How to Stop Pushing and Start Influencing in the C-Suite with Sudha Solayappan

Executive performance often suffers when there is a mismatch between strategy and organizational design. Sudha Solayappan shares how you can address this gap by going from a mindset of playing not to lose, to playing to win through mental conditioning and risk assessment. Melissa Dawn Simkins and Sudha also address the reality of hard conversations and explain how building a relationship allows for speaking the truth without sacrificing likability.

The discussion covers the unseen hand of self-doubt and how to recognize when you are pushing instead of influencing. Leaders will find value in the tactical exercises for post-meeting reflection and the change toward viewing life as happening for you rather than to you. By focusing on human performance and the corporate athlete mindset, executives can sustain leadership stamina in high-stakes environments. This dialogue highlights the need for mental breaks and the power of pause to maintain peak effectiveness during any strategic pivot.

About the guest
Sudha Solayappan is the Vice President - Talent Development and Talent Management at PROCEPT BioRobotics and is a seasoned leader with thorough experience in human resources and organizational design. She has a background in coaching executives through complex transformations and high-pressure environments. Sudha is known for her lattice career approach, having made vertical and horizontal moves across various industries to build a broad range of expertise. Her work focuses on the system around work and how it impacts individual happiness and performance.

Episode highlights
00:00:43 – The NASCAR analogy for organizational failure 
Sudha explains why putting a top performer in the wrong system results in stagnation. This highlight looks at the clash between efficiency and innovation.

00:07:58 – Speaking truth to power without losing a partner 
A story about diagnosing a talent retention problem reveals how to address a leader's blind spots. The approach focuses on entering their circle before bringing them into yours.

00:12:51 – The lattice career and the risk of the linear path 
Sudha describes her journey through horizontal jumps and vertical moves to gain range. This perspective challenges the traditional idea of the corporate ladder.

00:19:57 – When the unseen hand of self-doubt takes over 
There is a reason why leaders dig their heels in during a disagreement. Understanding the internal dissonance helps turn pushing into true influence.

00:23:36 – Separating who you are from what you achieve 
Fusing identity with outcomes creates a risk for any leader facing criticism. This segment provides a mental model for staying grounded when results fall short.

00:33:49 – The discipline of disappointment and the power of agency 
How you view fairness can either stop your progress or fuel your next move. Sudha shares a phrase that changes how you react to every external event

C-Suite Confidential is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so