Ep. #96 The Power of Pivoting: Punita Lal on Careers, Boards & Creativity

Feb 19, 2025

Punita Lal, a distinguished business leader with over 35 years of experience at giants like PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, shares her inspiring zigzag career journey. She emphasizes the importance of curiosity and continuous learning for future-proofing careers. Punita advocates for taking risks and embracing creativity in problem-solving. She discusses the vital role of mentorship and sponsors in professional growth, and how diverse hobbies can enhance innovation. Her insights on work-life integration and navigating non-traditional career paths are both empowering and refreshing.

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Intro

00:00 • 3min

Embracing Work-Life Integration

02:32 • 4min

The Journey of Creativity and Adaptation

06:18 • 13min

The Creative Power of Diverse Hobbies in Professional Life

19:16 • 2min

Harnessing Creativity Through Unconventional Team Dynamics

21:41 • 2min

Navigating Non-Traditional Career Journeys

23:30 • 19min

In this inspiring episode of Making Sense of Work, I sit down with the incredible Punita Lal, a distinguished business leader, board director, and executive coach. With a career spanning over 35 years in leadership, strategy, and marketing, Punita has held executive roles at PepsiCo and Coca-Cola and now serves on multiple global corporate boards, including DBS Bank and Carlsberg.

Punita shares her zigzag career journey, from her early days in advertising to leading teams in multinational corporations, navigating boardrooms, and eventually embracing coaching. She reflects on the power of curiosity, creativity, and adaptability, offering insights into how we can future-proof our careers in an ever-changing world.

We explore:
✨ The importance of curiosity and continuous learning in leadership
✨ How taking career risks can lead to greater fulfillment
✨ The role of creativity in problem-solving and business leadership
✨ Why mentors and sponsors are essential for professional growth
✨ How to navigate career transitions with courage and resilience
✨ The value of diverse interests in shaping an innovative mindset

Punita also shares her thoughts on balancing work and life, why we should all be mentoring and sponsoring others, and how a simple habit—reading outside your field—can spark creativity and breakthrough ideas.

Resources & Mentions:
📖 Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg – A book that changed Punita’s approach to supporting women in leadership
🎧 GetAbstract – A tool for quick insights on business books
💡 Reverse mentoring – The value of learning from different generations

💬 “We need to upskill, reskill, and sideskill—traditional careers are no longer enough.” – Punita Lal

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