Neuroscientist of the Mind, Coach at the Core | Purpose-driven mindset Coach | NLP Practitioner | Researcher & Lecturer | Founder of The Courage Quest | PhD in Cognitive & Behavioural Neuroscience

"If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. If you don't step forward, you're always in the same place." – Nora Roberts
This quote isn’t just on my wall—it’s in every brave step I’ve taken. From leaving home to pursue a life built on science, service, and soul work, it’s been my anchor through fear, growth, and becoming.

Who I am:
I’m Dr. Srinidhi Desikan—a Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscientist, Lab Manager, Lecturer, NLP Master practitioner, and Life & Mindset Coach. My path bridges many worlds: the rigour of academia, the depth of the human psyche, and the quiet (yet loud) transformations that happen when someone remembers who they are.

What I do:
- I manage the VU Behavioral Lab, where I’ve built systems and community across faculties to support research in human behavior.
- I guide students through their academic and personal journey of discovery.
- I coach individuals—often those navigating identity, fear, and transition—through a non-profit, pay-it-forward practice that centers on growth over transaction.
- I write, speak, teach, and listen. And I hold space for people, even (and especially) when they don’t know what they need yet.

How I do it:
With both precision and depth. I bring together neuroscience, psychology, NLP, and lived wisdom.
My approach is raw and reflective—I go beneath the surface, gently but directly. We get honest. We get clear. We shift from “Why me?” to “Why not me?”

Why I do it:
Because too many people live beneath their truth. Because I’ve been there. Because I’ve watched science transform systems and life—and seen presence transform people.
And because I believe that courage, when met with the right support, creates lives that feel like home.

✨ Curious to work with me—on research, coaching, or something in-between? Just send a message.

Dr. Srinidhi Desikan

ABN AMRO Bank N.V.

Intrapreneur at Innovation 

Business Developer

Method in Madness

Delivering keynote speech on Topics 
Keynote 1: Navigating Change with Precision: The Method in Madness Approach

Explore a strategic methodology for addressing transformation challenges. Learn how to understand the human element in change, overcome resistance, foster innovation, and cultivate a transformative culture. Acquire a precise approach to navigating complexities, ensuring a seamless transition for maximum efficiency and minimal disruption.

Client Value: Gain a transformative methodology to enhance change management, mitigate risks, and foster a culture of innovation, ensuring organizational success in a dynamic business landscape.**



Keynote 2: Elevating Transformation with Empathy: The Human-Centric Approach

Discover the heart of successful organizational transformation by incorporating a human-centric approach. Explore the role of emotional intelligence and empathy in navigating change, understanding individual and team dynamics. Acquire practical insights and real-world examples to drive change with a profound understanding of the human element.

Client Value: Enhance the success of transformation projects by fostering employee engagement and creating a resilient organizational culture that embraces change.

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Keynote 3: Driving Innovation with Your Team: Leveraging Transformational Personalities

Unleash the power of transformational personalities within your team. Explore strategies for identifying and harnessing diverse strengths and perspectives to drive innovation and change. Gain actionable insights on creating a dynamic team culture that propels the organization forward.

Client Value: Maximize your team's potential by leveraging transformational personalities, fostering a culture of innovation, and positioning your organization as a leader in adapting to industry shifts.

Founder

Speak Like Everyone is Listening 

Providing training and coaching on storytelling to corporate and universities. Keynote speakers on topics like Networking, Diversity and Leadership. 

TEDx on Networking 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1xOVyzXrO4&list=PLSUwzq1sd3d7vveG0fw-cGV7--znvx_Ke

Storyteller and Keynote speaker

ABN AMRO Clearing Bank N.V.

Business Development

Associate ALM Treasury

Product Controller

Credit Suisse

Analyst

Nomura Holdings

Lehman Brothers

Junior Analyst

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝- 𝐈𝐌  

My journey with "Method in Madness" began with my own struggles of feeling perpetually stuck, unsure of how to move forward, until a coach pointed out that many others shared this dilemma, hindering their ability to contribute to transformation efforts within their teams.

At one point, I believed I possessed no relevant skills to assist my tribe in navigating transformation, but a revelation showed me that my unique abilities could be harnessed to facilitate change within my team, leading me to develop "Method in Madness."

Today, through speeches and workshops, "Method in Madness" enables me to assist organizations where team members feel trapped, helping them recognize their roles in the greater transformation goals of their respective organizations. I help with adding human touch to Change and Transformation projects when teams want to overcome resistance to change when they implement - 
- New way of working
- New leader wants a new organisational culture 
- New strategy or product
- Reduce friction and improve relationships 

My approach is always to do a deep dive in understanding the problem, the underlining root causes, the feelings and smells within the team before I think of resolving them. After that through custom workshops and consultancy, I enable teams and businesses to embrace change, foster an innovation mindset, and cultivate a culture of transformation. My expertise lies in overcoming resistance, understanding transformational personalities, and orchestrating seamless change. 

With a diverse 15-year tenure in banking, I've thrived in multiple roles spanning Strategy & Innovation, Treasury, Core Banking Implementation, and Process Transformation. 

Having secured 5-time Netherlands and European Public Speaking Championships at Toastmasters, I'm an ardent believer in the potential of networking. My 2017 TEDx talk delved into the Art of Networking. Amid the 2020 global upheaval, I authored 'What's Your Plan B,' a blueprint for career resilience. In 2022 I gave my 2nd Tedx talk, on Corporate Innovation and Change, which has received over 20k views on Youtube. 

As a sought-after keynote speaker, my insightful presentations have enlightened audiences across 12+ countries. Topics span change dynamics, storytelling, leadership, and career transitions, delivered seamlessly through virtual and in-person engagements.

