In the “Read & Grow” series, Dr CA Sangeeta Shankaran Sumesh, led a discussion on the book “The Inner Game of Work” by W. Timothy Gallwey with Murali Vaidyanathan, President, Wheels India Limited.
Sangeeta Shankaran Sumesh
Let me begin by talking about the author, Timothy Gallwey. He has written a series of books that lay down a methodology for coaching and development, both personal and professional. He calls this framework the Inner Game. Since the 1970s, Gallwey has produced several books—the most popular being The Inner Game of Tennis. This was followed by The Inner Game of Golf, The Inner Game of Music, The Inner Game of Skiing, and of course, The Inner Game of Work. The book emphasises learning, enjoyment at work, and overcoming psychological barriers that prevent us from realising our potential.
Imagine I am summarising this book for you, but in the back of my mind there’s a constant chatter: Am I really summarising this correctly? What will the experts in this room think of me? What if I make a mistake? If my mind were filled with this inner dialogue, would the best in me come out? Certainly not. And the truth is, all of us experience such inner chatter when we perform.
The S1 and S2
Gallwey’s central message is that we all have this inner voice—the constant commentary in our heads. He calls it Self-1 (S1), the ‘instructor’ who judges, doubts, and distracts us. Then there is Self-2 (S2), the doer—the part of us that naturally knows how to act, perform, and learn. His key insight is simple but profound: to perform at our best, we must silence S1 and trust S2.
He illustrates this with tennis. If you see the ball simply as a ball and focus on it, S2 takes over and you play naturally. Excellence comes not from over-instruction or constant self-criticism, but from silencing the inner chatter and trusting our natural capacity to perform and learn. Based on this analogy, Gallwey gives a formula: Performance = Potential – Interference. In other words, your performance is your potential minus the interference created by doubts, fears, or inner chatter. The more you reduce interference, the more your true potential shines through.
Working on the Inner Chat
I once worked with a Group CFO whose biggest challenge wasn’t financial strategy or technical expertise, but communication. He was perfectly at ease in one-on-one conversations, yet froze when speaking to his team of more than sixty people.
Why? Because of self-interference. His inner chatter went: “What if I say something wrong? I’m their boss—I must set the perfect example. What if they discover my flaws? What if they ask tough questions?” These doubts held him back.
As his coach, my first task was to help him quiet that inner voice. Then I guided him with simple but powerful questions: “Why is it important for you to communicate with your whole team? What message do you want them to take away? How will their performance support yours, and ultimately the organisation’s?” That shift in awareness, combined with silencing the interference, unlocked his confidence. Soon he was addressing not only his team but even larger organisational gatherings with ease. His potential had always been there. The real barrier was interference.
And that’s what a coach does: enhance the coachee’s awareness, reduce the inner noise, and create the conditions for natural performance. A coach must also remain non-judgmental, never labelling behaviour as right or wrong. Instead, the focus is on helping the individual trust their own ability and learn directly from their experience.
The Power of Attention
Another important aspect the author highlights is the power of attention. When someone is speaking to you, are you fully present, or are you half-listening while scrolling on your phone? People know when they are truly heard. Listening becomes a defining skill. It is often what separates an effective leader from a mediocre one.
Gallwey also emphasises that a coach helps clients to think aloud. This is done not by giving solutions, but by asking powerful questions. The coach may challenge assumptions or beliefs, but always from a non-judgmental stance. Do we really enjoy someone breathing down our neck, instructing us to do this, achieve that, or chase a target? Not really. We are human, after all. But if the drive comes from within, you become far more motivated and committed. A coach doesn’t impose; instead, they expand your awareness until you begin to think and feel, ‘Yes, I want this.’ That shift in ownership makes all the difference.
3 Types of Coaching Conversations
Gallwey explains that a coach creates momentum for the coachee by enhancing awareness, broadening choices, and strengthening trust. The first kind of coaching conversation is about awareness. Here, the coach asks simple but powerful questions: What’s happening? What stands out for you? What do you understand about this situation, or perhaps don’t understand? How would you frame the underlying problem? Questions like these heighten awareness and allow the coachee—or even a leader speaking to their team—to see situations more clearly.
