Copyright © 2021 Karthik Sundararaman All rights reserved

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living
or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express
written permission of the publisher.

ISBN-13: 9781234567890

ISBN-10: 1477123456

Cover design by: Karthik Sundararaman

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018675309

Printed in the United States of America

 DEDICATION

“I dedicate this book to my loving parents and launching it on my mom’s

birthday. Thanks to them for allowing me to experience this life and raising me
and my twin sister with utmost care and sacrifice. I thank my wife for being
there for me and supporting me all the time.”
 CONTENTS

Copyright
Dedication
Preface
LESSON 1: RESPONSIBILITY
LESSON 2: CHOICE
LESSON 3: COMMITMENT
LESSON 4: CREATING LEADERS
LESSON 5: EMPATHY
LESSON 6: HELP
LESSON 7: MORE HELP
LESSON 8: SERVICE
LESSON 9: COMPETITION
LESSON 10: FAMILY
LESSON 11: VISIONARY
LESSON 12: PRACTICE
LESSON 13: PEOPLE
LESSON 14: STRENGTHS
LESSON 15: MY LEADER
LESSON 16: OPTIMIST
LESSON 17: FREEDOM
LESSON 18: CAUSE
LESSON 19: DIRECTION
LESSON 20: SACRIFICE
LESSON 21: LIFESTYLE
LESSON 22: ENVIRONMENT
LESSON 23: MISTAKE
LESSON 24: TRANSFORM
LESSON 26: VALUES
LESSON 27: INSPIRE
LESSON 28: MANIPULATION
LESSON 29: ACTIONABLE VALUES
LESSON 30: FOLLOWERS
LESSON 31: POPULARITY
LESSON 32: FEAR
LESSON 33: COURAGE
LESSON 34: MOTIVATION
LESSON 35: RETENTION
LESSON 36: CULTURE
LESSON 37: ATTITUDE
LESSON 38: COMPETITIOR
LESSON 39: WORTHY RIVAL
LESSON 40: STRESS
LESSON 41: OPPORTUNITY
LESSON 42: TRUST
LESSON 43: PEOPLE FIRST
LESSON 44: BALANCE
LESSON 45: RESULTS
LESSON 46: SPARTANS
LESSON 47: ACKNOWLEDGE
LESSON 48: SEROTONIN
LESSON 49: LEADERSHIP CHEMICAL
LESSON 50: HAPPINESS
LESSON 51: PERKS
LESSON 52: PROFITS
LESSON 53: LISTNER
LESSON 54: SKILLSET
LESSON 55: BI-DIRECTIONAL TRUST
LESSON 56: PROCESS
LESSON 57: COMPASSION
LESSON 58: ONE UNIT
LESSON 59: RULES
LESSON 60: INTEGRITY
LESSON 61: DANGERS
LESSON 62: SACRIFICE
LESSON 63: QUALITY TIME
LESSON 64: GOALS
LESSON 65: INDEPENDENT
LESSON 66: CONSISTENCY
LESSON 67: START WITH WHY
LESSON 68: PURPOSE
LESSON 69: PROCESS
LESSON 70: ENTREPRENEUR
LESSON 71: FORSEE DANGER
LESSON 72: BENIFITS
LESSON 73: SUCCESS
LESSON 74: MYTH
LESSON 75: SAY NO
LESSON 76: PROBLEM SOLVING
LESSON 77: IDOLOZE
LESSON 78: ALIGNMENT
LESSON 79: CHARACTER
LESSON 80: EMERGENCY
LESSON 81: POPULARITY
LESSON 82: HUMILITY
LESSON 83: ACTION
LESSON 84: BLAME
LESSON 85: LEARNER
LESSON 86: GOLDEN CIRCLE
LESSON 87: CREATE ENVIRONMENT
LESSON 88: MORE LEADERS
LESSON 89: JOB CUTS
LESSON 90: DEPENDENCY
LESSON 91: RISK
LESSON 92: LEADER TO ALL
LESSON 93: BE LIKED
LESSON 94: YOUR CHOICE
LESSON 95: LIMITED RESOURCES
LESSON 96: LEGACY
LESSON 97: QUIT
LESSON 98: INTROVERT
LESSON 99: GREAT POWERS
LESSON 100: PRACTICE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 PREFACE
Leadership is not just about reporting to someone higher up the rank. It is
about how you are going to behave with someone in your organization when
no one is watching you. It is a journey, and it takes grit and practice to be a
great leader.

