Life is the total sum of choices. The most pivotal ones come during the lowest times. Yet, if you stick to your core beliefs and stay resolute in the trying circumstances, eventually, you emerge triumphant. That’s how you become the leader.
Today’s Global Leadership Coach and Success Strategist, Hogan Certified, ICF-PCC, and NLP Master Practitioner, one of the most defining moments of Vijaya Singh’s life came during the global economic meltdown of 2008. At the time, she was considering a career shift—and the downturn became the catalyst that moved her from the corporate world into entrepreneurship. Although employment offered comfort and structure, she felt a growing internal urge to redefine her path.
Thus, Vijaya’s leadership journey is deeply rooted in self-reflection and bold transitions. Initially drawn to counselling, she had shelved that ambition due to societal stigma around mental health. However, in 2008, she discovered NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), which sparked her interest in personal transformation. She earned her Master Practitioner certification and began working as an NLP therapist, supporting clients through trauma, anxiety, and addiction.
After a few years, Vijaya sought to integrate her psychological training with corporate experience and transitioned into professional coaching. With time, awareness around mental health and coaching grew—especially during the pandemic. As organizations struggled with remote work and blurred boundaries, her expertise became increasingly relevant.
The lockdown also marked the start of her LinkedIn presence, where she began sharing personal and professional insights. As companies reached out, her coaching practice flourished. In hindsight, Vijaya credits the 2008 crisis for reshaping her journey—a testament to how challenges can reveal one’s true calling.
Crafting Transformational Coaching Journeys Across the Spectrum
Vijaya Singh’s coaching philosophy is grounded in adaptability, self-awareness, and an unwavering belief in individual potential. Having coached both executives in Fortune 500 companies and budding entrepreneurs, she understands that impact does not stem from a standardized process but from crafting a personalized journey for each coachee. For her, coaching is far more than a method—it’s a dynamic relationship centred on presence, inquiry, and reflection.
Every coaching engagement begins with clarity of purpose. Whether it’s leadership development, building executive presence, or enhancing communication skills, the focus is always forward-looking and solution-oriented. Vijaya’s approach starts by helping individuals articulate their aspirations and uncover the internal drivers that guide them. She then tailors developmental plans that align both with the coachee’s professional goals and personal evolution.
Understanding individual motivation is essential. Vijaya evaluates this using diverse tools, from self-assessments and feedback loops to behavioural observations. These insights help uncover hidden strengths, limiting beliefs, and the internal “will” that distinguishes high performers. She often gauges how well individuals perceive the “big picture”—a trait critical for leadership roles. In newer employees, this ability provides early signals about their potential trajectory.
The rise of neurodiversity in workplaces has further deepened the complexity and richness of coaching. Vijaya sees this shift as an opportunity to make coaching more inclusive, not just by accommodating diverse cognitive profiles but by appreciating them. Her method balances personalization with a universal structure that fosters self-awareness, growth, and innovation.
Building rapport plays a central role in her practice. Beyond likability, it’s about creating an atmosphere of trust, safety, and acceptance. This is particularly vital when coachees are vulnerable or uncertain. Through mindful body language, eye contact, and tone, she establishes connection without judgment—laying the foundation for honest, productive conversations.
Open-ended questions form the core of Vijaya’s coaching dialogue. Her intent isn’t to provide answers but to guide reflection, provoke thought, and help coachees arrive at their own conclusions. Carefully crafted questions allow individuals to explore challenges deeply and make sense of complexity, often leading to unexpected insights.
Vijaya also views coaching as a catalyst for creative problem-solving. In today’s BANI world—brittle, anxious, non-linear, and incomprehensible—the ability to adapt, innovate, and remain resilient is non-negotiable. By encouraging coachees to think beyond familiar patterns, she equips them with the cognitive tools to navigate ambiguity and lead with confidence.
