We spend a surprising portion of our lives rehearsing for an audience that isn’t really there. Every word, every post, every awkward silence, every stumble in a meeting gets filtered through the same quiet thought: What are they thinking about me? Psychologists call this the Spotlight Effect … [Read more...]
Where Leadership Lands
There comes a point in every leader’s journey when the interview isn’t really an interview anymore. It’s a conversation between two worlds - yours and theirs - trying to see if they can coexist. The questions stop being about competence. They start being about chemistry. Because by the time you … [Read more...]
Between Serenity, Sovereignty, and Silence: Revisiting the Three Philosophies That Shaped My Life
There are times in life when the noise outside and the restlessness within begin to mirror each other. The routines still move, the meetings still happen, but something underneath starts to question the point of movement without direction. It’s usually in these moments that I find myself drawn … [Read more...]
The Seduction of Jingoism
Jingoism is neither an act of confidence nor a representation of bravery. It’s a mask worn by fear and dressed up as conviction. It pretends to be love for one’s country or community, but more often, it’s a deep insecurity seeking validation through noise. What’s fascinating is that it used to … [Read more...]
When the Heart Remembers Home
Earlier tonight, I found myself at the Irish Hills Golf and Country Club, surrounded by familiar faces and a shared sense of purpose. It was a fundraiser to support the rebuilding efforts in Punjab after the devastating floods earlier this year. But it was more than an evening of giving. It was … [Read more...]
The Beautiful Rage We Need
We’ve been taught to calm down too much. To stay polite, to stay within the lines, to play nice even when the game is rigged. Somewhere along the way, we confused civility with silence and patience with paralysis. But the truth is, the world doesn’t move forward on politeness alone. It moves … [Read more...]
The Death of Books? Not Even Close
Every few years, the same conversation finds its way back into public consciousness, dressed in new logic but carrying the same old fear - that books are dying. I’ve heard it for years, but lately, the voices seem louder, more certain, almost triumphant. A few weeks ago, someone I hold in the … [Read more...]
The Illusion of Career Planning
I often tell my students that trying to plan your entire career is one of the biggest mistakes smart people make. It feels responsible, even intelligent, to map it all out - the next job, the next city, the next milestone. We’re taught that clarity comes from certainty. But in reality, clarity comes … [Read more...]
The Golf Course of Life
Some conversations stay with you long after they end. A couple of days back, at Irish Hills Golf Course, I found myself in one of those moments. We were being hosted by Jagdeep Bhaji and Lakhwinder Bhaji for a celebration - an evening filled with laughter, stories, and that easy kind of … [Read more...]