In today’s rapidly changing business world, change is reformative and quite overwhelming as evolving economic globalization and other developments have brought unprecedented changes to businesses and industries. Whether you work for a multinational corporation or a startup, or more, you face a mix of challenges and opportunities every day, making it difficult to anticipate what lies ahead. As we adopt new perspectives, it becomes clear that several leadership roles must be redefined. The evolving era demands innovative leadership skills for organizational success. In response to this need, Leadership Coaching exists as a promising resort for many professionals and business houses today. Rohini Basangar,is one of the few select leadership coaches who is working towards empowering diverse key leaders across industry, businesses, and more to strengthen the national economy & growth.

Rohini, distinguished as an ICF Certified Coach, HR Leader, Student Mentor-Coach, and unwavering optimist committed to fostering the advancement of high achievers and facilitating substantial growth, holds an MBA in Marketing from Osmania University and a PGD in Human Resource Management from Welingkar Institute of Management. With two decades of extensive corporate experience spanning diverse sectors, Rohini has been integral to the transformative trajectories of prominent companies such as Gunnebo India, Raymond Group, and Marathon Group. Commencing her professional journey within the HR domain in 2002, she has orchestrated numerous pivotal HR strategies encompassing Talent Acquisition & Management, Learning & Organizational Development, Rewards & Recognition, Employee Engagement, and Performance Management Systems, significantly contributing to the cultivation of high-performance environments. Furthermore, Rohini has attained a Professional Coaching Certification from the gold standard International Coaching Federation (ICF). However, what marks her venture into the Leadership Coaching space is her brainchild ‘Radiant Best’. She is passionately driven to help individuals become the best version of themselves - making the innermost shift to become the Radiant Best.

The Journey that is Defining

Rohini is fascinated by human behavior & psychology and is ardent about applying this knowledge practically. Her vision is to transform lives through coaching and developing strong leaders who can positively impact their organizations and communities. She states, “The ultimate Reward for me is knowing that I have an opportunity to coach today’s leaders who are potential torch bearers of future”. Her deep seated desire has been -‘Passion for helping others’ and ‘Commitment to making a difference’ and thus, she strives to help individuals become the best version of themselves and drive differentiated growth.

She operates ‘Radiant Best’ offering services in Leadership Coaching and Team Coaching. In Leadership Coaching, her goal is to develop effective and resilient leaders through personalized coaching. Additionally, she collaborates with companies to integrate leadership coaching into their Leadership Programs. In Team Coaching, she focuses on fostering cohesive, productive, and resilient teams by defining team goals, roles, and responsibilities for effective goal achievement.

Rohini states, “Leaders often face challenges when they are changing careers or progressing in the leadership hierarchy for growth in the organization. Some common challenges include aligning new roles with their long-term goals, adapting leadership style, dealing with loss of identity (self-concept), and addressing skill gaps (skill transferability). I coach leaders to navigate these changes by providing clarity, building confidence, developing plans, enhancing skills, managing stress, and offering ongoing support for a successful transition with a growth mindset”.

Rohini has objectified her coaching around the 3E Methodology, a leadership program designed for the next generation of leadership. The Next Generation Leadership program is aimed to develop second-line leaders using the ‘3E’ philosophy - Experience, Exposure, and Education divided as a 70:30:10 principle of development which serves as a guide to employ various developmental experiences and maximize the effectiveness of the learning. The year-long intervention began by identifying each participant’s development areas through 360-degree feedback and the OPQ psychometric tool.

Personal development plans were then created, and leaders were assigned to high-priority projects linked to their work areas. Projects were assessed using the TOWS

Matrix, and Lean concepts were used to drive them, with external experts providing support. Group and individual coaching, along with regular management reviews, were employed to enhance team dynamics and emotional intelligence. The program helped the organization implement cost-saving, quality, and process improvement initiatives.

In her coaching sessions, she guides clients through a structured process focusing on Awareness, Action, and Acceptance. Firstly, under awareness, she emphasizes the importance of being fully present in the moment, enabling clients to notice and accept change proactively. Without awareness, making informed decisions becomes challenging. Secondly, through action, she assists her clients in navigating challenges, seeking practical solutions to explore new approaches, and fostering confidence & courage. Lastly, acceptance lets her help clients identify blind spots, discard limiting beliefs, and overcome obstructive habits, ultimately discovering their personal best.