Active listening is another cornerstone of her practice. It’s not just about hearing words—it’s about tuning into tone, emotion, and intent. By identifying the hidden narratives and internal conflicts within a coachee’s language, she helps unlock belief systems that may be stalling progress.
Through this holistic, flexible, and empathetic approach, Vijaya creates lasting transformations. Her coaching is not just a professional intervention—it’s a journey of self-discovery, empowering individuals across industries and backgrounds to lead with authenticity, clarity, and purpose.
Vijaya Singh’s coaching journey reveals a recurring pattern among global leaders: the real barriers to growth are often internal. One of the most prevalent is ineffective communication. In a digital-first world where attention spans are shrinking, and communication channels have multiplied, leaders must shift how they convey their messages. “It’s not just about speaking,” she notes. “It’s about being understood.” She helps leaders tune into emotional cues, tailor messages across mediums, and develop clarity and authenticity—often the missing ingredients in their communication style.
Unlocking Potential at Every Level
Authenticity, in particular, is a critical gap. When leaders mimic roles instead of owning who they are, their messages ring hollow. Vijaya guides them to shed personas and speak from a place of truth. She also encourages visibility—urging leaders to be present and accessible so their teams feel seen and heard. The result? Stronger trust, collaboration, and alignment across all levels of the organization.
Another core challenge she encounters is resistance to change. Fear—of failure, of visibility, of losing control—can quietly derail progress. Vijaya confronts this head-on, helping leaders reframe change as an opportunity rather than a threat. She builds their capability to lead through uncertainty, challenging outdated mindsets and encouraging cultures of adaptability and innovation.
Equally important is developing self-awareness. Many leaders lack a full understanding of how they’re perceived. Using tools like 360-degree feedback and guided reflection, Vijaya helps them bridge the gap between intention and impact. This introspection fosters emotional regulation and a deeper connection with their teams.
In today’s chaotic, BANI (Brittle, Anxious, Non-linear, Incomprehensible) world, Vijaya empowers leaders to find clarity amid the noise. Her work is about more than performance—it’s about unlocking authenticity, adaptability, and emotional resilience. By helping leaders grow from the inside out, she’s not just coaching individuals—she’s reshaping the DNA of modern leadership.
Success by Design of Conscious Leadership
Vijaya’s leadership journey took a profound turn as she embraced the principles of “conscious leadership” and “success by design.” In a world grappling with unpredictability, she realized that success wasn’t about working harder—it was about leading smarter. Her approach evolved from transactional decision-making to one deeply rooted in awareness, empathy, and intentionality. By fostering trust, collaboration, and transparency, she created an environment where teams felt safe, heard, and empowered.
Conscious leadership, for Vijaya, meant being attuned to the impact of every decision—not just on profits but on people and purpose. She built frameworks where autonomy thrived and where collective input shaped direction. “Success by design” became her strategy—planning with clarity, executing with purpose, and adapting with resilience. With clear communication and an unwavering focus on long-term goals, Vijaya transformed uncertainty into opportunity. Her leadership style not only elevated performance but also inspired a culture of belonging, innovation, and sustained success.
An Ever-Evolving Style
As the world transitioned from a VUCA to a BANI reality, Vijaya’s coaching philosophy evolved with it—becoming more reflective, emotionally attuned, and rooted in self-awareness. Recognizing that modern leadership demanded more than just strategy, she focused on cultivating resilience, adaptability, and emotional regulation in her clients. Her coaching style began to prioritize deep introspection, enabling leaders to bring their authentic selves to the table—embracing strengths, vulnerabilities, and values. In an era of information overload and rapid disruption, she guided leaders to develop clarity, composure, and intuitive judgment.
Vijaya emphasized inclusive leadership by strengthening empathy and active listening—skills she believed could be taught and nurtured with intention. Her coaching also drove organizational shifts, fostering cultures of learning, creativity, and collaborative decision-making. With her support, leaders became more agile and self-compassionate, driving innovation while staying anchored in purpose. Through this evolution, Vijaya helped leaders not only cope with complexity—but transform it into an opportunity for conscious, impactful growth.
