Thank you to the 1646 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 questions! I hope reading 7 Questions with
Palakh Khanna
helps you in your leadership.
Cheers,
Jonno
Palakh Khanna
Name: Palakh Khanna
Title: Founder and CEO
Organisation: Break.The.Ice
Palakh Khanna is a 20-year-old Youth Changemaker, social entrepreneur, mentor, teacher and environmentalist from India. A World Record Holder, she is BW Wellbeing’s 30 Under 30, India’s 20 Under 20 and the former Regional Officer for Asia Pacific. A LinkedIn Content Creator with over 55,000+ followers, she is the founder of Break.The.Ice, an International Youth organization working towards breaking taboos and stigmas in society. Break.The.Ice has reached more than 25,000+ individuals, in 10+ countries.
1. What have you found most challenging as a leader?
I believe the right balance between being a friendly leader and an assertive one is difficult, you want to create a welcoming and growth-oriented environment but also get work done!
2. How did you become a leader? Can you please briefly tell the story?
Being a massive introvert, being a leader didn't come naturally to me simply because I didn't want to share my opinions in groups. However, after opening my organization, I began to talk to more and more people, lead groups and gradually developed into an efficient leader.
3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?
It's a massive balancing game! From managing my studies, to managing my organization as well as writing on LinkedIn and working on other initiatives, I just try to make sure I am giving each of these areas some time during the day to prioritise their growth as well as give some time to myself to rejuvenate.
4. What's a recent leadership lesson you've learned for the first time or been reminded of?
That taking the teams' opinions and ideas at every stage of implementing a project is super important to keep them motivated as well as create an inclusive space.
5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?
From Zero to One by Peter Thiel is an incredible book on learning about leadership, startups and everything around that! I've learned some of the most valuable lessons about leadership from this book.
6. If you could only give one piece of advice to a young leader, what would you say to them?
Don't overthink too much! Plan, introspect but don't question your abilities as well as your teams' support! Give it your all.
7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a leader, so far?
When 2 of my employees recommended their family members to join my organization after their tenure was over! They highlighted how their experience within the company was so incredible that they wanted everyone to explore and be a part of it.