How Leaders Build Trust, Growth and Accountability in Teams 🎙️ with Aditi Agarwal

What does it take to lead high-performing teams through complexity, pressure and change?In this episode of the Leaders Who Coach™ Podcast, Sehaam Cyrene speaks with Aditi Agarwal, fractional CTO and technology delivery leader, about how trust, collaboration and deep listening shape effective leadership in fast-moving organisations.Aditi shares her journey from hands-on engineer to CTO, and the leadership lessons she’s learned while leading global technology teams through transformation, crisis moments and large-scale delivery challenges.Aditi Agarwal is a fractional CTO and technology delivery leader who works with PE-backed and scaling organisations during periods of transformation, platform change, and execution pressure. She’s previously served as Chief Technology Officer at Blue Light Card, Pizza Hut Digital Ventures, and Realife Tech, where she led global technology teams, large-scale platform rewrites, and digital growth initiatives. Now, she partners with executives and boards as an embedded operator, helping businesses modernise legacy technology, improve delivery effectiveness, and scale with confidence while continuing to operate at speed.Together, we explore:• Why collaboration unlocks stronger thinking and better decisions• Creating psychological safety so teams can express dissenting views• Why some conflict is healthy in high-performing teams• The leadership discipline of listening beyond the words people say• How lightweight feedback loops accelerate growth and confidence• Why asking for help is a critical (and often overlooked) leadership skill• Navigating leadership during crisis and high-pressure moments• Balancing executive leadership with the realities of family life• Why parents often develop exceptional prioritisation and leadership skillsThis is a thoughtful and practical conversation about trust, leadership maturity, and creating environments where people can do their best thinking and work together effectively.If this episode resonates with you, you can connect with Aditi here: 👉 Aditi Agarwal on LinkedIn🎧 Listen & Follow Sehaam:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sehaam/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SehaamCyreneInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sehaam.cyrene/TikTok: https://tiktok.com/leaderswhocoach📲 Download the Leaders Who Coach™ App and complete the Foundation Module free.Timestamps00:18 – Meet Aditi Agarwal and her leadership journey02:18 – From engineer to CTO: translating business and technology05:00 – Why collaboration is essential for solving complex problems08:40 – Aligning teams at the start of projects11:20 – A simple exercise that builds connection in teams13:40 – Why healthy conflict matters in teams15:20 – Leading effective meetings with respect and clarity17:52 – Building trust: “Someone has to go first”19:00 – The responsibility leaders have to grow their people21:30 – Using metrics and conversations to support development24:30 – Habit tracking and building consistent behaviours28:30 – The power of small, frequent feedback loops31:59 – Listening for what people say, and what they don’t say35:10 – Helping individuals express what they really think39:40 – Leadership growth moments and navigating uncertainty41:45 – Asking for help as a leadership strength46:30 – Balancing CTO responsibilities with parenthood49:00 – Navigating guilt and work-life balance