For some time we have been sharing about how 70% of our children are able to read, where there was below 10% literacy. There is an even more powerful, proud and important story, in the circumstances in which we were able to bring about this outcome, and what it tells about our leadership development program. It has not been all good, it has not been perfect. There is still always a day when someone feels unmotivated, wants to give up and as a leadership team we have to jump in and hope they don’t leave, creating a vulnerable situation for the program. But it has been moving forward well enough to bring some very positive and heart-warming transformations for our children.
As most people will look at it, ours is no aspirational job at all. The job requires staying in isolated communities close to the forest, for the youth who have just completed college, and most likely dreaming of some shiny office, city malls, and fancy coffee shops with their friends. For classrooms, there might be huts made of tarpaulin, no teaching learning materials, no basic infrastructure or even no toilets. There are children and their parents always busy with their work, for whom coming to the classroom is always a second priority. And to do all this, the remuneration that can be offered is barely enough to meet the basic needs of food, shelter and clothing, 5-8 times less than what a government teacher is paid. And there are personal challenges of their own for almost everyone, “Will I be able to do my job well? Will I get the next job? Will I be able to meet my needs?” All the reasons someone is more likely to give up on any day than waking up and saying, “what an exciting day, I am going to school.” And we indeed have some fellows leave, unable to adjust to these conditions. We’ve had to reframe our own expectations too, again and again.
In all this, from where do you bring the extraordinary skill, energy and commitment necessary to make this work in these conditions? We’ve been lucky to get a few basic things right — often through trial and error, reflection, and support from each other. We have been able to see and to show our people more than most people can see. The more of the potential of our people, the more possibilities, the more of beauty and adventure in the place we work in and the things that we do. This has allowed us to make meaningful progress, even when the circumstances didn’t seem to favor it — something we continue to learn from every day.
First month into their relationship as program manager and fellow, Kanchan and Aditya faced a difficult interpersonal situation. In one of our Friday program team meetings, Kanchan shared how she was struggling to build smooth conversation. One key point being, he is likely not finding value in conversations with her, hence not engaging in conversations, and doing some things on his own, without listening to some suggestions she offers. What would happen normally after this is that the situation might continue escalating. One person likely feeling that the other is making it an issue of ego, while the other likely feeling not being heard enough. Many times resulting in people living work, or continuing doing it with a cynical and demotivated mindset. Fortunately, thanks to the weekly frequency of our ‘Friday Program Team’ team structure, this issue came to surface quickly enough. Both Aditya and Kanchan have been humble and smart enough, they just missed some perspective. In the team conversation, Kanchan realised she just needs to take a step back, first make him feel ‘listened’ and ‘safe’, and lead the conversation only on the basis of if the goals are being met and what he is learning in the process, instead on the basis of what actions he takes and how he makes decisions. That was enough of a clue for Kanchan. She had enough humility, knowledge of goal-driven reflections process and interpersonal skills to implement it and build a working, productive relationship with her fellow. Soon she excitedly shared how beautifully it worked. But this didn’t happen overnight. There were multiple awkward meetings. A few miscommunications. Moments when both thought, “Maybe this won’t work.” What helped was the space to try again — without being blamed for the first failed attempt. Eventually they have gone on to build a very strong relationship beyond work, and they could not hold their tears when it was time to move away as Aditya completed his fellowship.
Second, the frequency and regularity of some of these structures also helps us effectively stay on the goal. As there is regular conversation, follow-up and support, we are never losing the sight of things that feel most important to us.
Third, how do you tell someone, “You need to put more effort in your work, what you are doing right now is not enough to bring the outcome you expect?” When we want a fellow to reflect on whether they are studying the theory content enough and using it in their classroom, we give them a question along with related reflection statements rated on a scale of 1 to 4.
How well have I done the study of suggested supporting materials in the last 15 days?:
- Poor – I haven’t read or watched even the mandatory articles/videos provided as part of coursework
- Basic – I have completed the mandatory articles/videos provided as part of coursework
- Advanced – I have not only completed the mandatory articles/videos, but also the optional study resources provided
- Excellent – i study both mandatory and optional study resources, and regularly engage in conversation with my co-fellows on these topics
This is one of about 20 self-reflection questions the fellows and program managers use to lead a conversation together to see how their fellowship is going. Fellows are simply asked to reflect where they fall at the moment on a scale of 1-4 and what consequences it will have. Fellows are able to see on their own where they are lacking and exactly what they need to change. Not every fellow responds immediately. Some resist. Some feel defensive. And some have told us outright that the rating system feels like a report card. We’ve had to evolve our facilitation to address this — often tweaking the questions and rewriting the scale. As we evolve, more and more, the fellows go out of the conversation with a sense of clarity and excitement, instead of judgement and insecurity. Also, our program managers, who have come in these roles after just 2 years of fellowship experience, do not find it overwhelming or challenging to lead conversations on interpersonal, performance and psycho-social issues, as these tools help them easily and effectively hold these conversations.
Like many organizations, we’ve grappled with building a strong second line of leadership. Because of the level of skills you need to manage people and projects, you feel the need for long experience and big degrees. That doesn’t happen as one, simply there are not that many people with that level of experience, and two, it requires more money. We’ve also had structures that didn’t work — mentorships that broke down, planning formats that looked good on paper but no one used. In hindsight, they taught us what not to do, but at the time, they felt like setbacks. Eventually we’ve found some approaches that work well for us, and we’re still learning how to make them more sustainable and inclusive. Despite being early in her journey, Kanchan has shown the capacity to support fellows thoughtfully — a sign of both her growth and the kind of support structures we’re trying to put in place. It works for our people, and it works for the organization.
Fourth, when we are selecting people, we are not selecting them for so-called academic excellence, or how well they can do some tasks. We look for people rooted in curiosity and humility — those who find joy in building and learning, even amidst discomfort. Combine this with our organizational processes and tools, over time, we’ve been fortunate to see people grow into their roles with passion and groundedness — often creating stories that feel meaningful and beautiful for everyone involved.
What we are building is not just a literacy program, but a leadership ecosystem — one that thrives not despite the challenges, but often because of them. The gains in children’s learning are visible outcomes, but beneath them lies a quiet, persistent revolution in how young people are choosing to show up — with courage, reflection, and care. In a world that celebrates glossy success, we are learning to celebrate something more enduring: the deep inner shifts that happen when people are trusted, supported, and given the space to grow. That, more than any metric, is the story we are proud to tell — and one we are committed to deepening every day.