With over two decades of corporate leadership experience at Siemens, Philips, and General Electric, Bertay Fişekçi has seen the inner workings of global organizations.
Today, through his consultancy, he focuses on helping leaders and teams unlock engagement, connection, and resilience by combining traditional leadership development with Positive Intelligence’s mental fitness frameworks.
In this conversation, Bertay shares where managers often miss the mark, how mental fitness shifts engagement, and why inspiring leaders cultivate growth rather than simply extract performance.
Highlights
Creating Connection, Not Just Direction
Q: You often say leadership is about “creating connection, not just direction.” What are the most common engagement blind spots you see in mid-level management today?
A: This question really hits home because I see so many talented managers struggling with it every day. “Direction” is essentially telling people what to do. “Connection” is making sure they understand why it matters — and that they feel genuinely valued in the process.
Mid-level managers often face pressure from senior leadership above and operational chaos from their teams below. In that squeeze, it’s easy to lose sight of the human element. Over the years, I’ve noticed three recurring blind spots:
- The “Busy = Productive” Mistake
Managers equate activity with output. They focus on tasks, deadlines, and numbers — but miss chances to ask simple questions like “What’s making your work harder than it should be?” They’re managing the work, not leading the people. - The “I Need All the Answers” Trap
Many think they must always provide solutions. Ironically, this creates distance. When managers project strength instead of vulnerability, teams stop sharing problems, ideas, or mistakes. Psychological safety erodes. - The Communication Mismatch
Managers default to their own style — spreadsheets for data-driven types, quick directives for others — without adapting to how their team members process information. The message may be clear to them, but it doesn’t land.
The bottom line: engagement disappears when managers get stuck in the “what” and “how” and forget the “who” and “why.” Great leaders create environments where teams feel safe and empowered to solve problems together.
Unlocking Engagement Through Mental Fitness
Q: You work closely with Positive Intelligence frameworks. How can mental fitness and mindset training unlock better engagement outcomes across teams?
A: Most organizations try to fix engagement with perks or team-building activities. But that’s treating symptoms, not the cause. Positive Intelligence goes deeper by addressing how teams think and react under pressure.
Our brains operate in two modes. “Survivor Mode” is when we’re hijacked by Saboteurs — those inner voices like the Judge, the Controller, the Avoider. In this mode, engagement collapses. People avoid conflict, micromanage, or shut down.
The other mode is what PQ calls the “Sage” — calm, curious, and creative. Mental fitness training teaches people to recognize when they’re in Saboteur mode and shift to Sage mode through simple 10-second practices called “PQ Reps.”
The results are remarkable. Instead of finger-pointing, teams get curious. Instead of avoiding client conflicts, they collaborate. Psychological safety grows, and so does innovation. In one Fortune 100 company, 70% of participants reported being more engaged, while 97% improved their emotional intelligence.
Mental fitness doesn’t just change behavior — it upgrades the operating system of the team. Suddenly, people aren’t just surviving together, they’re thriving together.
Motivation in a Hybrid World
Q: In your experience, how has employee motivation evolved post-COVID and amid hybrid work realities — and how should leadership styles shift in response?
A: What we’re seeing isn’t a small adjustment. It’s a complete rewrite of the employee-work relationship.
Before the pandemic, motivation was driven by tangible factors: climbing the corporate ladder, office energy, and guidance from managers. COVID stripped all that away, forcing us to ask: what really drives people?
Three engines emerged — Autonomy, Purpose, and Well-being. Employees want control over how they work, clarity on how their tasks matter, and a culture that genuinely cares for mental and emotional health.
For leaders, this shift means moving from “Director” to “Connector.” It’s no longer about supervising tasks — it’s about connecting daily work to mission, outcomes, and each other. Leaders who prioritize psychological safety, manage by outcomes instead of presence, and ask power questions like “What do you think we should do here?” foster ownership and resilience.
This isn’t about being softer — it’s about being smarter. The leaders who adapt will attract talent, drive innovation, and build teams that thrive in change.
The Power of Simple Shifts
Q: What’s one low-cost, high-impact change organizations can implement right now to improve how their managers engage their teams?
A: Start meetings by focusing on the person, not the project.
Instead of opening with “What’s the status of Project X?”, try “What’s been the most energizing part of your week?” or “What’s one challenge I can help with?”
It costs nothing, yet the impact is huge. You build psychological safety, show genuine care, and unlock discretionary effort — that extra energy people bring when they feel seen. Ironically, by spending less time on process and more on people, processes actually become more efficient and effective.
From Competent to Inspiring
Q: You’ve mentored many emerging leaders. What separates a competent manager from an inspiring one in this new era of work?
A: A competent manager masters processes. They assign tasks, track KPIs, remove roadblocks, and deliver results. These skills are essential.
But an inspiring leader masters the human side. They don’t just extract performance — they cultivate it. They develop people, connect before they direct, and model authenticity and resilience by doing their own inner work.
The difference? A competent manager gets the team to the finish line. An inspiring leader makes people feel like they can run through walls to get there — and that the journey itself was worth it.
Beyond Direction: The Milestones Defining Bertay Fişekçi
For Bertay Fişekçi, two milestones define his mission today.
The first was leaving a 23-year corporate career to found his consultancy in 2019, with a clear purpose: helping organizations become more people-centric. His programs have boosted employee engagement by 20% on average, directly improving productivity and reducing turnover.
The second was integrating Positive Intelligence into leadership development. By addressing the inner Saboteurs that hijack leaders under stress, Bertay equips them with a mental operating system that makes leadership habits instinctive and lasting.
This blend of deep corporate experience and neuroscience-based mental fitness allows him to deliver transformation that sticks. For Bertay, true leadership is not about direction — it’s about connection, resilience, and unlocking the best in people.
Highlights
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