Intending to create influential and impactful leadership in companies, Dr Shanti Persaud last week commissioned her state-of-the-art Lead to Influence training facility at Lusignan, a close to $200 million investment.
In an interview with this publication, Persaud, who holds a doctorate in Transformational Leadership, explained that the building which has a swimming pool, is set up to accommodate various kinds of team building and leadership training. She said it will be of huge assistance to her as she tailors training and coaching programmes for companies. However, she added that the building is also available to be rented for similar activities and would be ideal for team retreats.
She pointed out that the location is out of town and parking is included thus eliminating another stressor for those looking to make use of the facility. She said, “It is also near to the seawall… It’s a place to come and decompress also. A place to pull teams out from their regular routines and get them more focused. It ties into my purpose of providing leadership training, coaching, and mentorship.”
She stressed that one of her major aims is to see Guyana develop into having more improved leadership. “Having the building gives me the option to tailor things to what companies need,” she noted. “The whole idea is about leaders, building them and building their teams so that we can have a better country. Services can be better and things can be done with excellence.”
Touching on the coaching and mentorship industry as it relates to companies, Persaud opined that it is still somewhat slow in Guyana as according to her while major companies may see the value of such training and team-building activities some smaller ones do not. “I think it is a mindset that needs shifting, investing in your team is something important,” she noted.
However, she added that with the influx of various companies investing in different sectors in Guyana, locals are noticing that they are ahead in this aspect and are pushing to get on board.
Persaud, who is originally from Campbellville and moved to Lusignan after getting married, explained that as a young person, she enjoyed teaching and as she got older she found herself mentoring people in the various aspects of their lives, including finance, marriage, and health. “People would come to talk to me about their problems and I would help them come up with their solutions,” she said. “I’ve been doing that without being certified and I developed the love. I love strategizing with people and coming up with solutions, whether business, personal, or marriage. I went and made a career out of it. My faith also has a lot to do with it.”
She pointed out that a few years ago she asked God, “to let me see through His lens what breaks His heart to break mine, and to show me what He wants me to do while I am on this earth.
“Everything I saw led to leadership. Because everything rises and falls on leadership. An organisation’s flourishing is determined by its leaders, and a community or a country’s flourishing is determined by its leaders.”
Persaud said that it breaks her heart to see the divide which exists in Guyana, “the type of service we experience and the way people treat each other” and is hoping to play a part in improving this.
“I went and studied because I know I cannot give what I don’t have, and if I want to see the change in this world it would start with me changing myself. During my studies, my eyes were opened to the concept of stewardship and understanding that I am just stewarding the things in my life for God. My kids, my team, and everything I have I am just stewarding it. As leaders, we are stewarding the life of the people we are leading,” she said.
Lead to Influence was birthed to create influential leaders who empower people to live impactful lives. “I want to help people develop their leadership skills so that when they step into that role they understand that they are there to serve the people and it’s not about fame, position or title, money, etc; only to serve the people,” she emphasised.
She added that the facility was built with the mindset of developing and building high-performance teams. “Using the pool for team activities, the entire yard, the front yard, the training room, the upper private or semi-private rooms, the roof can all be used to give your team a different experience and you don’t have to worry about parking,” she explained.
According to Persaud, last year they held a few leadership conferences in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, and the feedback in all five regions was that more such training was needed. “Something I have noticed is that many people are not willing to invest in their growth and development. That is a scarcity mindset that needs to change in companies and individuals. If we want valuable service we must be willing to pay for it. Invest in our people to train them so that they become better than when they start with you,” she stressed.
Additionally, she said that at the Georgetown conference, they were able to launch the Lead to Influence Foundation and in collaboration with the Maxwell Foundation started the transformation tables. This month, they will be piloting the youth leadership development arm in Camille’s Academy where 500 students from grades seven to nine will be participating and facilitating transformation tables while building their leadership skills.
“We have a Guyana app for the adult transformation tables that takes small groups of five to eight persons through a six-week facilitated session on six key values. Our goal is to have at least 10% of the population experience these tables over the next five years. Transformation is a journey and we believe in long-term fixes instead of short-term band aid fixes,” she said.