Blueprint for Transformational Change
Vijaya’s journey as a transformational coach continues to evolve through her deep understanding of emotional intelligence (EI), which she sees as foundational to high-level success in today’s dynamic work environment. With her intuitive grasp of human behavior, she helps leaders strengthen self-awareness, self-management, empathy, and relationship skills—core elements of EI. In increasingly diverse and fast-paced global organizations, these competencies are essential not only for effective leadership but also for creating inclusive, resilient, and high-performing cultures. Vijaya empowers leaders to regulate their emotions under pressure, engage teams meaningfully, and inspire trust, even in volatile or high-stress environments. She enables them to manage conflict constructively, foster collaboration, and adapt to change with grace. By helping leaders shift from reactive behavior to intentional action, she unlocks their full potential and enhances organizational performance. Her work fosters workplaces where people feel heard, valued, and motivated—driving innovation, commitment, and growth. For Vijaya, emotional intelligence isn’t a soft skill; it’s a leadership superpower.
Empowering Leaders on Their Success Path
Vijaya’s journey as a leadership coach is rooted in her ability to turn abstract concepts into actionable growth paths for emerging leaders. When addressing challenges like imposter syndrome or burnout, she emphasizes reclaiming personal power through the cultivation of executive presence — a blend of gravitas, communication, and appearance. She explains that while executive presence may seem intangible, it is a learnable skill critical for effective leadership in today’s evolving professional landscape. In her post-pandemic coaching programs, Vijaya helps leaders identify and amplify their authentic strengths, enabling them to influence, inspire, and lead with clarity and confidence. She encourages individuals to approach this growth holistically, combining emotional intelligence, consistent feedback, and a strong personal brand. For her, executive presence is not a facade but the outward expression of inner conviction and self-mastery. By demystifying executive presence and making it accessible, Vijaya empowers leaders to own their narratives and elevate their impact in any professional setting.
Championing Cultural Intelligence
Vijaya’s global journey has been shaped by her deep understanding of cultural sensitivity—a cornerstone of her leadership approach. Her work across continents has taught her that while leadership values may be universal, their delivery must be nuanced. She champions Cultural Intelligence (CQ), recognizing that effective cross-cultural communication begins with self-awareness and the ability to observe and adapt. Vijaya places immense value on building rapport, practicing active listening, and demonstrating patience—key ingredients for fostering trust. She believes that genuine curiosity about others’ cultures can dismantle barriers and create authentic connections. By adapting her communication style—both verbal and nonverbal—based on cultural norms, she creates safe spaces where people feel heard and respected. Vijaya avoids stereotypes, instead seeing individuals through a lens of empathy and openness. Her adaptability and respect for personal boundaries help her navigate diverse environments with grace. For her, cultural sensitivity isn’t just a practice—it’s an ongoing commitment to understanding and inclusion.
Breaking Patterns, Building Power: The Virtual Rise of a Transformational Coach
Vijaya’s coaching journey has been profoundly shaped by her mastery of NLP, which she calls the “bridge between thought and transformation.” One of her most impactful breakthroughs came during an online session with a senior leader struggling with self-worth and communication barriers. Despite the distance, Vijaya’s sharp observation and empathetic guidance allowed her to tap into the client’s deep-rooted belief patterns. Using NLP reframing, she helped the client rewrite her inner dialogue and reclaim her confidence. That moment, marked by silent tears and an empowered breakthrough, affirmed the true power of virtual healing.
Vijaya reflects, “When you doubt your power, your doubt gets the power.” This ethos drives her mission—to empower individuals to rewrite limiting beliefs and step into their potential. As she looks ahead, Vijaya envisions leveraging technology to create customizable, global coaching solutions and launching a women-centric chat show. Her journey is a testament to courage, curiosity, and the quiet strength of transformation.