Given a chance, I would always pick-up a book that can be flipped to any
chapter from where I can start reading. With this in mind, I wrote this book to
give you bite-sized lessons that you can flip to any page and flip back to
anywhere else and it would still make sense.

Each lesson is conversation based, where an apprentice is asking a great leader

questions to get himself/herself on the path to leadership. Well, you can think
of yourself as the apprentice or the leader who is providing the answer if you
have encountered similar situations!

Finally, THANK YOU for picking this book up and I wish that you become the
leader who can inspire millions.
 LESSON 1: RESPONSIBILITY

“What does it take to become a leader?”,

asked the disciple.

It takes Time said the leader. Leadership is

not a position; it is a responsibility.

Takeaway:
If you aspire to be a leader, you need to
invest time into it. It is a responsibility that
you need to fulfil. You can prove that you are
responsible by showcasing it over time.
 LESSON 2: CHOICE

"I am very young and just starting my career.

How much experience should I have to
become a leader?" asked the apprentice, to
which the leader said:
Leadership has nothing to do with age,
gender, or demography. Anyone who wants
to be, can be a leader.

Takeaway:
Leadership is a choice, just like parenting.
Anyone who wants to be a parent, can be
one but not everyone chooses to be. You can
be a leader if you want to be irrespective of
your age or experience.
 LESSON 3: COMMITMENT

"I am not sure where to start this journey!",

said the apprentice, to which the leader
responded:
As a leader, if you do not know where to
start, do this - take care of those two people
sitting to your left and to your right, and
asking them to do so.

Takeaway:
If you commit to taking care of people
around you, you can call yourself a leader.
This is the easiest way to start being a leader.
Volunteer in helping and caring for people
who you live with and you work with.
 LESSON 4: CREATING LEADERS

"What if I fail to build an empire being a

leader" asked the junior and the leader said:
It is OK to fail to build an empire as a leader,
but it is not OK to fail to create more leaders.

Takeaway:
The ultimate goal of every leader should be
to produce more leaders. It is through this
process that you can help others transform
and in turn transform yourself into a better
leader.
 LESSON 5: EMPATHY

"What is the one thing, I must and should

practice to be a leader?", was the next
question, the apprentice had, to which he
heard the Leader say:
Leaders understand, practice, and preach
empathy.

Takeaway:
If you want to care for others, you need to be
empathetic. Being empathetic is about
understanding that others are humans just
like you and that you respect their emotions
as much as you respect your own.
 LESSON 6: HELP

"As a leader should I do everything on my

own?" quizzed the young guy and the leader
said:
Leaders know that everything cannot be
achieved alone. They ask for help!

Takeaway:
There is a popular belief that only weak ask
for help. Great leaders know that all things
great and big can only be achieved with the
help of other humans. Even to be a leader you
need a bunch of people who are ready to
follow you.
 LESSON 7: MORE HELP

"Why does the leader of a tribe get to eat

first?" was his next question and the leader
said:
Leader of the tribe enjoys this privilege to eat
first because, when a danger strikes, he is the
also the one who faces it first.

Takeaway:
There is a popular belief that only weak ask
for help. Great leaders know that all things
great and big can only be achieved with the
help of other humans. Even to be a leader you
need a bunch of people who are ready to
follow you.
 LESSON 8: SERVICE

"What is the Return-On-Investment I should

expect as a leader?", asked the trainee and
the leader replied:
Leaders do not work with ROI in mind.
Leaders work with IWE (Investment Without
Expectations).

