Leading With Clarity, Not Noise

I am Hemalatha Pitchandi, Founder and Director of The Quiet Climb, and a Senior Global Aerospace Leader.

My journey into aerospace did not start with privilege or connections. I grew up in a small town in India, studied electronics engineering, and had no ties to aerospace. It was curiosity, determination, and resilience that led me into this field and helped me progress into senior leadership roles across Germany and the UK. Along the way, I often compared myself to the leaders around me - mostly white, male, European, and extroverted. They spoke often and with ease. I was quieter, more reflective, and led by letting my actions speak louder than my words. For years I assumed that meant I could not belong in leadership. Thankfully, my work spoke, and I learned to speak where it mattered. That visibility gave me recognition, mentors, and sponsors who supported me. Yet what was missing was a role model who combined both - someone of colour, and someone with a quieter style in senior aerospace leadership in Europe or the UK. That absence made the path lonelier and meant I had to figure it out myself, sometimes right, sometimes wrong. I have also lived through unconscious bias, not only around gender and background, but around traits and style. I was sometimes seen as too quiet, or not forceful enough. But I discovered that credibility and influence can be built in ways that fit who you are. This experience now shapes The Quiet Climb.