The xMonks Drive
Don’t let your assumptions define you. Be driven by choices that provide experience and teach you. When you set out to discover what you really care for by identifying your purpose and living from that space, you have access to Gaurav’s podcast, “The xMonks Drive”. It’s about beginning the journey to be your best self and live what you really care for! Hear Gaurav’s personal selection of his interviews with thought-leaders, social change makers, masterful coaches, spiritual gurus, entrepreneurs as well as business giants, who are doing something meaningful in their life. With this extensive selection of episodes featuring insightful lessons, you can learn a great deal while listening to the podcast when you are in between activities or a daily workout. Get started today by choosing an episode that helps illuminate your path to identify your purpose and live from that space!
The xMonks Drive
S2 E92: Govind Iyer: From Global Boardrooms to Giving Forward
What does it mean to give forward?
In this deeply reflective episode of xMonks Drive, Govind Iyer—Independent Director at Infosys, Chairperson of Social Venture Partners India, and board member at Give India and Karmayogi Bharat—joins Gaurav Arora for a conversation that bridges corporate clarity with soulful leadership.
Govind shares the philosophy that guides his life today: don’t give back… give forward. Together, they explore the culture of leadership without hierarchy, the power of authentic relationships, and what it truly means to lead with love.
From his early days at Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola, to 23 years at Egon Zehnder, to pledging half his wealth toward social impact, Govind opens up about the choices, mentors, and moments that have shaped him.
This episode is an invitation—to slow down, reflect, and reimagine the relationship between success and service.
⏱️ Episode Chapters
00:00 – Introduction
02:10 – Govind’s farewell story
04:20 – Early family influences
06:00 – A turning point at Mobius
07:45 – “Give forward” vs. “give back”
09:00 – Staying 23 years at Egon Zehnder
12:30 – A firm with no bosses or competition
15:45 – Fulfillment vs. performance
20:00 – Leadership culture at Unilever, McKinsey, and Teach For India
21:15 – What fulfilled leaders have in common
23:00 – Learning calmness from Nithya Shanti
24:45 – Why CEOs fail: EQ over IQ
26:30 – Shrinking CEO tenures
29:30 – Integration in work and life
30:30 – Shifting from corporate to social sector
33:00 – The discipline of deep listening
35:30 – Lessons from early philanthropic mistakes
40:30 – What Govind is learning from Gen Z
41:30 – Why SVP India feels different
43:00 – Philanthropy as leadership development
45:00 – Capacity vs. capability in NGOs
47:00 – The value of time over money
48:20 – Final reflections on presence and love
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