Takeaway:
There are many takers already in this world. A
leader is someone who works with an
attitude of service. There are of course going
to be returns and that would be in the form of
influence that you are going to earn.
 LESSON 9: COMPETITION

"How do I make my team compete better

against each other?", asked the aspiring
leader, and the leader said:
Leaders do not increase the competition in
the team, they increase the competence of
the team.

Takeaway:
As an individual, it is important to run your
own race. As a leader, once you make your
own team members compete against each
other, they will start hoarding information
and this will halt the growth. Instead, leaders
help increase the competence of their teams.
 LESSON 10: FAMILY

"How should I look at my colleagues as?"

asked the junior and the Leader said:
Many have colleagues and co-workers in the
team. Leaders have brothers and sisters.

Takeaway:
You cannot serve someone whom you think is
an outsider. To have the attitude of service,
one must think of their teammates as their
own brothers and sisters. It becomes the duty
of the leader to create brothers and sisters
out of strangers.
 LESSON 11: VISIONARY

"What does a vision statement look like?"

asked the apprentice and the leader replied:
Leaders have vision, that they can clearly
articulate and paint a picture of. "I have a
dream" said Martin Luther King Jr.; "that one
day, black boys and black girls will be able to
join hands with little white boys and white
girls as sisters and brothers."

Takeaway:
Being a visionary is an important
characteristic of a leader. Having a vision is
one part of the game and having the ability to
articulate it is another ability. Leaders know
how to paint a clear picture of their vision.
 LESSON 12: PRACTICE

"I attended a weekend leadership workshop

and got certified as a leader" said the young
aspirant and the leader said:
There is no certificate that makes one a
leader. It is through practice, just like how a
doctor "practices" to be a doctor.

Takeaway:
Leadership is not a weekend activity where
you go and get certified and therefore
become a leader. There is a reason why
doctors “practice” their craft. It is only by
putting in days and years of practice does
one become a leader.
 LESSON 13: PEOPLE

"What do you do when new members join

your team?" asked the upcoming leader.
Leaders know their people well. They make
efforts to know the goals, dreams, and
aspirations of those whom they work with.

Takeaway:
Leadership is about understanding people.
Once your people know that you as a leader
care for their goals and aspirations, they will
start caring for your cause, mission, and
vision.
 LESSON 14: STRENGTHS
"In my review with one of my teammates, I
told him 3 of his weakness which he has to
work on" said the proud youngster for which
the leader said:
Leaders also identify and communicate the
strengths in the people they work with. It is
important to keep working on strengths as
well.

Takeaway:
It is easier to build upon your strengths than
your weaknesses. Leaders not just point out
weakness in their people, but also help them
identify their strengths and work with them
to build the strengths.
 LESSON 15: MY LEADER
"Tell me a proud moment you had in your life
as a leader" asked the youngster, to which
the leader said.
My proudest moment is when my people
introduce me as "my leader" and not just as
"a leader".

Takeaway:
Not everyone calls their boss as “my leader”.
They may introduce you as “he/she is our
boss”. It takes energy, time, and efforts to
earn the respect of being introduced as “my
leader” and not just “a leader”.
 LESSON 16: OPTIMIST
"Are you a positive person or an optimist?",
quizzed the young man to the leader to
which he heard him say:
I am an Optimist. Optimists understand and
acknowledge the current situation, but
always work towards a better tomorrow. A
positive person just stays positive and not
acknowledge the current situation.

Takeaway:
It is ultimately about what actions you take
and the decisions that you make that will
impact the outcome of a situation. Acting
positively is better than just being positive.
 LESSON 17: FREEDOM
"I have 10 people to manage and a business
to lead in my new project", said the excited
youngster to which the leader said:
Leaders MANAGE projects and LEAD people.
It is not the other way round.

Takeaway:
People need leaders who can show them
direction and leaders need people who are
willing to follow them. Fundamentally people
do not like being managed.
The ultimate form of freedom is when no one
is trying to control you and you have full
control over your own life.
 LESSON 18: CAUSE
"Why was Gandhiji so successful as a
leader?" questioned the young guy to which
the leader said:
Gandhiji gave his people a Cause to work
towards. A Cause bigger than any individual's
cast, creed, or religion.

