Why the Hardest Person to Lead Is Yourself
You can’t bring clarity, care, and performance to others until you find them within yourself.
The hardest person you’ll ever lead is yourself.
I’ve spent decades leading people, organisations, and transformations across continents, but this lesson has humbled me more than any other.
There comes a moment in every leader’s journey when strategy and intellect aren’t enough.
The noise around you grows louder - the board, the business, the market - and you realise the real battlefield isn’t out there.
It’s in the quiet moments, the late nights when decisions weigh heavy and the mask of confidence feels thin.
Fifteen years ago, I began studying the Bhagavad Gita - not as scripture, but as a dialogue between confusion and clarity, action and awareness.
It taught me that you can’t lead with clarity if your mind is in chaos.
That composure is not passivity.
And that true leadership is action without attachment, purpose without possession.
And when you lead from that space, something shifts - clarity sharpens, care deepens, and commercial performance follows naturally.
Because the organisation becomes a reflection of the leader’s inner state.
That insight reshaped how I led teams, made decisions, and found calm amid pressure.
Last week, I had the privilege of sharing this decade-long journey at a leadership retreat exploring what it means to lead yourself before leading others.
It’s not spiritual. It’s practical.
Because before you can lead others with confidence, you must lead yourself with calm.
The hardest battles are always the ones inside us.
When the noise rises, how do you return to clarity, care, and calm — so performance can follow?
Former Fortune-10 C-Suite and 2022 HR Leader of the Year.
I coach executives, solve complex organisational issues, and advise boards.