In this episode of the Connected Leadership Podcast, Andy Lopata welcomes Sri Chellappa, President and Co-Founder of Engagedly, a performance management software company, and also a passionate entrepreneur, filmmaker, musician, and people leader. He is the host of
“The People Strategy Leaders” podcast, discussing the concept of ikigai and its application in creating meaningful workplaces. Ikigai, a Japanese philosophy is centred on finding purpose and can be adapted for organisational use. Sri outlines the interaction of skills, desires, and organisational goals, forming what he calls the “blue zone” where individuals find fulfillment and contribute effectively.
Andy and Sri look at the importance of workplace culture, emphasising that even if an individual aligns with the first three circles (skills, desires, and goals), a toxic culture can hinder success. Sri introduces the idea of a fourth circle—engagement and culture—that encompasses
all the others, ensuring alignment between personal and organisational values. Sri draws from his experience as a tech entrepreneur and filmmaker to illustrate how leaders can foster environments where employees feel empowered and trusted.
The episode explores challenges like red zones, where individuals may possess only one or none of the desired traits, leading to dissatisfaction and inefficiency. Sri discusses how rapid advancements, such as AI, push employees into these zones, necessitating continuous learning and adaptation.
Sri’s book, “Into the Blue: Implementing Ikigai Philosophy to Create a Meaningful Workplace”, serves as both a theoretical framework and a practical tool, featuring a workbook to assess team alignment with Ikigai principles.
What We Discussed:
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Ikigai Framework : Finding purpose through the combination of skills, desires, and organisational goals, creating a “blue zone” where individuals feel fulfilled and contribute effectively to their organisations.
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Blue Zones & Community: Workplace culture should foster connections to combat isolation and enhance engagement.
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Leadership Responsibility : Leaders play a critical role in shaping organisational culture. Their behaviours set the tone for how employees interact, empowering teams or perpetuating toxic environments.
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Decentralised Decision-Making: Sri advocates for decentralised decision-making to promote ownership and collaboration across departments.
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Connect with Sri Chellappa: Website |LinkedIn |
The Financial Times Guide to Mentoring
Into the Blue: Implementing Ikigai Philosophy to Create a Meaningful Workplace
Andy Lopata is a specialist speaker on professional relationships, mentoring, networking, and social media strategy. He is a firm believer that professional relationships underpin our success in business, our roles, and our careers. The right relationships with the right people can lead to new business opportunities, investment, collaborative working, innovation, and career progress. We just need to be comfortable approaching those relationships strategically, without making people feel ‘networked’ by us.
Andy has worked in the field of networking and professional relationships for 25 years, working with global giants such as Paypal, GSK, AstraZeneca, Wella, HSBC, Wembley Stadium, the BBC, and the Prime Minister’s Office of the UAE, among many others during that time. He has also worked with leading universities including NYU, Duke University, and Oxford University’s Said Business School.
A regular blogger for Psychology Today, Andy has been quoted in The Sunday Times, The Financial Times, and The Guardian, as well as many other national and regional newspapers and magazines worldwide. He has written or co-authored six books on networking and professional relationships, with his sixth book, "The Financial Times Guide to Mentoring," being published in Spring 2024. He is also the host of The Connected Leadership Podcast and has interviewed globally recognized names in business, academia, sports, and entertainment for the show.
Andy has been inducted into the PSAE Hall of Fame – the Professional Speaking Association Award of Excellence, which was held by only 21 other speakers at the time it was presented. He is a Fellow and a former President of the Fellows’ Community of the Professional Speaking Association (PSA), a Fellow of the Learning and Performance Institute (LPI), and a Member of the Association of Business Mentors and the Meetings Industry Association.
