Lessons in Leadership (From the ones who taught us how to cross the street)
I was recently doom-scrolling through Instagram when I came across a Simon Sinek video I’d seen before but hadn’t really heard until then. In it, he draws a parallel between parenting and leadership not in the way of coddling or caretaking, but in the deeper emotional responsibility both roles carry. A parent, he says, doesn’t measure success in days or quarters. They play the long game. They create conditions. They model, repeat, hold firm, and show up, again and again, even when there’s no instant feedback.
It stayed with me.
Because, in the work we do, we often speak about leaders needing to balance multiple hats, to shape and drive culture for their organisations , to create trust. But where do we learn how to do that? Who teaches us the quiet practices of presence, patience, belief? For many of us, it starts long before we ever enter the workplace. It starts with a father, a mother, a grandparent, a teacher, someone who led not with authority, but with attention.
And so, ahead of Father’s Day, we asked some of our team to reflect not just on fathers, but on those figures in their lives who shaped how they think about leadership. The people who didn’t necessarily hold the title of ‘leader’, but led all the same. What follows is a collection of those reflections, short, honest glimpses into the ways care and influence take root, and how they echo in who we become.
- Age old. Tried, tested and succeeded: ‘Change is the only constant’
“One thing my father has always told me is ‘change is the only constant.’ Over time, I’ve come to see how deeply he lives by that. It shows in the small things, like how he’ll try out a new app even if it takes him a while to get the hang of it, or how he’s curious about AI and wants to understand what the world is moving towards. But it also shows in his mindset. I’ve seen him adjust to shifts in family dynamics, adapt his habits when life demands it, and accept things he can’t control with a quiet steadiness. What’s always stood out to me is his refusal to get stuck, mentally or emotionally. Instead of resisting change, he meets it with openness, and often, a sense of calm. That’s the lesson I carry: change doesn’t have to be overwhelming if you don’t meet it with resistance. If you stay open, curious, and grounded, change becomes less of a disruption and more of a rhythm you learn to move with.” – Tamanna
- Success measured in connection and joy
“One of the most important things I’ve learned from my father (in fact, from both my parents) is that life is not uni-dimensional; and fulfilment, deep relationships and connection are a much better measure of success than designations and wealth.
While both of them worked, and both loved their work, they were also always present for us while we were growing up. And they made time for so much more – for deep bonds and being the sounding boards for anyone in their circle who was going through a tough time, for lots of interests and hobbies, for being close to their own parents and being there for them (while many others chose to make their lives abroad).
My father would pick up new things to learn all the time – learning to sing in his 60s, and getting so good at it that he now performs on stage. My mother started learning bridge in her retirement. As they’ve both retired, I’ve seen them seamlessly transition to this new life stage without feeling the vacuum and the loss of identity and purpose I’ve seen with others in this transition. They’ve again crafted full and beautiful lives, focused on giving back, continuing to learn and grow, build deep relationships and be there for those that matter to them.
I hope for myself that I can truly live this lesson, and continue to craft a life of fulfilment and joy that comes from the present moment.” – Shweta
- Boundaries, Belonging.
“One of the things that strikes me most, looking back, is how clearly my father drew boundaries, not just for work, but for life. He was home by 5 PM every day. Weekends were sacred. Not in a ‘do not disturb’ way, but in a deeply present, joyfully available kind of way. Tea with the family wasn’t a rare occasion; it was a ritual. We never missed a book festival, a chance to watch a cricket match, or be there at a sports tournament. Special, home cooked treats were not an exception.
These weren’t squeezed in despite work. They were just part of life. And both my parents protected that space not with grand speeches, but with quiet consistency.
There’s a modern narrative that says balance comes with a trade-off. That if you’re not ‘always on,’ you’re somehow falling behind. But he lived a different story, one where what you show up for defines your success, not just what you achieve.
It shaped how I view leadership today, not just in organisations, but in life. That setting boundaries isn’t about opting out; it’s about opting in- to presence, to purpose, to the people who matter. That the leaders who matter aren’t just the ones who replied to every email, but probably also the ones who knew when to close the laptop and step out into the world.
Walking through the aisles of a book festival, it turns out, were real education in what leadership can look like.”- Rameet
- The quiet superpower of belief and faith
“One of the most enduring lessons I’ve learnt from my father is the quiet power of belief not just in oneself, but in others. He has always been the first to say “go for it” whenever I came to him with a wild idea, no matter how uncertain or unconventional. Where others might have cautioned me to play it safe, he taught me that failure isn’t something to be feared; it’s a stepping stone, often necessary, on the path to something meaningful. “Better to be late than never,” he would say, not as an excuse, but as a reminder that it’s okay to take your time and find your own rhythm. His support gave me the courage to experiment, stumble, and try again, lessons that hold true in life and in leadership. In a world obsessed with speed and certainty, his patient, unwavering trust reminds me that the best leaders don’t always have all the answers, but they make room for people to grow into theirs.”- Alen
- Resilience with a plan
“Growing up, my dad always emphasized the importance of resilience. He’d often say, “Life’s going to throw curveballs, and it’s not about how hard you get hit, but how quickly you get back up.” This wasn’t just a platitude; he lived it. I remember a particularly tough time when his business faced a significant setback. Instead of dwelling on the misfortune, he meticulously analyzed what went wrong, adapted his approach, and worked tirelessly to rebuild. Witnessing his unwavering determination during that period taught me that setbacks are inevitable, but they don’t define you. What truly matters is your ability to learn from adversity, dust yourself off, and keep moving forward with an optimistic outlook. This core lesson has been a guiding principle throughout my life, helping me navigate challenges with a sense of purpose and a belief in my own ability to overcome.”- Prerna
- Leave work, at work
“My Baba worked in the pharma industry. To top that he worked in Sales. Not only were the hours long, but often tough with targets being chased on the fly. I would often overhear conference calls that sounded like fighting matches, however come evening, the same people on the call became uncles and aunties who came over for dinner and Antakshari nights with their families. People who stood like pillars and sometimes cheerleaders when we moved cities, lost grandparents, or won a debate competition. My father never said it out loud, but he ‘left work, at work’. Once the work talk was done, they were all friends. Not just friends of convenience, or rant mates, but friends who later in life flew across cities to attend a child’s wedding, or visit each other when someone had taken ill.
I had heard many of his younger colleagues say that Baba was a strict manager, but also a great boss. I derived little meaning from it earlier, but I get it now. Especially with the long line of highly appreciative comments from his ex-colleagues (he’s now retired), rather friends, on his gardening posts on Facebook.“- Priyanjali
When reading through these reflections, something came up for me- leadership lessons often don’t come from leadership books. They come from the people who showed us how to deal with change without letting it get to us, how to stay curious, how to bounce back without losing our sense of humour, and how to sign off from work calls and still host a killer Charades night.
As we celebrate Father’s Day, this is less a tribute to titles and more to temperaments. To the ones who led with presence, before PowerPoints. Who influenced not through authority, but through attention. Turns out, the people who taught us how to cross the street were also quietly teaching us how to navigate life.
