“I stopped seeing communication as an abstract skill and started understanding how I could consciously build it.”

For most of my career, I believed that if I knew my subject well and delivered the numbers, the rest would follow. I spent six and a half years at Disney in sales strategy, where the outcome was fairly straightforward: if you delivered the revenue, you were doing well. Communication was important, but it was never the skill I felt I needed to consciously develop.
That changed when I moved to Freshworks and took on a role in Revenue Operations. The environment was more collaborative, ideas needed buy-in, and I was increasingly presenting to VPs, SVPs, CMOs and larger groups. I started noticing a gap between knowing what I wanted to say and being able to make others see the value in it.
One experience made that particularly clear. Six people were presenting ideas on how the future of support should be shaped. I felt I had the strongest arguments and the most complete plan, but others were able to communicate their ideas with greater confidence and clarity. My manager eventually backed my proposal, but the experience made me realise that having the right answer was only one part of influencing people.
That was one of the reasons I joined Kapable.
I wanted to communicate better with wider audiences, especially as I was moving towards greater responsibility. Initially, I was also reluctant about the promotion that was coming my way. I knew it would require far more communication and interaction than I was used to. Eventually, I realised I couldn’t avoid developing a skill simply because I wasn’t naturally comfortable with it.
Kapable helped me start looking at communication differently. I began to see that there was structure behind something I had always considered abstract. I could break down an idea, understand who I was speaking to, identify the purpose of the conversation and decide what actually needed to be communicated.
That changed the way I approached high-pressure presentations too. Earlier, I was focused on getting through the first few minutes. If I stumbled at the beginning, the nervousness would build and affect everything that followed. I now see those opening minutes differently. A conversation has a purpose and can create possibilities for what happens next. I don’t have to treat it as something I simply need to get over with.
Another important shift was in how I respond to people. I have always been comfortable with pushback and preferred to rely on data and logic. But I realised that people don’t always process information the way I do. Today, I pay more attention to how the other person feels, what they want, and how I can help move the conversation forward.
I have also started asking more questions. Earlier, I would enter a conversation with my opinion and expectations already formed. Now, I create space to understand the other person’s perspective before moving towards my own position.
The biggest change for me has been recognising that leadership isn’t about becoming a different person. It’s about understanding your own strengths and refining how you use them. I still value logic, data and technical depth. But I now understand that creating impact also requires clarity, empathy, adaptability and the ability to bring people along.
I am still practising. I still need to make these behaviours more natural and spontaneous. But I no longer see communication as an innate ability that some people simply have. Kapable showed me that it can be understood, practised and continuously improved.