In conversation with Shruti Sonthalia

Shruti Sonthalia is a Master Certified Coach (ICF) with extensive experience working with C-Suite and senior leaders across industries including technology, healthcare, financial services, and more. An executive coach, people strategist, and L&D professional, Shruti brings a passion for coaching to her engagements with clients such as EY Asia, PayPal, UNICEF, and AIA. She is also a faculty member at the AoEC on the Professional Practitioner and Practitioner Diplomas in Executive Coaching. Here, she shares insights from her coaching journey and the impact it has had on her career and clients.

Can you please tell us more about your professional background and who or what introduced you to the wonderful world of coaching?

I was introduced to the remarkable field of coaching while working as an organisational development consultant. I realised that to ensure sustainable change and transformation within an organisation, leaders needed support in adopting a different, more adaptive leadership mindset.

I discovered that working one-on-one with leaders was just as important for transforming systems as applying a purely systemic approach. This desire drove me to seek solutions for sustaining change in new ways, which ultimately led me to explore the world of coaching. Further, I was deeply committed to experiencing a sense of purpose in my workplace and to experience states of ‘flow.’ This also led me to be open and find the courage and strength to walk the path I did.

What was your own personal coach training journey?

I became a coach quite early in my journey, completing a Level Two programme, previously known as the ACTP Programme, in 2011. Since then, I’ve remained curious, exploring various pathways to transformation - ranging from Systemic Coaching and Internal Family Systems to psychometrics like the Hogan Assessment, learning NVC to help people connect with their needs and values, and diving deep into holistic models like the Co-Active model.

For those with a more logical, left-brain approach, I focus on expanding their perspective. I’ve also completed the Systemic Team Coaching® Certification from the AoEC. My co-guiding principle has always been to explore multiple methodologies and approaches to work with different clients, ultimately offering a more holistic path to transformation.

You are a Master Certified Coach with the ICF. What does this prestigious accolade mean to you and how important has accreditation been to you during your coaching career?

Honestly, I procrastinated a bit when it came to applying for the MCC. Mastery and excellence are core values that both excite and inspire me. The credential itself wasn’t my ultimate goal. What eventually pushed me to apply was the thought of having to renew my PCC, especially since I had already met the requirements for MCC.

The journey to attaining the MCC made me reflect more deeply on my craft and dedicate even more intentional time to honing it. It also provided a framework to assess where my skills stood at that point. Since earning the MCC, I've noticed a significant shift in how different parts of the world engage with my work.

Ultimately, it’s been a journey of investing time, trusting the process, and deepening my expertise even further.

Can you tell us about your own personal coaching model and what influences you most as a coach?

A core principle in my coaching approach is respecting clients and meeting them where they are on their journey. This belief is the foundation of my philosophy. When I encounter reluctance, hesitation, or defensiveness, I see it as a sign that the client is protecting something precious and meaningful. It prompts me to listen even more deeply to understand what they’re holding so closely and how I can honour that space. I focus on partnering with them to explore it, earning their trust, and walking the path together.

I believe there’s always positive intent behind any form of resistance, and this perspective shapes how I show up - with empathy, care, and patience, especially during the crucial early stages of building trust. “What’s in the way, IS the way” is an insight I’ve integrated into my work with leaders, allowing me to approach each client with an openness and understanding that supports their unique process.

I am also extremely comfortable not being liked by my clients at different points on the journey. It is something I actively contract with them about. I believe to be in service to them and their goals it is my duty to bring awareness and speak the unspoken as needed. It allows me to truly sit in the fire with my client in difficult movements and be fiercely loyal and committed to their stated goals.

As well as facilitating on the AoEC’s Practitioner Diploma and mentoring coaches on the Advanced Diploma, you also lead a module on Trauma Sensitive Coaching on the new Professional Practitioner Diploma in Executive Coaching. What is it about this topic that particularly interests you?

The pandemic significantly deepened my interest in this topic. It was an incredibly challenging time for many leaders and organisations I was connected with, as well as a transformative period in my own life. I became curious about how, as human beings, we navigate such intense life experiences, and how coaching could facilitate learning and growth from them.

We also explored burnout in one of the modules - a topic I experienced firsthand during the pandemic. Gaining awareness about the different degrees of burnout, and how we often bundle them into a single term, was a profound insight for me. It sparked a passion to delve deeper and share these learnings more widely.