Takeaway:
If you can tie people to a cause which can
improve one or many areas of their life, you
will be called a leader. As a leader you need
to think about what is in it for them which
can inspire them to follow you.
 LESSON 19: DIRECTION
"If given a chance to pick one, - would you
want to be the best leader OR give your
people the best cause?", asked the youngster
and he heard the leader said:
Give your people a cause to work for. Leaders
may change, but the cause remains, to give
people a direction to keep going.

Takeaway:
If people get attached to a cause, then the
presence of leader to steer the ship will be
very minimal. Even if the leader no longer
stays with the group, the group can sail itself
towards the destination.
 LESSON 20: SACRIFICE
"What is the difference between two teams -
one which works for a cause, and one that
doesn't?" asked the confused youngster, to
which the leader said:
Members of a team working for a cause
would readily sacrifice short-term gains to
advance a just cause, and the other team
would vouch for any benefit to make quick
gains.

Takeaway:
During an interview, Steve Jobs mentioned
that his people were offered better salary to
join other organizations. But then rejected
those offers to continue working for Apple.
They were given a cause to change the
“Status Quo”.
 LESSON 21: LIFESTYLE
"What did you sign-up for when you chose to
be a leader?" asked the thrilled youngster, to
which the leader said:
I signed-up for a lifestyle called leadership.
Just like how healthy living, great parenting is
a "lifestyle" choice, so is Leadership.

Takeaway:
You cannot choose to be a leader on
weekdays and choose not to, during
weekends. You may eat healthy for 4 days
and if you eat outside your diet the other 3
days of the week, you cannot hit your health
goals.
 LESSON 22: ENVIRONMENT
"What do leaders first do when they start
their company?" is what the apprentice
wanted to know, to which the leader replied:
Leaders create environment where people
can work at their natural best. That should be
the first and immediate task of any leader.

Takeaway:
The environment you stay in, determines the
person you become. Stay in a growth
environment surrounded with people who
have goals and who want to achieve, you will
see success. On the other hand, stay with
drunkards and people who waste their time,
good luck becoming successful.
 LESSON 23: MISTAKE
"How do I know if I have created an
environment where people can work at their
natural best?" was the next question, to
which the leader replied:
When people raise their hand and say, "I
made a mistake" and do not try to hide it,
you know you have done a good job creating
a good environment.

Takeaway:
The test for a good environment is one where
people showcase their vulnerability and
voluntarily own-up mistakes they made. As a
leader it is your responsibility to create one
such environment.
 LESSON 24: AUTHORITY
"I am excited to create an amazing
environment for people whom I am in-charge
of!" said the excited young guy, to which the
leader replied:
Leadership is not about being in charge. It is
about taking care of people in your charge.

Takeaway:
Being in-charge is often misrepresented as
having an authority over a group. Being in
charge essentially means you are assigned
the responsibility to take care of those in
your charge.
Leaders do not just command, they
command respect through their actions.
 LESSON 25: TRANSFORM
"Why do you stress so much on the
environment?" asked the learner, to which
the leader replied:
As social animals we respond to the
environment we are in. Put a great team
member in a bad environment and you know
what the member will turn out to be.

Takeaway:
Experiments have shown that even if you put
a convict into a group of positive people,
there are high chances of the convict
transforming into a better person.
This is why self-leadership is important,
where you exactly know what kind of
environments not to get into.
 LESSON 26: VALUES
"Since I want to be a leader, what are the
different skills I need to learn to be the
smartest person in the room?" asked the
novice, to which the leader said:
Leader need not be the smartest person in
the room. You should just be able to form a
team who believe in a cause and can work
with a common set of values.

Takeaway:
One of the most important skills of a leader is
the ability to form a group which is inspired
to more towards a common cause. This can
be achieved by creating a group which
believes in a common set of values.
 LESSON 27: INSPIRE
"How do I use my authority to make my
people follow my orders?", asked the
beginner to which the seasoned leader said:
Leaders make others follow them through
INSPIRATION and not through authority.

