At BrilliantRead Media, we always strive to bring meaningful and powerful stories from India and around the world to empower and motivate our growing community. As part of this endeavour, we invited Rekha Radhakrishnan Upadhyay for an exclusive interview with us. Rekha is an Executive & Leadership Coach, Coach Supervisor, Leader, Entrepreneur and Change Enabler. She is the Founder of Ensō Celtic Leadership which provides services in Executive Coaching, Leadership Development, Mental Well Being, and Corporate Governance.
She is a Certified Coach from International Coaching Federation and has 17+ years of professional experience with a prior corporate background in Leadership Hiring & Talent Management.
She coaches people globally across management levels & across industries. Her person-centred approach through Being & Becoming, Gestalt Psychology & Systemic Family Constellations enables her clients to unlock their true potential, make informed & positive decisions leading to a Wholistic Transformation.
Let’s learn more about her incredible journey, her background, and her advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Rekha:
Could you please talk us through your background and your journey?
Professional Certified Coach from International Coaching Federation, I have 17+ years of professional experience with a prior corporate background in Leadership Hiring & Talent Management. I did Executive MBA from IIM Calcutta and Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University.
I have worked across HR areas of Succession Planning, Talent Mapping, Board Assessment, Employee Transition, Organization Diagnostics, Career Counselling & Mentoring across employee levels and CXO and Board level searches. In my last full-time role, I managed the Consumer Market vertical for BTI Executive Search, PersolKelly India and led projects across Indian and Global organizations.
As a Coach, I partner with clients in Coaching and Leadership Development. Have coached leaders, teams, and groups globally across management levels in diverse industries in their transformational journeys towards Wholistic Development.
Besides being a Coach I am also accredited in Hogan Assessment, Theory U-MIT USA, Master Practitioner of Gestalt Psychology and Systemic Family Constellations.
How did you discover your passion as a ‘Coach’?
A couple of aspects, with the experience and exposure to work in the human resources vertical, I worked very closely with people at the leadership levels & delivered highly critical projects which led me to understand the importance of people development and how that is key towards growth.
And in my own career path, I wanted to get into something which will help me go beyond my comfort zone and help me grow personally & professionally.
As I started my journey as a coach, it really unfolded how it can lead to holistic transformation and impact. This inspired me and I was able to discover my passion for coaching.”
How do you manage to keep going despite the challenges? What drives you?
Firstly, I am grateful to my family, mentors, friends and every person who has extended their support & encouragement.
Self-Development – It begins with working on oneself at different levels both mentally and physically.
Support System – Building a support system in different areas of life is key.
Self-care – Self-care is very important. When to keep the cup full & when to empty the cup one needs to understand and realise it. It is a process. You must take care of yourself first to be able to help others.
What drives me is the intention to offer support to people through coaching, walking the journey with them and witness the impact and positive change that coaching can bring in the lives of people.
Who do you believe has been the biggest source of motivation in your daily life?
The power of change, mother nature and people in different walks of life who have been courageous and followed what their passion is for them motivated my passion.
What are some of the strategies that you believe have helped you grow as a person?
Being open to Change – Change is good, at the beginning change can create chaos but if we can be present with the unknown, we will be able to see the power of change.
Patience – It can sound challenging to be patient, but in my entrepreneurial journey this has been my biggest learning. Things at times don’t go the way one may want or plan. But patience and embracing change can help one come a long way.
Self-acceptance – This is an ongoing process. Once we are ok to face the parts in us which is comfortable and uncomfortable, it helps in building the learning muscle and space within self. Emotional intelligence and agility is the key.
Taking Risks – We grow when we move beyond our comfort zone. Going beyond comfort zone is always uncomfortable but a willingness to take risks and breaking barriers will help one discover their true potential.
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
> Making conscious choices
> Walking your values
> Compassion – Being compassionate towards self and others.
> Continuous learning & development
> Building Ecosystem like – mentors, coaches, advisors, and counsellors support immensely to be successful.
What advice would you give to our readers?
– Follow your passion.
– Ask for help when you need it- reaching out for help is a sign of strength.
– We often show empathy towards others but not towards self. So, meet yourself where you are at with compassion.
– An open mindset to grow.
– The grass is always greener on your side if you nurture it.
Last but not least, what about your journey makes it satisfying/exciting?
To be able to contribute to the field of coaching, gestalt, and constellations. This field offers beyond what one can imagine and contributing to the field is immensely gratifying. As I contribute, I also receive and learn a lot.
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
