Navi Mumbai: What does a rookie reporter’s insensitive query to a grieving family member have to do with mastering the art of professional communication? For Uma Prabhu, chairperson of Manav Sadhan Vikas Sanstha and independent director at IFFCO Tokio General Insurance Co Ltd, confronting her own early professional missteps provided the foundational realisation that true communication and leadership cannot be taught in a classroom — they must be forged through stark reality.Addressing students at MGM Institute of Health Sciences in Navi Mumbai as part of The Times of India ‘Leaders on Campus’ initiative, the veteran communicator recounted her professional journey; she spoke about her blunt encounter with a mourning woman following a tragic bus accident in Nashik. That sharp reality check taught her that an effective communicator must always assess the situation, use the correct language, and step into people’s shoes.Highlighting three essential principles for effective communication, she said, “Observation, silence, and active or passive listening…silence has a voice, and that voice is louder than the words.”Reflecting on leadership, she said, “Leadership is responsibility, leadership is accountability, leadership is not only team building, but taking the team along with you and standing by the team and this is even more important in the medical profession, because you are dealing with the lives of people. There is a very thin line between life and death and in that zone, the hopes are pinned on you.”Prabhu further addressed India’s shifting demographics, pointing out that while the nation faces an ageing population and a growing need for institutional care and healthcare professionals, “the love with which a nurse tends to a patient can never be replicated by a robot,” reinforcing that “human touch will never disintegrate, ever”.She added, “If you are a leader, then you have to be a good communicator and this communication encompasses everything. It is not only written, verbal, English, Marathi…it’s your power of observation.”Emphasising that many hospital incidents stem from a breakdown in proper communication, Dr Shashank Dalvi, vice chancellor of MGM Institute of Health Sciences, highlighted that a true healthcare leader must master both clinical expertise and the compassionate assurance given to patients.“Leadership finally is about connections and understanding,” Prabhu concluded, echoing a sentiment that resonated throughout the campus.