Takeaway:
Making someone follow you because you
have an authority over them, works in the
short term, but it is not a sustainable model.
If people are inspired from within, the
motivation can be sustained for a very long
period.
 LESSON 28: MANIPULATION
"I manipulated one of my members to get
the job done" said the youngster to which he
heard the leader say:
Manipulation works in the short term, but
costs trust.

Takeaway:
Manipulation in terms of making your team
compete with others or promising short term
monetary benefits works for the immediate
short term, but once your people know about
it, they will stop trusting you.
 LESSON 29: ACTIONABLE VALUES
"Why do you say it is important to put values
into words?" asked the pupil to which the
master leader said:
Words make values, beliefs, and desires
actionable. Instead of saying "Have Integrity",
try saying, "We believe in conducting our
activities in a transparent manner. We work
the same way when no one is watching us."

Takeaway:
When people can relate to how a value can
be put into action, it becomes easier to
understand it and to follow it. Clearly
articulate what actions does it take to live the
value that someone is expected to follow.
 LESSON 30: FOLLOWERS

"I want my people to follow me. Give me a

quick tip for that", asked the junior to which
the leader said:
People follow you not because they have to,
but because they want to.

Takeaway:
Think of someone who is your idol, whom
you follow ardently. Now, think about the
reasons why you started following this
person. Was it a forced decision or just that
you simply felt attracted to the qualities of
this person and therefore you wanted to
follow?
 LESSON 31: POPULARITY
"Why should someone follow you?" was the
next question the junior wanted to know, to
which the leader said:
People follow their leaders for themselves
more than any other reason. That is mainly
because of the cause and the vision they
believed in.

Takeaway:
A leader has a following not because he/she
is popular, but because there is something in
it for others to follow the leader. As a
visionary, the job of a leader must be to
articulate the end result clearly to have a
following.
 LESSON 32: FEAR
The intern asked, "Is it true that leaders
should not be afraid?" to which the leader
said:
Leaders are not the ones without fears. They
feel the fear and act anyway. That is called
courage.

Takeaway:
Courage is a very important quality of every
leader. As every other human, all leaders do
experience fear, but the difference is that
their ability to act in-spite-of the fear, mutes
the fear itself.
 LESSON 33: COURAGE
"What does courage mean to a team?",
asked the young guy to which the leader said:
Courage is the belief that someone has our
back, that someone is there to care for us.

Takeaway:
Having your back means that if you take
calculated risk and fail doing so, you are not
going to be judged wrongly. In fact, you will
be in an environment wherein, you can
voluntarily put up your hand and without any
fear say that you have done a mistake.
 LESSON 34: MOTIVATION
"I motivated my team today to complete
their tasks and it felt good", said the aspiring
leader, to which the leader said:
Motivation dies over time; did you try
inspiring your team?

Takeaway:
Extrinsic motivation is not a sustainable way
to keep moving towards your goals and
targets. Instead, as a leader, inspire your
team by teaching them values and by giving
them a just cause so that they come inspired
to work every day.
 LESSON 35: RETENTION
"How do you identify a team that is
inspired?", asked the aspiring leader, to
which the leader said:
Individuals in a team, who are ready to turn
down a lucrative offer just to continue
working for a bigger cause they believe in,
are the ones who are inspired.

Takeaway:
In one of the interviews, F1 driver Lewis
Hamilton who belongs to Mercedes Benz
mentioned that he would not join team
Ferrari even if they give him a very lucrative
offer because he sees a cause and a vision to
continue with team Mercedes Benz. This is
how Leaders inspire their people and retain
them.
 LESSON 36: CULTURE
"I recruited an individual who had few
amazing sets of skills", said the young guy, to
which the leader said:
Did you assess the individual's attitude? Did
you try to understand if the candidate's
attitude fits into your company's culture?