She explains, “My coaching approach incorporates principles of Neuro science, encouraging clients to break free from autopilot thinking, fostering deep insights, and establishing new habits within their cognitive framework. I adhere to the International Coach Federation (ICF) approved model, renowned for its core competencies and ethical code of conduct. This structured, result-oriented approach incorporates tools such as 360-degree feedback and psychological assessments to monitor and guide client progress effectively”.

Leadership coaches require a unique combination of skills to effectively guide leaders towards reaching their full potential. These skills include interpersonal, cognitive, and practical abilities. Some specific skills inherent to leadership coaching are self-awareness, strategic planning, skill development, and ongoing support to empower professionals transitioning to more fulfilling careers. Notably, Rohini’s coaching methodology includes empathetic listening without judgment, using probing questions to uncover underlying issues, providing specific and actionable feedback for improvement, helping clients set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals, promoting reflective practice, and maintaining integrity by adhering to ethical standards in all coaching interactions.

Stating a case study, she avers, “There are variety of techniques I use to empower professionals going through a transition. My focus would be on building self-awareness or self-discovery, strategic planning, skill development, and providing ongoing support and motivation. One of my clients had ongoing conflicts and a strained relationship with his boss. Communication was poor between them and he was feeling unsupported or misunderstood. He felt that his contributions were not recognized or appreciated.

Rohini always has designed coaching plans that are customized to fit the client’s unique personality, preferences, and lifestyle. To ensure accountability for her clients throughout the coaching journey, she co-creates immediate and future goals and uses structured reports to track progress. Clients are encouraged to find accountability partners, make formal commitments, and maintain digital diaries. Celebrating milestones and focusing on the continuous development of leadership skills through training and practice ensures accountability and helps clients achieve their goals.

Some of the coaching tools that she recommends for prioritizing are - the Stephen Covey Matrix, ABC Method, and Pomodoro Technique (working in short focused intervals followed by short breaks). She also recommends using SMART goal setting with daily and weekly task planning, and effective delegation of work using leadership styles. It’s also helpful to utilize digital tools such as Asana or Microsoft Planner for task and project management. Well, the choice of coaching tools is based on the client’s specific requirements. Regular reviews can help reflect on how time is being spent and make adjustments as needed. As part of continuous improvement, she also seeks ways to help clients explore and improve their time management skills.

He was not receiving credit for his work and was passed over without a promotion and the right raise. Hence, I led him through self-discovery, self-assessment and reflection, vision and goal setting, and made him learn plans to upgrade skill and competency development. Furthermore, as a coach, I also supported him with mindfulness and managing emotions using stress management techniques. We kept regular follow-up sessions to review progress, discuss challenges, and adjust the plan as needed. We celebrated the success when he got promoted”.


The Plus Point

Ever since Rohini started her journey, she has always prioritized the updates in the space and adopted the best practices and methodologies in coaching. Hence, she shares, “I obtained my ACC certification from ICF in 2018 and followed up by obtaining PCC certification in 2022. I make sure to fulfill the renewal requirements for each credential to maintain my coaching credentials. In addition to advancing my certifications, I also stay current by following prominent thought leaders in the field of leadership and coaching like Simon Sinek, Bill Campbell through their blogs, reports, podcasts, and social media.

I attend webinars and online courses offered by reputable institutions and coaching platforms, and I am associated with professional organizations such as ICF and the Center for Creative Leadership. I actively participate in regional peer learning groups such as the Mumbai chapter, Pune chapter, and Delhi chapter, where we share experiences and learn from each other. Additionally, I devote time to reading and researching books, journals, and articles on leadership and coaching. By engaging in these activities, I ensure that I stay informed about the latest trends and methodologies, ultimately enabling me to provide the most current and effective coaching to my clients”.

Rohini has even won a certificate of merit at the World HRD conference presented by ABP News for HR Excellence Awards for Leadership and Development, and additionally received leadership awards from the Marathon Group at their annual award ceremony called Leaps and Legends.

With respect to her keen interest in the coaching field and future, Rohini says, “I’m passionate about coaching and eager to take on more work. I strongly believe in helping others succeed and making a positive difference. This has driven me to become a leadership coach, as I believe strong leaders can positively impact organizations and communities. I’m dedicated to making an impact and look forward to working with other companies”.