How leaders navigate moments of growth and transition, and how culture, governance, talent, and systems intersect during these phases, were discussed during the People Leaders Conclave 2026, organised by Arthan. The gathering created space for sector leaders to reflect on how organisations build leadership pipelines, navigate moments of institutional transition, and strengthen internal systems as they grow in scale and complexity.

Satyam Vyas, Founder and CEO, Arthan, during his address, said, "Strong institutions are built when leaders invest time in building teams and future leaders." Reflecting on the role of internal leadership in sustaining organisational philosophy while scaling programmes across contexts, Dr Aparajita Gogoi, Centre for Catalysing Change, emphasised the non-negotiables while scaling a norm-change model, “As we scale our work, one principle we hold close is to safeguard our organisation's core philosophy while evolving our tactics to reflect the context. One vital strategy is also investing in leaders who are already part of the institution - mentoring them, opening doors to leadership, and embracing the risk and not always looking outside. 

Reflecting on organisational tensions during growth, Shrashtant Patara, Development Alternatives, spoke about the challenge of finding a balance, at different times, between "facilitative" or "consultative" and "authoritative" decision-making, which corresponds to increasingly frequent movement across the "institution-to-enterprise" spectrum of organisational behaviour; emphasising the need to “navigate constant tensions between participation and efficiency. Over time, we realised that leadership is not about choosing one extreme but learning how to balance these tensions while ensuring that teams remain aligned around a shared ethic driven by effort, knowledge and engagement - work hard, work smart, and work together.” 

From a governance perspective, Puneet Bali,  Smile Foundation, highlighted the importance of boards staying connected with teams beyond senior leadership, noting that “It is important to ensure that governance does not remain confined to the boardroom, the board must stay connected with the organisation’s frontline realities by engaging with teams on the ground and understanding the work beyond the top leadership.” 

Tahira Thekaekara, WRI India, also reflected on organisational systems, observing that “too often, organisations build systems to control the few who might misuse them rather than empower the many who are performing well. When we design systems around trust instead, we strengthen culture, create the conditions for psychological safety and healthier work–life balance, and ultimately nurture, grow, and retain the best talent.” 

The other panel on Building Institutions That Can Hold Scale, examined the structural and leadership considerations required as organisations expand their work. The session featured Jayesh Joshi, VAAGDHARA; Ritu Mendiratta, Bal Raksha Bharat (Save the Children, India); Tony Senanayake, Fortify Health, and was moderated by Nandita Krishan, Arthan. The conversation explored institutional strain during growth phases, the tensions between people's aspirations and organisational ambition, and the governance and leadership systems needed to sustain scale. 

Reflecting on governance as a shared organisational responsibility, Jayesh Joshi noted, “In our work with tribal communities, the idea of swaraj—sovereignty of people and practice is central. The same principle guides how we think about institutions. Governance cannot simply be imposed from the top; it has to be created collectively.”  

Ritu Mendiratta highlighted the importance of inclusive institutional design, sharing that “as organisations grow, we sometimes forget the invisible values that helped build them in the first place. One way to protect those values is to ensure that institutional systems and policies are designed with representation from across the organisation, especially from the field.” 

Speaking about sustaining mission alignment as organisations grow, Tony Senanayake reflected on purpose-driven leadership, noting, “In the impact sector, we are constantly trying to optimise for impact, which becomes harder to define as organisations grow and systems become more complex. In that context, one of the most important anchors for institutions is intrinsic motivation, when people are driven by trust, purpose, and belief in the work. Those are the values that ultimately sustain organisations over the long term.”  

The event ended with a small group discussion on some of the most pressing people and leadership challenges facing organisations today, as these conversations explored themes including the relationship between people's aspirations and organisational growth, approaches to capability building and leadership development, institutional readiness for scale, HR’s role in navigating multi-stakeholder tensions, and the increasing role of AI and technology within people functions.