The second type of coaching conversation is about choice. These conversations push the coachee to explore possibilities. Questions such as, ‘What do you really want? What do you hope to achieve? What are the benefits of doing this, and the costs of not doing it? Who or what are you doing this for?’ enable the person to weigh options and take ownership of their decisions.
The third kind is about trust. Trust is not only central to the coach–coachee relationship but also vital for leaders building strong teams. Beyond trust lies psychological safety which is the feeling that one can share openly without fear of judgment. Questions like, ‘What steps do you see first? How confident do you feel about doing this? Where would you find help to accomplish it?’ help create that trust and build confidence.
Working with a Coach vs. Self-Coaching
Gallwey also distinguishes between working with a coach and self-coaching. Self-coaching has clear advantages: it allows you to practice independently, learn at your own pace, and manage your inner interference. But it also has limitations. Without an external perspective, you risk getting stuck in your own thought patterns. There is no one to ‘hold up a mirror’ and help you see blind spots. That, he says, is why working with a coach can be transformative.
In conclusion, the book offers four powerful takeaways. First, the importance of silencing Self 1, the interfering voice in our heads. Second, the formula for performance: Performance = Potential – Interference. Third, the power of deep, attentive listening. And finally, the art of asking powerful questions that spark reflection and create real shifts in thinking.
Murali Vaidyanathan: You don’t need to be a professional athlete to know that anxiety never wins you points. Self-1 and Self-2 are almost mutually exclusive. It is very hard for them to coexist.
Imagine walking into a bungalow and suddenly spotting a ferocious dog. Your instinct is to run. But as you run, you notice the dog isn’t chasing you. You turn back and realise it isn’t a dog at all—it’s a stone statue. The lesson is simple: either you perceive the dog or you perceive the statue, but not both at the same time.
This principle, applies to organisations as much as to individuals. Some companies are bold, innovative, and risk-taking, while others, with the same resources and talent, are weighed down by doubt. The difference lies in whether Self-1 dominates or whether Self-2 is allowed to flourish. Leaders, therefore, have a dual responsibility: to free individuals from their inner interference, and to shape cultures where Self 1 slowly dissolves.
In today’s world, this is even more relevant. We live in an age of social media overload, constant distraction, and craving for instant gratification. On top of that, uncertainty looms. There are debates about AI, Industry 4.0, and automation. Many experts agree that simple, repetitive tasks will certainly be automated. What cannot be automated, however, is being human.
And this is the essence of Gallwey’s insight: to thrive in such a world, we must return to our humanness, and to do that we need to harness the power of our own mind. This deeply resonates with Indian philosophy and spirituality. On searching Gallwey’s background, I discovered that in the early 1970s Gallwey had indeed come to India, studied under a guru, and then returned to write The Inner Game.
Sangeeta Shankaran Sumesh: Since you touched upon spirituality, and I know you’re a spiritual person, deeply involved with the Art of Living and part of the Tamil Nadu leadership team, how would you correlate this book with Indian philosophy?
Murali Vaidyanathan : Tim says you must exercise your free will in your choice of action. That’s where your freedom lies. But there is little point in putting your attention on outcomes. For example, if a ball comes at you in tennis, your focus should be on selecting the best possible shot and playing it well. What you should avoid is thinking, what if I lose this point or this game?
And that connects well with Indian thought. The learning journey is as important as the outcome. In fact, it reminds me of a principle we often hear: in business, even if you lose a deal, don’t lose the relationship. Similarly, in life, even if you lose a particular outcome, don’t lose the learning. One outcome is nothing in the context of a long career.
The third point is about the quality of conversation you have with yourself. That inner dialogue makes a huge difference. Yes, a wandering or questioning mind has its own utility, but through discipline and practice, the intellect must be trained to prevail and guide us on the right road ahead.
There’s also a beautiful saying: keep your consultant on tap, not on top. In Gallwey’s terms, that means Self-1 has its role, but it should never dominate. Use it when required, but let Self-2—the doer—stay in charge.
Sangeeta Shankaran Sumesh: Since we spoke about Self-1 and Self-2, can you share an instance from your real life where you managed to overcome the interference of Self-1?
Murali Vaidyanathan : Yes, I recall one situation in my career. We had a client who suddenly called and gave us an ultimatum: “Set up a facility in a new, remote location, or we’ll move to another supplier.”
