Mumbai, Feb 12: Great Place To Work®, the global authority on workplace culture, unveiled compelling insights highlighting a widening leadership readiness gap across India Inc. Findings from the For All Summit™ 2026 reveal that only 2 in 10 CXOs believe their leaders act early and effectively during business crises. Additionally, half of the surveyed CXOs cite managing change as their single biggest leadership challenge, underscoring the critical need for a new leadership playbook.
The insights were presented at the Great Place To Work® For All Summit™ 2026 in Mumbai, India’s largest workplace culture summit, which convened over 1,200 senior leaders. The summit featured thought leaders and industry luminaries including Prof. John Amaechi OBE, Mithali Raj, CP Gurnani, Pramod Bhasin, Gaurav Sehgal, and Ajay Vij, among others.
Balbir Singh, CEO, Great Place To Work® India, said,
“Leaders embracing The Great Adaptation are shaping organizations through clarity, agility, and consistent actions toward change while fostering a great employee experience. The strongest organizations are those that spot leadership potential early, invest in mentoring, and build trust by consistently doing the right thing. The For All Summit 2026 brings leaders together to collectively share insights on leadership development, stronger cultures, and future-ready organizations.”
A central theme emerging from the summit was the shift from “command and control” to “care and enablement.” Speakers emphasized that individual heroism is no longer sustainable. Ajay Vij of Accenture highlighted that modern leadership is about “making the room look smart,” while Pramod Bhasin urged leaders to “go get people who are better than you and give them freedom,” promoting collective leadership and empowerment.
The summit also addressed India’s AI-led transformation. CP Gurnani and Arun Kohli emphasized that AI is a powerful amplifier of human capability, and that India’s young workforce, strong learning culture, and vast data ecosystem position the country as a global AI engine. Success, they noted, depends on clear communication and rapid upskilling to ensure AI drives innovation.
Employee experience was another key focus. Rituraj Chaturmohta of Uber for Business noted that meaningful employee experiences are built not on large programs, but by removing everyday workplace friction, creating trust-based systems, and empowering teams.
Purpose and influence were also highlighted as core drivers of leadership. Gurcharan Das encouraged leaders to “take your work seriously but not yourself,” while Dr. Santrupt Misra emphasized that true influence comes from human connection: “Impact has moved from how I impact to who do you impact.”
True to its “For All” mission, the summit reinforced inclusivity. Every session was interpreted by sign language experts, ensuring that the future of work is designed to work for everyone.
The For All Summit™ 2026 reaffirms that in a time of rapid change, leaders who act early, empower teams, and build trust are crucial to navigating uncertainty and creating resilient, future-ready organizations.