Payal Nanjiani: the Human Side of Business

BLUE PRINT FOR SUCCESS

“Known for redefining leadership and for inspiring people to succeed in their career, Payal Nanjiani is changing the way corporates approach the human side of the business.”

Payal Nanjiani, an authority on leadership, renowned speaker, and published author, stands among the exceptionally limited number of women acknowledged in the United States for their expertise in delivering leadership speeches and writing books. As the founder of ‘Success Is Within Leadership’, Payal has to date helped millions of people and numerous organizations across the globe to become successful, no matter what. Today, Payal is known globally for ‘high-impact leadership workshops’ and iconic keynotes. She is the most sought-after Indian-American leadership speaker; and executive coach for Fortune 500 companies, celebrity CEOs, and large organizations. She is also the recipient of the state Golden Key award and has been selected as a Corporate influencer –in Singapore. Her book ‘Success Is Within’ ‘is a bestseller amongst corporates and entrepreneurs, globally, making her a truly global phenomenon.

Let us have a chat with Payal, who has now dedicated her work and resources to helping companies and people in India to lead and succeed. In this candid in-depth interview, we take a glimpse of her philosophies, mottos, and methods.

In your interesting, inspiring, and well-informed blog, you have urged people to ‘concentrate on being rather than the doing”-power-packed words indeed. Can you please elaborate on this for readers?

I’ve been coaching men and women at all levels around the world to become successful at whatever they do. I have seen more businesses and people fail than succeed. And that’s sad because we are in an era of great resources and information where success tips are available to all. So definitely something significant is missing here.

We need to understand the basic science behind achieving our targets and goals. If results are truly important, and if everything depends on numbers and outcomes, then we should place more emphasis on the human being rather than the human doing. Ultimately, it is the being that achieves truly lasting results. If you look around today, we talk about mindfulness, yoga, a healthy diet, great benefits, work-life balance, opportunities, and innovations. But, in the midst of all of this, the person’s being is unhappy, stressed, and full of worry, anxiety, dissatisfaction, greed, doubt, and negativity. Most successful entrepreneurs and leaders I have worked with, have a deep awareness of what it took to get there. They understand that they are the root of their success and failure. Leaders who simply focus on results (doing) don’t do nearly as well as those who also pay attention to the root(being). So, I emphasize this element of the being which is beyond just self-care and meditation. It has a whole lot to do with conditioning yourself for success. Remember, when you put your people first, they put the company first.

You ‘chisel out the leader within everyone, no matter who they are. How do you do this?

Look, my work takes me around the globe, where I get an opportunity to work closely with high-rank executives and business moguls. I am seeing first how they operate daily. And I am blown away by what I experience every time I sit and talk with these business moguls. The success mantra that the majority part of the world is following which is hard work, networking, and building skills is not what’s been practiced by these people whom we see standing head and shoulders above the rest. Yes, hard work is important, but you’ve also got to condition your mind to be successful. So I deconstruct what I learn while coaching and speaking with top CEOs and super successful entrepreneurs and disseminate that information in the simplest form through my workshops, coaching, and books to people around the world. I guess that is why I am popularly known for sharing “insider techniques” which are not openly available on public domains. I believe in optimizing the self.

Success can be achieved in ‘any economy’ words that flew ahead of time. – Most needed and relevant words at this corona hit days. Could you please give us a few words for us to remain optimistic and enthusiastic in the coming days of doom and recession?

A lot coming on this in my next book to be released in July 2020. But for starters, I would say what’s been helping me and my clients is optimizing your daily ritual. It’s a six-phase morning routine. It’s very popular now amongst my clients, and it’s something that I designed. It keeps me and my clients mentally alert, and highly productive and allows the mind and body to just function well on a day-to-day basis. And all of this is impacting the bottom line of the organizations and people.

Additionally, I would say work on your professional knowledge and career skills even more. Listen to audiobooks, podcasts, and resources so you raise your leadership level. And soon you will be rewarded and will be an exceptional standout from the crowd.

It is all that ‘our mind’ has become a cliché. One needs plenty of energy and enthusiasm to have that vision and dream to aspire. For many it is like desire is there but no dreams. How can one maintain the energy needed to be motivated daily?

Wow. I love that question, Suja. Business owners and corporate professionals often ask me how to increase energy given the physical, mental, and emotional stamina it takes to get to your dreams. By mastering strategies for reaching your peak state of focus and productivity, you can increase energy levels naturally to live the fulfilling life you deserve. Relying on coffee, energy drinks or synthetic pills is not good for your overall health and can lead to energy crashes or dependence. You need a targeted strategy for increasing your mental, emotional, and physical energy. And I teach this all the time in my high-impact leadership workshop.

One of the things I suggest is to keep the “baggage” light. I am talking here about the mental baggage. As we spend more time in our careers, we start filling our minds with experiences, lessons, and conditioned responses. Our “baggage” becomes filled with negativity, doubt, stress, politics, professional grudges, anxiety, pressure, bad experiences, regret, guilt, and desire. With time, the bag becomes bigger and heavier. We don’t put this bag down. And most of us will carry it until we exit our career life, and maybe even later. It becomes a part of us. The heavier the baggage you are carrying, the more your energy drains, and you have little or no energy left to fulfill your dreams. So, travel light. Think for a few minutes about what is inside your mental baggage. How much is negative and how much is positive? Conduct a self-audit.

