Understanding Human Psychology

  As professionals, we often talk about qualities as if they are switches, like either on or off. One is confident or not, decisive or hesitant, strong or vulnerable. But I feel reality doesn’t work in binaries. I feel qualities exist on a continuum. Confidence, for instance, ranges from self-doubt on one end to arrogance on the other. Somewhere in the middle lies grounded and sound-minded confidence, like the one that listens, adapts, and still takes a stand when needed. Too little confidence can hold you back. Too much can shut others down. Haven’t we all experienced people who are holding themselves back in their professional career and are loosing out on opportunities to shine because of the lack of confidence. And similarly experienced people because of their over confidence, nearly arrogance, they can turn off their colleagues or push them into a shell. The same is true for vulnerability. At the right moment, vulnerability builds trust, deepens connection, and makes leaders...

  There are days when my work feels like walking a tightrope. One moment, I’m expected to follow processes exactly as they are — templates, standards, formats, quality checks. Don’t miss a step. Don’t improvise. Consistency matters. And I completely agree. In many situations, standardisation is what keeps work efficient, reliable, and safe. But a few hours later, I’m asked a very different question: “Can you think differently?” “Can you make this more innovative?” “Can you bring a fresh perspective?” And suddenly, the same system that demanded conformity now expects creativity. I’ve often found myself thinking — which version of me do you want today? This is the reality for many of us. The world asks for quality — which usually means standardisation — and at the same time asks for creativity and innovation, which often means breaking away from those very standards. Both are valuable. Both are necessary. But managing the shift between the two is not easy. As a leader, I’ve realised ...

 A Quiet Lesson From a Stormed-Out Afternoon It started on one of those afternoons when nothing feels steady. I was sitting by the window, watching the sky turn from blue to grey in a matter of minutes. The wind had picked up, the trees were bending, and everything outside felt restless, unsettled. And somewhere inside me, I felt the same. A little stormy. A little shaky. I was reading a story Max Lucado shares in Anxious for Nothing. A father and his young daughter were flying home when the aircraft hit severe turbulence. The child looked up, slightly startled by the shaking plane, but the father sat calmly, even smiling. The daughter asked, “Aren’t you scared?” He said, “No, sweetheart… the pilot is my friend.” That sentence stayed with me longer than I expected. Because so often, anxiety feels like turbulence — sudden, unpredictable, and completely out of our control. The world shakes, our thoughts race, and we instinctively hold on to anything that feels stable. But Max Lucado’...

 What it really means to get Educated  She grew up in a world where the mountains were her only teachers and the boundaries of her life were drawn long before she could question them. Her days were filled with chores, silence, and a set of beliefs so deeply rooted that they felt like the only truth. She didn’t know what school felt like. She didn’t know what a classroom looked like. And she definitely didn’t know that asking questions was even allowed. But somewhere inside this girl — Tara — a small spark of curiosity refused to die. It flickered quietly, almost fearfully, every time she wondered why the world outside her home was off-limits. It glowed a little brighter when she secretly listened to people talk about things she had never heard of. And one day, it burned strongly enough for her to take the first step: to educate herself. Her journey was not just about learning math or history or grammar. It was about challenging her own reality. Every new idea she encountered d...

I still remember the day so clearly. I was on my way to the hospital for my final check-up — the one where the doctor usually decides whether it’s time for admission. I was 8.5 months pregnant, still working till then, feeling healthy, nervous, excited, and a little overwhelmed, all at once. Just as we were driving, my phone rang. It was someone from the office IT team: “Ma’am, could you please come and collect your laptop if possible?” I told them I had already started my maternity break. But they gently insisted and requested if I could stop by, even for just a minute. It felt unusual, but something in their tone made me agree. So, on my way to the hospital, I took a quick halt at the office gate. When I reached, the IT team handed over my laptop — the same one I had been using, with my login, my files, my setup. And then they shared the reason behind the urgency. My then boss had fought for it. Not so that I would work during my break. Not to keep me “available.” Not to add pressure...