Takeaway:
An organization is nothing but a bunch of
people who believe in a common cause. One
of the most common mistakes organizations
do is to recruit people just based on skillset
and not evaluating their attitude and value-
set. Leaders understand and assess if a
person would fit into the culture before
offering the job.
 LESSON 37: ATTITUDE
"Why are you giving importance to attitude
over skills?" questioned the puzzled young
guy to which the leader said:
Wrong skill does not spoil a company's
culture, but a wrong attitude does.
Remember the importance of environment
you learnt on Day 22?

Takeaway:
The flipside of recruiting people who do not
fit into your culture is that not just will you
find their own motivation levels to be down,
but you there is also a risk of them spoiling
your organization’s culture.
 LESSON 38: COMPETITOR
"I did some competitor analysis today with
my team and there are two of them. Who is
your biggest competitor?" asked the young
guy to which the leader said:
I do not have competitors. I have worthy
rivals.

Takeaway:
It is important to run your own race and not
be distracted by the achievements or success
of others and get into competition. Leaders
look at successful people as their worthy
rivals whom they admire and keep raising
their own benchmark.
 LESSON 39: WORTHY RIVAL
"Who according to you is a worthy rival?"
asked the apprentice to which the leader
said:
Someone who makes you feel that all their
strengths are your weaknesses.

Takeaway:
Many believe that the game starts when you
compete. The truth is that once you start
competing with others, you lose the game.
This is because, you will spend time and
energy looking into the work of others and
therefore will not have time and energy to
improving yourself or your products.
 LESSON 40: STRESS
"Why is it that some of the team members
feel stressed while others do not?" asked the
budding leader to which the leader said:
When you work hard for something you do
not believe in, it is called stress. When you
work hard for something you do believe in
that is called Passion.

Takeaway:
Stress is caused when you are asked to work
on something which you do not value or one
which does not improve any aspect of your
life. When you work on something that you
are passionate about, work becomes
enjoyable and not stressful.
 LESSON 41: OPPORTUNITY
"It is amazing that 10 members work for me
in my team." said the youngster with
sparkling eyes, to which the leader quickly
replied:
You work for the 10 members in your team
and it is not the other way round.

Takeaway:
It is a misconception among people in
authority that your team works for you, but
the higher up the ladder you go, more the
opportunity you will have to serve others.
This is the mindset of every great leader.
 LESSON 42: TRUST
"How do I know if there is a trust deficit in
my team?" asked the young learner to which
the leader said:
If your people are spending time and energy
keeping a list of good things they have done,
it is an indication that there is deficit of trust.

Takeaway:
You do not ask your loved ones to keep track
of good things they did for you or you did for
them. A leader’s duty is to cultivate this
thinking so that people spend their time
creating great things and not keeping track of
the good things they did so that they can
save themselves if and when the time is bad.
 LESSON 43: PEOPLE FIRST
"As a CEO of an organization, the first priority
should be your customers. Isn't it?"
questioned the youngster to which the leader
said:
As a CEO of an organization, you are
supposed to take care of people under you,
who are supposed to take care of people
under them, who are supposed to take care
of the customers.
Happy employees ensure happy customer.
Takeaway:
Many CEOs proudly say that customers are
their topmost priority. The people who work
for you should be your topmost priority.
Build them and they will build your business.
 LESSON 44: BALANCE
"What according to you is work-life balance?
Is it about doing Yoga every day to keep
things in balance?" asked the young man to
which the leader said:
Do you feel as safe at work as much as you
feel being home is what is the real meaning
of work-life balance.

Takeaway:
As social animals, we crave for a safe
environment. When leaders create a safe
environment for their people to thrive,
people feel the balance in their life. It is not
necessarily the amount of time spent at
work, but the sense of safety that one can
feel while at work.
 LESSON 45: RESULTS
"I am stuck in this project and since I am
responsible for the results, I have come here
for help." said the youngster to which the
leader said:
You as a leader, are responsible for the
people who are responsible for the result.
Take care of them, and they will take care of
the results.
Takeaway:
If you as a leader are someone who is
constantly looking at numbers, graphs and
charts and wondering why it is not hitting the
intended goals, then it is time to start looking
at your people, their goals and their
aspirations. When this aspect of your people
is taken care-of, the other graphs will fall in
line as per your expectation.
 LESSON 46: SPARTANS
"What was more important to the Spartans?
The Shield or the Sword?"
asked the youngster to which the leader
replied:
The shield, because if you lose your shield,
you weaken the defence and you would no
longer be able to take care of the others
fighting with you.