Earlier it was– work hard, an idle mind is devils workshop, blood sweat, and tears, fight tooth and nail; but your ways are ‘ simply be’, ‘serene and speed’, ‘concentrate in your being’ — Hearing this itself one feels relieved and feel success is reachable. Can you throw a bit of light on this aspect?

Most of the business world is built on the belief that as long as you put in a good effort, work hard, and develop your skillsets you’ll be rewarded with success. It’s straightforward, easy to remember, and seems like an honest approach. And we are killing ourselves over this to be successful in our careers. But then look around you and you see the reality. In a world population of 7.6 billion people, only a handful of people are successful. Why? Because it’s not about working harder, it’s about working smarter.

I sincerely believe that we all have very limited time in our career lives. And while we are here, we have to give our best and succeed. The difference between a peak performer and an average performer is your actions. In turn, your action is based on your state of mind. So we’ve got to develop what I teach in Fortune 500 Companies, a leadership mindset. The key to unlocking your success is in your leadership. For many years now through my Unstoppable

Leadership Success™ workshops I’ve been helping people to work, think, and behave with a leadership mindset. The results are mind-blowing. Companies are seeing a rise in their employee engagement and productivity. Because you take yourself with you everywhere. For success and prosperity, it is important to condition your mind in a way that leads you to your desired outcome. This is something I am working closely with corporates in India as well as globally.

How can one reset oneself?

Suja, you are nailing every question as we move ahead with this interview. This is such an apt question in today’s environment. Reset by asking yourself three questions. 1. Where am I today? 2. Where do I want to go? 3. Why do I want to go there? As simple as these questions sound, you will be amazed that the answer is never with clarity. Success depends largely on what you do today. We must plan for our future. However, you cannot live your future. If you want to achieve your future goals, you should remain engaged constantly, in your moment-to-moment activities. Your daily routine sets the tone for your future. In my work as a coach, I spend a lot of time with my clients at their offices. Their daily routine gives me a clear picture of whether they will be successful or not in achieving their goals.

In India, unlike the states, the women folk are more tied up by their responsibilities and duties. So how we can apply the magic words ‘take charge’ in this context? A few words from you will be of great relief and a ray of hope for many.

Don’t try to fit into the world. We are in a world where most women are hungry to fit in and be perfect. We’ve got to understand that true success is living your life on your terms. The best decisions I’ve made in my life when it comes to the family, as well as business, were when I followed my instinct. Women need to follow their instincts and trust their decisions. No amount of empowerment from the outside will do any good if women do not know how to empower themselves from within first.

It is inspiring to see an Indian woman like yourself riding high, breaking the glass ceiling. Congratulations once again! We are sure that you had beautiful parenting! How did they guide you? How does your family support you now?

It’s such a touching question, Suja. I don’t think I’ve ever been asked that in all the thousands of interviews, I’ve done. You’re very thoughtful. Yes, I am fortunate to be born into a family that emphasizes love and education. My parents have always been supportive of letting me choose my direction in life. My father has been instrumental in where I am today. In a world where women are taught to be more homely and keep careers as a secondary option, my father took the less traveled road. He instilled in me a dream of becoming iconic and doing something that will be remembered by the world at large. Today, my books and resources are adding value to people’s lives. I feel blessed and honored to be sharing techniques with people that will help them become world-class leaders and succeed.

Are there any tips for parenting on your part as you know the ins and outs of the success game?

A simple line from me: Never let anyone’s opinion about your children define them.

Please can you put a word or two for the budding women entrepreneurs?

I have many women entrepreneurs who approach me to help them to succeed in their businesses. One thing I emphasize is the fact that you are built to be successful. Success is within you. So begin to focus on 1% improvements every day, over time that leads to revolutionary results.  In my work,  I’ve consciously focused on making progress every single day,  around the books,  around my messages, around my impact, around the craft, and over time the days slipped into weeks, the weeks slipped into months, the months slipped into years, and I built a movement of millions and millions of people around the message. I’ve been in this field of leadership and success mastery for 21 years, and I have more fire in my belly to serve humanity than ever before.

I just really, really, want to teach people the mechanics and tactics of elite performance and genius, so I deconstruct these things.

Is your book ‘ Success is Within’ available in India? We are eager to know more about the book.

Yes, it’s available in India and worldwide by my publisher Taylor and Francis Group (NewYork). In the book, I have shared 21 ways to achieve results, prosperity, and fulfillment that I have personally learned from the top players and most successful people in the world. If you read the book, you will be blown away by the simple rituals and practices these people have that have led to them becoming successful. You will know for sure that achieving success is no rocket science. It is bound to help you to realize the simple fact of life that success is within you.

Payal Nanjiani has a passion for serving people. For more details and for an appointment to talk with Payal find her at payalnanjiani.com or email her at [email protected]