My first reaction was frustration and I thought, “How unfair is this!” The second thought was panic. ‘What do we do now?’ We’ve already created capacity elsewhere. If that goes unutilised, it will have severe financial and manpower implications. What about the people we’ve hired? My colleague and I ranted about this for hours.
But later that evening, we paused and decided to look at it differently. Instead of focusing on how unfair it was, we asked ourselves: what compulsion is the client facing? That shift changed everything. We realised they were incurring heavy freight costs. From their perspective, like any company, they had to think about their P&L and their shareholders. There was nothing unfair about that. It was just business.
Once we reframed it, three options emerged. One, lose the business, which meant our existing facility would remain underutilised and employees would be affected. Two, set up a facility in the remote location, but that made no financial sense. Three, negotiate and offer price concessions from our current location to offset their costs. We worked out the numbers and found the third option viable. Excited, we flew out the next morning and closed the deal within the week.
Looking back, I realise if we had stayed stuck in Self 1—blame, frustration, and self-doubt—we would never have found a solution. The key learning for me was this: when faced with a problem, see it as a problem to be solved, not as something to brood over or blame others for.
Sangeeta Shankaran Sumesh: Since you are also a coach, do you apply these principles with your team members?
Murali Vaidyanathan : Very much. You see, it’s always easier for us to step in and do things ourselves. But there’s no learning in that. We already know how to do it. Real growth happens when you allow people to have their own learning journey.
I remember one instance during a client negotiation. One of my team members was experienced, but new to handling negotiations. He came to me and said, “We have a meeting with the client tomorrow. I am sure you’ll come with me.” I told him, “No, I’m not coming.”
He was upset. In fact, he almost shouted, “Why can’t you spare two or three hours for me?” I replied, “I’ll give you eight hours if you want, but I won’t go with you.” Instead, we sat down, prepared thoroughly, and set clear boundaries on what to say and what not to compromise on. Since it was his first deal, I didn’t want him to go unprepared.
The client representative he was meeting was an old colleague of mine. So I quietly called him and said, “Don’t be too hard on him. He’s new, but give him a fair chance.” The meeting happened, and when my team member came back, he was grinning from ear to ear. He had closed the deal successfully.
For me, it would have been far easier to go and handle the negotiation myself. But by letting him do it, he gained confidence, ownership, and the thrill of learning by doing. That is exactly what coaching is about: removing interference, creating awareness, and trusting people to discover their own capability.
Sangeeta Shankaran Sumesh: From a coaching perspective, how do you think a coach can build trust? And as a leader, how do you build trust with your team members?
Murali Vaidyanathan : Without trust, there is no coaching. If trust is lost, people won’t share, and the whole process collapses. Trust comes when the other person knows you don’t have an ulterior motive, that you genuinely have their interest at heart.
In performance reviews, for example, the key is not to prescribe but to ask the right questions. When you prescribe, people may follow instructions, but when you ask questions, they reflect and own the learning. In most cases, they end up identifying the same points you had in mind but it comes from within them.
That’s the essence of Gallwey’s idea: Self-2 is already empowered and capable of learning. The coach’s role is to ask questions that help people realise it for themselves. The litmus test of coaching is simple: after the session, does the person walk away thinking about you and how you gave the feedback, or about the feedback itself and what to do with it? If it’s the latter, then real change has begun.
Sangeeta Shankaran Sumesh: Any thoughts or real-life experiences on listening: times when it worked well, or when it didn’t?
Murali Vaidyanathan : Honestly, with family members it’s the toughest test of listening! But even as leaders, listening is critical. The higher you grow, the less direct control you have. You’re no longer the one pulling the strings or doing the tasks yourself. You depend on others.
At that stage, your role is to support, guide, and enable. You can review, correct, even express disappointment, but ultimately you must listen deeply to understand what people need from you. And listening isn’t just about words. It’s about listening with your whole presence. Heart-to-heart listening makes the real difference.
Sangeeta Shankaran Sumesh: What is your opinion on self-coaching versus working with a professional coach?
Murali Vaidyanathan: I think it works both ways. Self-reflection is a form of coaching in itself, and we can draw on many resources like books, talks, videos and even life experiences. But we must also accept that all of us carry blind spots. For those, you often need an external coach, a guru, or simply someone who can hold up a mirror.