Takeaway:
When a Spartan goes for war, he would be
wished that he takes care of the shield more
than the sword. Leaders always work towards
creating a shield of safety for their people,
where they can think and create amazing
stuff to make the world better.
 LESSON 47: ACKNOWLEDGE
"Why is it important to acknowledge the
efforts of others?" asked the youngster to
which the leader replied:
When you acknowledge the efforts of people
under you, they start doing the same for
people in their charge. This creates a healthy
and happy environment for people to thrive.

Takeaway:
It is a biological reaction that when you see
someone helping someone else, you get the
feeling of being of service. Same is the feeling
and effect when you openly acknowledge the
work of your people and appreciate the
effort.
 LESSON 48: SEROTONIN
"What is known as the leadership chemical?"
asked the aspiring leader to which the leader
replied:
Serotonin is known as the leadership
chemical. It is because of this that we form
bonds and societies. The feeling of "Proud"
happens because of this very chemical.

Takeaway:
We humans are called social beings for a
reason. Do not misunderstand it for “social
media” beings! We need certain good
chemical shots in our body to keep us going
with health and happiness.
 LESSON 49: LEADERSHIP CHEMICAL
"What is so special about this leadership
chemical -Serotonin?" asked the aspiring
leader to which the leader replied:
When you feel proud your body secrets this
chemical and the best part is, when your
tribe and your leader watches you being
proud, they too get a shot of this chemical.
This keeps you and the tribe happy &
healthy.
Takeaway:
Serotonin, unlike Cortisol is a healthy
chemical that you need if you want to age
less and live a healthier life. This should be a
great incentive for aspiring leaders to help
their people achieve their goals. Simply put,
you become happy and healthy if your
people hit their goals and targets.
 LESSON 50: HAPPINESS
"So, the leaders are actually responsible for
keeping the team and their tribe happy?"
asked the aspiring leader to which the leader
replied:
When parents return back home happy and
fulfilled, it literally rubs-off onto their family.
The issue is not long working hours, but the
issue is the stress which can again rub off
onto your family. So as a leader you are
directly & indirectly responsible for the
health of your employee and their family.

Takeaway:
As a leader, your work should be to create
happy and fulfilled employees. Happiness,
like panic, rubs off easily and spreads virally.
 LESSON 51: PERKS
"I was rewarded with perks for my
performance as a leader", said the proud
youngster for which he heard the leader say:
The perks you received is for the position you
hold with the expectation that you will do the
necessary sacrifice when needed, to keep
your people safe.

Takeaway:
As a leader, you are entitled to enjoy the
perks that comes along not because you have
authority over your people, but because you
have a responsibility over them.
 LESSON 52: PROFITS
"I could add few additional resources into my
team and increase the profits this quarter",
glared the youngster for which the leader
said:
Use money as a commodity to improve your
workforce and they will in-turn help you
make profits. Trying to use people as a
commodity to make money does not work.

Takeaway:
It is a common thinking that by adding more
people into the team, the profits will
automatically increase. On the contrary,
leaders who invest money in the growth of
their people see a growth in their business.
 LESSON 53: LISTENER
"If there is nothing to do on a day, what is the
one activity you would do?" questioned the
youngster to which he heard the leader say:
I would go meet my people, ask them how
you are doing, wait for them to respond and
listen. Most of the times you as a leader think
you are there to talk, but you are actually
there to listen.

Takeaway:
If you want to lead people, you need know
what they want. If you want to know what
they want, you should be listening more and
talking less. A major misconception among
people is that if you are in a leadership
position, you need to be talking more, but
that is not true.
 LESSON 54: SKILLSET
"I took a session for my team about an
important skillset and made sure I constantly
follow-up to see if they are utilizing it" said
the youngster, to which he heard the leader
say:
Responsibility of leaders is to teach their
people the rules, train them to gain
competencies and build their confidence.
Then, step back and trust their people that
they will carry it out well.

