Growing Leaders, Growing Business
Let me start with a simple question.
👉 What really changes an organization—money, machines, or mindset?
Most people will say money.
Some will argue machines.
A few will say strategy.
But one of my mentors once told me something that completely shook my thinking.
He said—
👉 “The most powerful stories are not hidden in TED Talks, YouTube videos, or self-help books.”
👉 “The real stories are hidden in your own life.”
Honestly, when I heard this for the first time, I didn’t believe him.
How could my ordinary life compete with world-class speakers?
How could my experiences teach anyone anything big?
So I ignored it.
Until one day… I didn’t.
I paused.
I introspected.
I went back to my own journey—my failures, my decisions, my reactions, my silence, my courage.
And that’s when it hit me.
🔥 Every real transformation I had witnessed—personal or professional—started with a shift in mindset, not resources.
Today, I’m not here to quote a book.
I’m not here to repeat a TED Talk.
Today, I’m here to share a slice of my own life—
a story that opened my eyes, challenged my assumptions,
and left me with a discovery that changed the way I look at leadership, behavior, and growth.
If you listen carefully, you won’t just hear my story.
You’ll recognize yours.
And by the end, one thing will become clear—
👉 Organizations don’t change when budgets increase.
👉 They change when thinking does.
Years ago, in 2012 at that time I was WORKING in A jAPANESE tRADING cOMPANY NAME AS tOYOTA tSUSHO India .
At that time in India, there were many big Japanese trading companies like Mitsui,Metal One,Okaya,Toyota Tshusho and so many .
Among them Toyota Tshusho was one of them which looked… ordinary.
Nothing extraordinary ,Nothing special .
But one day, something unusual happened.
The top leadership of Toyota Tsusho gathered for a routine strategic meeting.
Sales numbers were reviewed.
Expansion plans were discussed.
Market risks were debated.
And then a senior leader asked a question that changed everything:
What if our biggest risk is not the market…
but the fact that our people are not growing fast enough with the changes?
That question shifted the room.
Until that day, the company believed growth came from:
- Importing expertise
- Sending a few top executives abroad
- Depending on external consultants
It worked—but only to a point.
That day, leadership made a bold decision:
👉 We will not only building the company only through systems.
We will start building it through people.We will develop world class leader.
🧱 Step 1: Build the Roots,Foundation Before the Tree
The leadership did not rush into skill-development training.
They understood something most organizations miss:
👉 Skills can be taught quickly.
👉 Roots take time to grow.
So instead of starting with how to work,
they started with why we exist.
They went back to the basics.
Back to the roots.
Back to identity.
Every employee—new or old—was grounded in:
- Company history
- Company philosophy
- Mission
- Vision
Because leadership understood one fundamental truth:
If people don’t know what they belong to,
they can never lead it forward.
Without roots, people only work.
With roots, people own.
And leadership was patient.
Slowly.
Steadily.
One layer at a time.
Just like a high-rise building—
You don’t start from the 20th floor.
You start with a strong foundation.
Because the bigger the structure you want to build,
the deeper the foundation must go.
The same rule applies to organizations.
👉 Strong roots create stable growth.
👉 Strong foundations create sustainable leadership.
🔁 A Moment I Will Never Forget in Life
It was the year 2012.
I was in Bangalore—
new to the organization,
new to the culture,
new to everything.
That week, the company had arranged its first-ever induction and inauguration training program, conducted by the Indian HR team.
For me, it made complete sense.
I was new.
I needed induction.
But then something unexpected happened.
When I entered the training hall, I noticed Mr. Menon sitting there.
Mr. Menon was not just any employee.
He was the second-oldest employee in the organization.
A man with decades of experience.
Just a few months away from retirement.
And yet—
there he was, attending the same induction and company background training as fresh recruits.
All of us were surprised.
During a break, someone finally asked him:
“Sir… you also need induction training?”
Mr. Menon smiled.
And his reply changed the way I look at leadership forever.
He said:
“I have never gone through any induction training before.
This is the first formal inauguration program of the company.”
Then he paused and added something deeper:
“I believe there may be many things here
that I also need to learn.”
History.
Philosophy.
Perspective.
And then came the line I will never forget:
“Learning is never-ending.
It does not depend on age or experience.”
At that moment, I realized something powerful.
👉 That is what real leadership looks like.
Not authority.
Not seniority.
Not titles.
But humility to sit in a learner’s chair—even at the end of a career.
That day, Mr. Menon didn’t just attend a training program.
He taught everyone in that room what leadership truly means.
🎯 Leadership Reflection
Skills can make you efficient.
Experience can make you confident.
But only humility keeps you relevant.
Because the moment a leader believes,
I already know enough.
That leader becomes vulnerable to a silent and deadly disease.
It is called IKB Syndrome.
IKB stands for:
“I Know Better.”
This disease is extremely powerful.
And even more dangerous—it is highly disguised.The leader who suffers from IKB Syndrome
never feels sick.There is no pain.
No warning signal.
No alarm.But everyone around them feels it.
Team members sense it.
Colleagues experience it.
The organization slowly adapts to it.Yet no one speaks about it.
Not because they don’t see it—
but because power and position silence honesty.People stop sharing ideas.
They stop challenging decisions.
They stop bringing uncomfortable truths.Not because they don’t care—
but because they know:“It won’t matter anyway.”
And that is the most tragic part.
The leader thinks:
“Everything is under control.”
But in reality—
Feedback has stopped.
Innovation has slowed.
Learning has ended.IKB Syndrome does not destroy leaders loudly.
It destroys them quietly.
By slowly cutting off:
- Curiosity
- Humility
- Growth
And eventually—
Relevance.
🎯 Leadership Truth
The greatest leaders are not those who know the most.
They are the ones who never stop learning.
Because the day a leader stops listening
is the day leadership stops working.
Ask yourself honestly:
👉 When was the last time someone disagreed with me openly?
👉 When was the last time I learned something from a junior?
If the answer is “I don’t remember”—
Be careful.
IKB Syndrome might already be at work.
Friends, this was only Episode 1.
If this much learning came from the beginning,
imagine what lies ahead.
The next episodes will challenge your thinking,
shake your comfort zones,
and redefine leadership as you know it.
👉 Stay tuned.
Because the real transformation starts next.