CERTIFIED speaker, trainer, master coach, business, and executive coach, Dr. Shanti Persaud recently commissioned the Lead to Influence training facility, at 338 Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, focusing on creating influential and impactful leaders.

In her remarks at the opening ceremony, Dr. Persaud said, “we are influencing people on a daily basis. And leadership, as we all know, is not about the title. It’s not about the position. It’s not about money, or anything, it’s about you.”

In reflecting on her mentor, John Maxwell, she said he coined the concept of “servant leadership,” which resonated with her since that is what leadership should look like. “This is what we as leaders are supposed to do, and we are still servants.”

Noting that her philosophy is aimed at improving people’s lives, Dr. Persaud said the organisation could train its staff to improve, which would trickle down to communities and improve the country.

“Why not utilise your intelligence and your resources in the building of others so that we can make our world a better place. You know, during my studies, I understood that for me to give, I have to get and I can’t give what I don’t have, and so I had to learn. And one of the concepts that I’ve learned about stewardship is that I own nothing and everything that I have is being stored for the Lord and it doesn’t belong to me,” she underscored.

Dr. Persaud said she checks on how good a steward she is daily and challenges others to disrupt their thinking.

“I want to remove this negativity and the scarcity mindset that people have, and help them to understand how to be more positive, how to be more abundant thinking, and how to be more certain,” Dr. Persaud said.

Outlining the business model that they utilise is predicated on enriching the lives of Guyanese on a fundamental level. The business coach also said that, on April 20, 2023, she will be launching the “I Lead” Programme at Camile’s Academy where 500 students will be trained.

“So, we’re going to take them through groups, where they’re going to be facilitating their own tables…And so the students, by the end of the year and at the end of the three-year programme they would come out of their high school with some form of understanding of leadership, because they will be actively participating. There’s no teaching, they’re going to be doing it all, pretty much how they’re going to facilitate the tables,” the certified trainer explained.

Additionally, she acknowledged that organisations and companies must think about how they engage staff and persons in their care since everyone can become more than they currently are with the proper training and knowledge instilled in all human resources.

British High Commissioner to Guyana, Her Excellency Jane Caroline Miller, who was the main guest speaker at the commissioning said Dr. Persaud’s magnetism, passion, and values underpin the leadership she values and wants to share and teach.

“This is not a get quick-rich scheme,” the High Commissioner said, while underscoring that Dr Persaud’s qualifications and the quality of her investments make her suitable for high-quality leadership training.

“Quality is clearly within your mind and you have the passion and values,” the British High Commissioner noted in her remarks, congratulating Dr. Persaud on her current and future endeavours.

“Every country in the world needs leadership, particularly at this exciting time in Guyana, a beautiful country, that needs all the support it can get to make sure this is a success into the future. So I hope your training will be one element to make this even greater,” Her Excellency noted.

Additionally, University of Guyana (UG) Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Paloma Mohamed Martin, another esteemed guest speaker, said with a country of less than a million persons, everyone is akin to someone in one way or another, and as such, proper leadership is essential in the development of the younger generation.

Noting that everyone has a role to play in the positive development of society, the Vice Chancellor said Dr. Persaud is very strategic in the things she is associated with, and the commissioning of the Lead to Influence training facility will have a positive impact on all aspects of society.

Further, the Director of Business and Entrepreneurship within the Ministry of Tourism, Industry, and Commerce, John Edghill, who also spoke at the commissioning ceremony, said there is a need for leadership in all sectors, especially in business and entrepreneurship, and the Lead to Influence training facility is now able to offer such services.

He posited that what will be offered at the facility will change the limitations of the mindset to open new perspectives and horizons of development.

“I know that the effect and the positivity that will come with this venture will certainly benefit all the people of Guyana,” Edghill said.

On a mission to empower people, Dr. Persaud is a passionate servant leader, wife and mother of three girls with over 20 years of experience in business and six years of banking experience.

The Lead to Influence Master Coach envisioned being someone who would be a builder of people and embarked on her growth journey by achieving a Degree in Business Management from the University of Guyana, a Master’s in Business Administration and a Doctorate in Transformational Leadership from Bakke Graduate University, Texas, USA.

With over eight years of experience in corporate training and more than five years of experience in business and executive coaching, her passion is to help organisation leaders achieve meaningful transformation and growth in their personal and professional lives.

Additionally, she serves on different boards and has started the first non-profit leadership foundation in Guyana, which teaches values and soft skills to individuals with the purpose of building leaders who will transform their homes, organisations, communities, and country.

Presently, she is the chairperson of the security and governance committee at the American Chamber of Commerce (Guyana) and has served over 12 years on the Georgetown Chambers of Commerce council. She is a member of the Guyana Manufacturing and Service Association. Her passion for outstanding leadership is demonstrated through her faith. She believes that we are all made to do great work. Her favourite quote is from Mahatma Gandhi, who said, “Be the change you wish to see in the World.”