Global Powerhouse of Conscious & Participatory Leadership
The multifaceted Mansi Jasuja can best be described as a trailblazer who leads with generosity, inspiring and empowering people through initiating & hosting conversations that matter. She’s a Speaker, Networker, Feminist, Participatory Leadership Host & Trainer, Mother, Storyteller, Systems Rebel, Yogi & Dendrophile!
Born in a Sikh family in Delhi (India) with strong values around equity, justice and harmony, Mansi’s childhood was ripe with ancestral stories deeply instilling in her the love for community. From an early age of 4, she became conscious about environmental issues and by her teens, she started to rebel against social injustice and inequality.
As an architectural student, she gained a unique interdisciplinary life perspective weaving sciences, history, art, culture, sociology, anthropology and philosophy. She went on to do a Masters in Urban Environmental Management at IHS, Erasmus University Rotterdam and Wageningen University. Choosing to stay on in The Netherlands as a “Lovepat” with her Dutch husband, she continued her career in international organisations such as the United Nations (UNEP-GPA), European Union, and CARE.
In 2008, a growing sense of climate urgency led Mansi to reorient herself, step off the conveyor belt of traditional success. “I was deeply disappointed with hierarchy and ego in organisations, lack of human-centredness and meaninglessness of a majority of the work. To add to that, the environmentalist in me fell in deep ‘eco-grief’ about the status of our earth and where we are headed as humanity,” reveals Mansi.
As Mark Twain said – ‘The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why’. Some months later, Mansi emerged with her ‘Why’. This was the beginning of an interesting path that zigzagged across several sectors, and looking for the biggest impact she could have in this world while staying grounded.
In 2017, she met Raj Sisodia, co-author of ‘Conscious Capitalism (2013)’ – the beginning of her journey into (co)founding Conscious Business in Netherlands / Europe and using the model to inspire businesses to shift. Around the same time, Mansi followed her first training for the Art of Hosting and Harvesting Conversations that Matter (Participatory Leadership) which nourished her with its deep wisdom and provided her language and tools to do work she was already practicing. Soon, she had her Eureka moment – “Conscious Business and Art of Hosting fit perfectly well together and I can help make this happen!”
Conscious business is an incredibly compelling idea. How can businesses make an enormously positive impact, create more value, have a happier and really engaged workforce, contribute to SDGs and thrive more financially? There are remarkable stories of conscious CEOs and companies who extend the multi-stakeholder engagement approach and seek solutions to a common challenge in a conscious way.
A veritable pioneer in the field, Mansi tells us, “The only way to multiply consciousness in an organisation and reach a win-win scenario is to hold meaningful conversations with all the stakeholders. Conversations in which we can truly tap into collective intelligence and co-create. As a host, I love using processes to create equitable and safe spaces where such conversations can happen.” In the last decade, Mansi has excelled in facilitating participatory leadership, (gender) empowerment through building capacities, weaving communities, and helping humans and businesses transition all across the globe.
As a female leader, what has been her biggest challenge? She replies, “It often takes a lot of courage to stay authentic, show up for work with my cultural heritage, gender, style, ideas and challenge the white colonial and capitalistic norms of ‘professionalism’ that bind so many of us and prevent true diversity and inclusion. It helps me to stay mindful, human and connected to my inner power and purpose.”
Mansi nourishes herself in various ways: Yoga, badminton, cycling, exploring nature, deep conversations, reading, gardening, practising her not-yet-perfect latte-art, and rediscovered joy of visual graphic work. “On weekends, you can find me in conversations over chai with my 2 curious, lovely teenagers and being grateful for all that life brings us,” she shares with a smile.
As someone for whom awards have always been de rigeur, Mansi’s biggest reward are words she receives from people who have found their purpose or a new path after a conversation or training with her. She offers stories, humour, a listening ear, unexpected creative impulses, some madness, and a lot of warmth and colour. “I dream of a world where the focus on individual achievement is replaced by love for community,” she sums up.
