Breaking Barriers, Building Futures

Joanne Lockwood speaks with transformational coach and chartered accountant Sandeep Amar Gupta about what it takes to build businesses that grow without losing their humanity. Together they explore the relationship between the external world of actions and results, and the inner world of values, purpose, and consciousness.

Sandeep distinguishes spirituality from religion and frames it as a universal journey from self-centredness towards selflessness. He connects this to organisational life, describing businesses as having three interlinked layers: people as the “soul”, culture as the “mind”, and operational activity as the “body”. The conversation challenges short-term, profit-only leadership and argues for systems thinking, ethical strategy, and long-term value creation.

They also discuss practical leadership behaviours that shape culture: how fear-based management can trigger threat responses and shut down learning, why supportive conversations improve performance, and how co-creating team vision and values can increase commitment and results. The episode closes with reflections on learning through setbacks, adapting to change, and aligning individual strengths with a rapidly evolving world of work.