We recently had the privilege of interviewing Rehan Naeem, Founder, and Managing Partner at Become, a promising consultancy firm helping organizations reach their utmost potential. With over 20 years of experience in corporate learning and development, Rehan specializes in creating transformative workplace cultures, developing leadership excellence, and fostering happiness and well-being across organizations.
With Become, Rehan drives organizational transformation through Culture, Leadership Alignment & Development, Employee Happiness and Wellbeing. In this interview, Rehan Naeem shares his journey in the current field, challenges and ideas that worked for his business, and experiences that shaped his career path.
Spark Behind The Journey
We started the interview by asking, “What inspired you to start or lead this business, and how has the journey surprised you?”
Rehan Naeem shared, “The inspiration for starting Become stemmed from a deep desire to empower organizations by creating innovative, outcome-focused learning and development solutions. I noticed a gap in how organizations approached employee engagement, leadership development, and performance improvement—they often focused on transactional rather than transformational change.
What has truly surprised me during this journey is that many organizations are still addressing these critical areas reactively rather than proactively and consistently. Despite the growing awareness of the importance of a positive culture and strong leadership, many businesses treat these efforts as one-off initiatives rather than embedding them into their long-term strategy.”
Learning To Let Go Off Problems
We were interested to learn more about Rehan’s strategy to deal with problems. So, we asked, “How do you approach solving problems that don’t have clear solutions?”
“That’s my forte. Empathy and active listening play a big role—I immerse myself in the perspectives of all stakeholders to truly understand the problem. Then, I lean on data and innovative thinking to experiment with potential solutions. Iteration is essential—solving complex problems often requires learning as you go.” He shared.
Career-Defining Experience
We further asked, “Can you share a unique experience that shaped the way you run your business today?”
Rehan Naeem mentioned, “My previous role felt less like a job and more like a consulting partnership, where my focus was on ensuring outcomes were achieved. I approached every decision with an entrepreneurial mindset, treating it as if I were running my own company. This meant taking full ownership of long-term results, and ensuring initiatives were innovative, strategically aligned, and built for sustainable impact. This experience shaped my philosophy of acting with ownership and delivering meaningful, outcome-driven solutions—principles that are now at the core of how I run Become.”
Thinking Outside The Box
To learn more about the unconventional ideas that worked best for his business, we asked Rehan, “What’s the most unconventional idea you’ve implemented, and how did it turn out?”
“Two unconventional ideas made a significant impact. First, we engaged the children of employees through programs that not only connected them to the organization but also fostered a social network among them, creating a unique sense of belonging for employees and their families.
Second, we empowered younger employees to think about the organization’s future by involving them in creating products and services for tomorrow. This approach sparked innovation, built ownership, and aligned the organization with emerging trends. Both initiatives drove engagement, innovation, and a stronger connection to the organization’s vision.” He mentioned.
Assessing New Opportunitie
We also asked, “How do you identify and seize new opportunities in your industry?”
Rehan Naeem reflected, “Opportunities often emerge from listening carefully—to clients, trends, and market demands. I make it a point to stay curious and adaptable, keeping a pulse on evolving organizational challenges and workforce expectations. When I identify gaps, I focus on designing innovative, actionable solutions that address them. For example, Become’s frameworks like The Experience Framework and Corporate Happiness Framework were developed to address emerging needs in employee and leadership engagement.”
Fostering Inclusivity And Empowering Others
Eager to learn Rehan Naeem’s leadership approach in the organization, we asked, “If you had to describe your leadership style in one word, what would it be, and why?”
Rehan Naeem added, “My leadership style is rooted in empowering others, fostering inclusivity, and maintaining a future-focused perspective—creating an environment where diverse voices are valued, innovation thrives, and everyone is equipped to shape the organization’s future with purpose and confidence.”
Turning Challenges Into Opportunities
Challenges are an inevitable part of every journey. So, we asked, “What’s a challenge you faced that turned into an unexpected opportunity?”
Rehan Naeem asserted, “One challenge was convincing organizations to embrace happiness and well-being as strategic priorities rather than optional initiatives. Initially, there was skepticism about linking happiness to business outcomes. By demonstrating tangible results—like improved employee engagement, leadership impact, and customer satisfaction—this challenge turned into an opportunity to position Become as a thought leader in this space.”
Empowering People And Shifting Priorities
We ended the interview by asking, “If you could change one thing about the industry you work in, what would it be?”
“I’d shift the industry’s focus from short-term, one-size-fits-all training solutions to holistic, sustainable approaches that integrate learning into everyday work life. Organizations often prioritize immediate outcomes over long-term growth, and I’d like to see more emphasis on strategies that empower people and build cultures of continuous learning and improvement.” Rehan concluded.
Follow Rehan Naeem on LinkedIn.
Find Become on LinkedIn and visit their website www.becomezone.com
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