My Story
I am Laletha Nithiyanandan, my friends call me Lita. I am a seasoned entrepreneur, an “out of the box” thinker, an advisor, a facilitator and a mentor. I have several businesses in my portfolio that advise or have a vested interest in. Learn more about these in my portfolio.
I am a strong advocate of doing business with a heart because I believe that much good can be done for the world through good business. Doing business with a heart does not mean making less profits because it is possible to run a good business that adds value to everyone involved. I lean towards science and like approaches that are simple and holistic in nature.
I discovered the business world by chance or maybe it was design at some level. I have run several businesses and I am still involved in business, mainly collaborative projects and social enterprises that bring growth for all involved. I wear several hats and I enjoy the opportunity to use my skills fully. When I am not walking around being inspired by nature, I consult, write, experiment and test out new ideas and enjoy the process of creating something from nothing. I am highly intuitive and believe in giving my best in anything i am involved in.
Science OF Leadership
I am passionate about adding to the work place and I have a strong belief that most people come to work to do a good job, it is the leaders job to learn how to engage and draw the best out his/her team. Despite the fact that there ar thousands of books on leadership, most are anecdotal based on someones’s experience or interpretation of leadership, although these are interesting, I prefer science based solutions as it gives leaders the ability to apply this methodology and body of knowledge to achieve consistent results. Most of the facilitation, training and consulting work I do these days is based on behavioural science frameworks. I work with many smart people who bring expertise and experience that help us to collectively take a holistic approach to the work we do with our clients. Head, Heart, Hands is a simple way of describing how we approach our work. see my portfolio for more information on this.
Other INterests include:
Urban Farming
Almost everything I grow is edible, I am learning about light, soil and how plants give back so much more when we make time to give them some attention and care. I am interested in permaculture and growing plants that thrive in our climate here.
I have met some amazing "plant people", two people need special mention : Alexius Yeo from Project 33 who has inspired me, he is open and always willing to share and together we invented the " Singapore salad" . David da Silva from Pasir Ris Park Kitchen Garden is another individual whom I am honoured to know, David shares his time and his amazing knowledge of plants with me on a regular basis.
https://youtu.be/a8dC0VYZa9o
CREATIVE PURSUITS
Creativity comes to me naturally, I feel it keeps me sane in the business world. It also allows me to bring my unique imprint into the projects I am involved in. When I sold my first business, I was asked what I wanted to do after the sale and I said that I wanted to sing, dance and paint. I lived in Australia with my children and got busy with life and I did some dancing but never really explored singing, dancing or painting fully. When I chose to come back to Singapore for a corporate role, I told myself that I had to do at least one thing from my list of 3 and I chose painting.
I discovered a new part of me and whenever I was involved in creating a piece, I would lose myself in it. It always felt like if I was away on a vacation when I finished a piece. I like mixed media, collage work and textures. I don't do this commercially, just for fun. I have led art jams for senior leaders and have sold my paintings for charity and street children projects. Writing gives me the same sort of joy. Creating recipes for my GOS projects does the same for me too.
Doing Good Business
My first business teacher was my dad. He ran his own business and I learnt a lot by following him around. Often people didn't know he was the boss, and he liked this as he said it helped him understand the true nature of people he came in contact with. He was a philosopher and a scientist at heart and he has had a big influence in the way I think and my approach to life.
One core belief I share with my dad about business is that a business person can only be successful if the community served by that business person sees value in that business and gives him/her permission to do business with them. He used to say " It is an honour bestowed upon you by the community you serve and you need earn need your place to do business within that community." This can only be done by doing good business. I have a 4 prong approach that helps me make good decisions and if I cant say yes to all 4 questions, I don't do it:
Is it good for my business?
Is it good for my employees?
Is it good for the shareholders ?
Is it good for the community?