During this period, I was also captivated by what I was learning from neuroscience and how valuable it was in helping leaders deal with difficult experiences. Understanding concepts like the autonomic hierarchy and befriending my own nervous system had a significant impact on the quality of my own experience and those of my clients.

Away from the AoEC, who are you working with and what type of coaching services are you offering?

A significant part of my work involves supporting organisations in their growth and transformation as an organisational development consultant. I also continue to coach C-suite and senior leaders globally, from Fortune 500 companies to family businesses, particularly as they navigate transitions and the complexities we face in today’s world.

I also supervise coaches, helping them deepen their coaching skills and grow their practices. I also mentor coaches on the PCC and MCC journeys. I enjoy contributing to international coaching bodies such as ICF. I currently serve on ICF Coaching Education’s Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Advisory Committee and am a jury member of the ICF Coaching Impact Awards for Professional Coaches - Distinguished Coach (MCC Category) 2024.

My focus also lies in making coaching more accessible especially to those working at the insertion points of social change. This has meant leading coaching interventions from local non-profits to large humanitarian organisations such as Peace Corps in Fiji and Madagascar.

How do you think the role of coaching will develop in response to the future of work?

I believe the future of work will be very different from what has been familiar to most of us. I do feel that coaching will provide us with the tools and an experience of empowerment to meet this unknown with strength. I see organisations and leaders increasingly anchoring and integrating coaching into their leadership styles to address these challenges.

I envision coaching being deeply integrated into our everyday work. I see many more coaching moments being embodied and experienced in the workplace. Coaching and a coaching mindset provide us with the tools and skills to navigate uncertainty, foster curiosity, sit in the fire and truly listen and remain open in the face of the unknown. Additionally, I anticipate a rise in the development of internal coaches and a greater acceptance and encouragement of coaching leadership styles moving forward.

Your recently published research paper ‘Evaluating the impact of embodying the coaching mindset on leaders’ paradigm of power’. What are the key learnings here for managers?

The study provides evidence that embracing the coaching mindset can serve as a catalyst for redefining the way leaders wield power, promoting a more inclusive, collaborative, and empathetic leadership style in today's rapidly changing world.

This shift could support leaders in driving greater collaboration, particularly in contexts and cultures that still emphasise traditional working styles with significant power differentials - such as workplaces requiring intergenerational collaboration - making upskilling and reskilling efforts more seamless.

Participants also surprisingly reported that beyond creating a shift for themselves, it shifted the team as well! Several leaders shared that not only did they become more comfortable navigating ambiguity, but their teams did as well. This is a critical skill for staying present and finding creative solutions in today’s dynamic work environments.

What new ideas or activities, like more research, do you have in the pipeline?

There are a few ideas that I am currently playing with at this point of time. I’m particularly curious about how technology might support us to make coaching more available and accessible to a larger population worldwide.

I’m also going deeper into the areas of systemic team coaching and change management. I’m deeply passionate about supporting leaders as they navigate the tremendous changes they are experiencing across all realms. I believe coaching plays a pivotal role in change management by supporting leaders and teams in navigating transitions with clarity, resilience, and agility so that they are not only prepared for change but are also active agents in shaping it.

Looking back, what advice would you give yourself when you were starting out?

I think I would advise myself to not work so hard, pause a bit more, play a bit more, and enjoy myself a little more. Hard work and excellence have been important values for me and I’ve worked exceptionally hard to get to where I am today. I definitely wish I had allowed myself more fun, laughter, and moments to pause and play.

What would you like your professional legacy to be?

I want to help shape leaders and organisations that embrace multiple perspectives, balance polarities, and prioritise the triple bottom line of People, Planet, and Profit. Today, it also means cultivating future-ready leaders - equipped to navigate the complexities and rapid pace of change

I am also passionate about shifting the narrative around what is possible for women - the kind of success, the kind of scale, the kind of impact that women are able to create in this world. Much of my journey has been about really shifting that narrative for people in my community, and I would absolutely like to redefine what success means for each individual, particularly for women and successful businesswomen. I would really like the next generation of women to see the entire sky as their realm of possibility and to fully believe that achieving anything they desire is entirely within their reach.

A huge thanks to Shruti for sharing her expertise and insights into coach training and working as a Master Certified Coach.