Sabyasachi Sengupta

Last week in beautiful Lugano, Switzerland, at Toastmasters 109 conference, I delivered my 11th keynote on a topic that has become one of my absolute favourites: the Champion Mindset of Detachment. Not detachment from the process, but detachment from the outcome.

It’s a concept rooted in spirituality, yet deeply practical for today’s high-pressure professional world. And every time I share it with a room full of leaders, teams, and changemakers, I’m reminded how much clarity and power it brings.

In a world where we’re constantly running, constantly tracking KPIs, constantly keeping “our eye on the ball,” we often forget one fundamental truth:

The only part of the journey we truly control is what we do.
Not what others might do.
Not what the market may do.
Not what the outcome decides to look like in the end.

Yet we lose sleep over the variables we can’t influence—while underestimating the strength that comes from mastering the ones we can.

With just one month left before the end of the year, many of us are reviewing timelines, performance, results, dashboards… all the usual suspects.

But here’s an invitation:

 Also evaluate the process.
 Evaluate your energy, your mindset, your approach.
 Evaluate the part that was always in your hands.

Because detachment is not about caring less.
It’s about leading with calmness, clarity, and focus, and trusting that the outcome will meet you where your effort ends.

Feeling grateful for the stage, the audience, and the opportunity to bring this message to even more people around the world. Onwards

Behavioural change consultant | Helping leaders reduce stress & resistance during transition | Founder @ Method in Madness| World Champion of Public speaking 2025

Two full-day workshops on effective communication at Technische Universiteit Eindhoven done! Eight hours isn’t easy, but the storytelling, body language practice, and the incredible energy from the staff made it fly. The last session with Ross Overdijking was especially fun teamwork always amplifies the impact

From 6.9 to 9.8 — and the Magic in the Middle

At a recent District 71 conference, I had the chance to see something rare: an external x-ray of my own speech transformation.

Merv Wyeth took my  speech "Just Nod" from its very first club-level draft all the way to the final version—and analyzed what actually changed.

What blew me away was this: it wasn’t one big overhaul. It was dozens of tiny, intentional upgrades… a stronger opening, a clearer theme, a symbolic prop, a more powerful ending. Little nudges. Smart tweaks. Purposeful additions.
And together, they transformed the speech from a 6.9 to a 9.8.

But here’s the part I always remind speakers (and myself):

Bake the cake before you decorate it.
You need a good story… before the vocal variety, the jokes, the props, the choreography. A champion speech isn’t born from glitter.
It’s born from clarity, vulnerability, purpose ,and then elevated through technique.

Seeing this breakdown was a beautiful reminder that growth is not magic.
It’s craft.
And if you’re working on your next speech or your next big change. remember:
Start with the story. Then build the masterpiece, one thoughtful upgrade at a time.

We talk a lot about mentors, coaches, and strategy… but rarely about emotional anchors. I wouldn’t have made it through the world championship of public speaking without the person who grounded me every single day. Naomi Bugre
Here’s why emotional support is the real engine behind behavior change.

We talk a lot about mentoring. Coaching. Strategy. Feedback. Frameworks.But there’s one thing we almost always forget when we talk about growth or cha

Open article:  The power of emotional support (Your emotional anchor) by Sabyasachi Sengupta • 2 min read

The power of emotional support (Your emotional anchor)

Public speaking has evolved more in the last 50 years than most people realise.
And the style that works today is not what you think.

I put my findings into a short visual drop.
If you speak, pitch, influence, or lead, read this.

Public speaking evolution

The most common question I get these days is: “Can you teach me how to be funny in my speech?” And listen… I love humor. Humor is my caffeine, my coping mechanism, and occasionally my cardio.

But here’s the thing nobody tells you: There are moments when humor doesn’t help you shine , it burns your credibility, your message, or the entire room.

So here are 7 moments when humor is a terrible idea — straight from my “I’ve tried this so you don’t have to” collection:

7 Moments when humor can hurt your speech

With the end of the year approaching, you’ll start hearing a LOT of town hall speeches. Some inspiring. Some reflective.
And some… well… straight out of Mount Olympus. 

If you notice bios longer than the speech, stories where the hero is always them, or commandments disguised as leadership advice, you may be listening to a leader with a God Complex. 

This hasn’t been the easiest year for anyone. And how leaders choose to communicate now says a LOT about who they truly are.
Here are few ways to spot a leader/speaker with God complex. 
As Christmas nears, may your town halls be human, grounded, and hopeful.

How to Spot a Speaker With a GOD COMPLEX

Want to understand your leadership culture before the year ends? Try asking your team questions a 6-year-old would ask. The answers are brutally honest and surprisingly revealing.

If you really want to understand how people feel about their leaders and your company’s culture, don’t start with a survey. Start with a 6-year-old. N

Open article: Manager | 2025 | Honest reflection by Sabyasachi Sengupta • 2 min read

When the narrative doesn’t include the 70%, they start writing their own version. And that version is almost always scarier than the truth. If you are writing the next change story, here is why and how you can include the remaining 70 %.

It’s reorganization season again. You can feel it in the hallways, inboxes, and hurried town halls. Companies are announcing restructures, layoffs, “s

Open article: What happens to the remaining 70%?  by Sabyasachi Sengupta • 2 min read

This has truly been the year of the Lotus… and no, not that White Lotus season.
I’m talking about being fully submerged in murky waters and still finding a way to rise.  Read my new reflection blog below.

As 2025 draws to a close, many of us are catching our breath and quietly admitting what we’ve felt all year: this was not the year we expected. Plans 

Open article: Were you the Lotus in 2025? A reflection on growth in the mud
 by Sabyasachi Sengupta • 2 min read

Were you the Lotus in 2025? A reflection on growth in the mud

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