The Leadership Power of Satsang

In Delhi last week, I watched elders gather in Satsang and it struck me how rarely leaders pause to reconnect with their own truth.

In my last few days before flying back to Melbourne, I’d head out for an early stroll.

And every morning, without fail, this group of senior citizens in the picture gathered for their Satsang - a Sanskrit word meaning the "company of truth".

No rush. No agenda. Just presence.

Watching them stirred something in me.

It reminded me of a recent coaching conversation with a CEO.

He told me he no longer really “knew” his direct reports - not who they were as humans, just who they were on the org chart.

So we designed a small experiment.

A “no-meeting” meeting.

No agenda.
No slides.
No pre-work.

Just a simple tea at a local café…and whatever naturally came up.

His EA later told him people kept asking, “What is this meeting about?”

That’s the point: to unprepare.

The first one was polite and slightly awkward.

The second softened. People shared beyond work - aging parents, small wins, tough weeks.

By the third, he told me:
“I finally saw them. And they saw me too.”

That’s Satsang.

Truth that appears when the armour comes off.

And here’s the leadership insight:
When leaders create space for people to show up as humans, it feeds the “Care” in Clarity-Care-Commercial Performance.

Care builds trust.

Trust builds depth.

Depth builds alignment.

Alignment builds performance.

Sometimes all it takes is a cup of tea and a conversation without an agenda.

So here’s a gentle prod for the week:
What would the Satsang version look like for your team?

Try it once - you might be surprised by what becomes visible.

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Former Fortune 10 C-Suite and 2022 HR Leader of the Year. I coach executives, solve complex organisational issues, and advise boards.