delivery. It’s about impact.

I started off as someone who did not listen well. Wanted to make my point quickly. It took some self-awareness and lot of reading and observation to figure out that my approach was not working. 

Now, I try.

I try to write crisper. Listen better. And talk in shorter sentences.

What’s one communication mistake you’ve seen the most at work?

🧱

Confidence is 90% of the game. 
Rest 10% is humility 😁
Play well. 
🧱

100 consecutive days of mini Sudoku. Getting better .

It takes time. 

🧱 by brick 🧱

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