Anil Chawla: Cultivating A Culture Of Continuous Learning & Empowerment
Anil Chawla
Founder
With over 26 years of experience, how would you describe your journey to success, and what guiding mantra has driven you along the way?
This field focuses less on success (extrinsic motivators like name and fame) and more on significance (intrinsic motivators like passion and contribution). My only mantra is to be MAD every day – Make a Difference to our clients and the participants attending our training work-shops. Along the way, we’ve certainly achieved success, but if you're still looking for a success mantra, it aligns with the timeless principle from the Bhagavad Gita ‘Do your best and leave the rest’.
Can you share your leadership approach? What principles or methodologies guide you in your role as a leader?
I like to answer this with a quote: ‘When the student is ready, the master appears. When the student is truly ready, the master
disappears’. My leadership approach focuses on building a high-performing team that can operate independently, without the need for my constant involvement. However, achieving this takes time - it requires believing in people and helping them recognize their own potential. My goal is to guide my team from being good to becoming great, aligning with Jim Collins' insight: 'Good is the enemy of great'. With trust as the foundation, I apply tough love- challenging individuals to step outside their comfort zones- to help them unlock their full potential.
In your view, what strategies should leaders and busi- nesses adopt to foster continuous learning and development among employees?
Leaders and businesses foster a culture of continuous learning through several key strategies. They begin by establishing a learning culture, encouraging role modeling and knowledge sharing across teams. Providing access to resources, such as online platforms like LinkedIn Learning and libraries, ensures employees have the tools they need to grow. Personalized learning paths, including self assessments and individual development plans, help tailor development to each employee’s needs. Creating a safe environment for experimentation promotes a growth mindset by encouraging participation in cross-functional projects and learning journeys. Additionally, businesses leverage technology through learning management systems (LMS), gamification, and collaborative online plat- forms to enhance enga- gement and learning expe-riences.
How can one effectively build on the insights gained from leadership workshops and similar events?
Our leadership interventions are structured as learning journeys spanning a quarter, including pretraining assessments, in-person workshops, ongoing support through online tools, personalized coaching sessions, and post-training evaluations. Key strategies for applying workshop
Peoplecraft aims to build a transformative platform that bridges expert facilitators with enthu-siastic learners
In your view, what strategies should leaders and busi- nesses adopt to foster continuous learning and development among employees?
Leaders and businesses foster a culture of continuous learning through several key strategies. They begin by establishing a learning culture, encouraging role modeling and knowledge sharing across teams. Providing access to resources, such as online platforms like LinkedIn Learning and libraries, ensures employees have the tools they need to grow. Personalized learning paths, including self assessments and individual development plans, help tailor development to each employee’s needs. Creating a safe environment for experimentation promotes a growth mindset by encouraging participation in cross-functional projects and learning journeys. Additionally, businesses leverage technology through learning management systems (LMS), gamification, and collaborative online plat- forms to enhance enga- gement and learning expe-riences.
How can one effectively build on the insights gained from leadership workshops and similar events?
Our leadership interventions are structured as learning journeys spanning a quarter, including pretraining assessments, in-person workshops, ongoing support through online tools, personalized coaching sessions, and post-training evaluations. Key strategies for applying workshop
insights involve self-reflection, where personality assessments and peer feedback provide deeper understanding of behaviors and areas for growth. Self-regulation plays a crucial role, with individuals setting SMART goals to stay focused and accoun- table in their development journey. Creating a supportive network, such as a buddy system, fosters collaboration by encouraging participants to share experiences, challenges, and successes. This network enhances motivation, accountability, and continuous learning, ensuring sustained personal growth.
What future goals or destination are you working towards?
Peoplecraft aims to build a transformative platform that bridges expert facilitators with enthusiastic learners. Our vision is to empower facilitators who face challenges with self-promotion and visibility, pro-viding them with oppo- rtunities to share their expertise through both in-person and online workshops. By cultivating a global community of experts and learners, Peoplecraft strives to enhance professional growth and create enriching learning experiences for all involved.
Given your extensive experience in the industry, what advice would you offer to aspiring leaders?
Leaders must be passionate about learning and sharing, as this is a service-oriented field. By maintaining a focus on the mission of knowledge sharing, they can inspire their teams to innovate through processes, technology, AI, and more. Therefore, the ideal approach is to embrace Passionate Leader- ship. It is essential for leaders to remember the human element, balancing high-tech leadership with a high-touch approach in their interactions with both teams and learners.
Anil Chawla, Founder, Peo- plecraft
Anil Chawla is the Founder of Peoplecraft, dedicated to creating a transformative platform that connects expert facilitators with eager learners. With a passion for knowledge sharing and innovation, he empowers teams through a balance of high-tech and high-touch leadership, fostering growth in the service-oriented field.
What future goals or destination are you working towards?
Peoplecraft aims to build a transformative platform that bridges expert facilitators with enthusiastic learners. Our vision is to empower facilitators who face challenges with self-promotion and visibility, pro-viding them with oppo- rtunities to share their expertise through both in-person and online workshops. By cultivating a global community of experts and learners, Peoplecraft strives to enhance professional growth and create enriching learning experiences for all involved.
Given your extensive experience in the industry, what advice would you offer to aspiring leaders?
Leaders must be passionate about learning and sharing, as this is a service-oriented field. By maintaining a focus on the mission of knowledge sharing, they can inspire their teams to innovate through processes, technology, AI, and more. Therefore, the ideal approach is to embrace Passionate Leader- ship. It is essential for leaders to remember the human element, balancing high-tech leadership with a high-touch approach in their interactions with both teams and learners.
Anil Chawla, Founder, Peo- plecraft
Anil Chawla is the Founder of Peoplecraft, dedicated to creating a transformative platform that connects expert facilitators with eager learners. With a passion for knowledge sharing and innovation, he empowers teams through a balance of high-tech and high-touch leadership, fostering growth in the service-oriented field.