Takeaway:
The best way to be a leader is by trusting
your people and conducting in a way that
they also start trusting you. You cannot
doubt your own people and claim that you
are leading them.
 LESSON 55: BI-DIRECTIONAL TRUST
"Is it not enough if I trust my team?" asked
the youngster, to which the leader said:
The true social benefit of trust must be
reciprocal. One-way trust is not beneficial for
the group or the individual. Do you consider
it a good married if only the husband trusts
the wife and the wife does not?

Takeaway:
Trust is a bi-directional game. And more
importantly, trust must be wholehearted and
not partial. With trust you can build great
relationship and that is the essence of
forming great teams.
 LESSON 56: PROCESS
"What activities should I do so that my team
start trusting me?" asked the confused
youngster, to which the leader said:
It takes time to form trust. It is formed when
you showcase small and little acts of
kindness, compassion, and empathy, over
and over and over towards your people.

Takeaway:
Forming trust, having deep meaningful
relationship, and having fulfilment at a job
are long processes that takes time. It is not
for those who believe in instant gratification.
 LESSON 57: COMPASSION
"Tell me one act which you do over and over
that helped you gain the trust of your
people", questioned the young guy to which
the leader said:
When someone from my team calls me up
and says, "I am unwell today", I ask them
"How are you? What happened? Do you need
any help?" instead of only asking, "did you
apply for leave?"

Takeaway:
Leaders showcase compassion and empathy
towards their people just like how parents
showcase care towards their children. This is
the first step towards becoming a leader.
 LESSON 58: ONE UNIT
"There are couple of very smart members in
my team" said the proud youngster, to which
the leader said:
It is not how smart the people in the
organization are, but how well they work
together that is the true indicator of future
success or the ability to manage through
struggle.

Takeaway:
Leaders create teams that can work as a
single cohesive unit that can achieve its
targets. Skillset is not the only yardstick to
assess performance. The ability to pull
through tough times is the true indicator of a
great team and a great leader.
 LESSON 59: RULES
"Isn't it difficult to be always right?"
questioned the youngster, to which the
leader said:
Leadership is about honesty, integrity,
accountability. It is not about always being
right.

Takeaway:
It is very important for a leader to follow the
rules and be right all the time. There are
times that even though the leader knows that
the action is not as per the rules, they still do
it considering the fact that the values they
believe in are still intact.
 LESSON 60: INTEGRITY
"Help me understand the real meaning of
integrity", requested the aspiring leader, to
which he heard the leader say:
Integrity is about being honest not just when
we agree with each other, but also when we
disagree.

Takeaway:
Take a situation where a new policy which
can increase the profits of an organization by
10%, but you disagree to this policy just
because it can cause challenges for your
employees. Leadership is not just about
saying Yes, it is also about saying No.
 LESSON 61: DANGERS
"What dangers would you deal with first?
Internal ones or the external?" questioned
the youngster, to which the leader said:
When you take care of the dangers within the
organization and create a circle of safety for
your people, you will have a team to take of
the threats from outside.

Takeaway:
Dealing with dangers within an organization
are much easier and better than dealing with
those that are outside. The dangers outside
can be innumerable and ever evolving.
Leaders create teams that can confront
external dangers and threats as a unit.
 LESSON 62: SACRIFICE
"Why do people in army sacrifice their life for
other person?" asked the aspiring leader to
which the leader said:
This is because, if you ask the person "Why
would you do that?", they would say,
"Because others would have done the same
for me."

Takeaway:
Leaders work towards creating an
environment where team members are ready
to mutually sacrifice their short-term plans
for the long-term gain of the whole
organization. Similarly, organizations should
be ready to give up on short-term gains for
the long-term betterment of its people.
 LESSON 63: QUALITY TIME
"What is your definition of spending quality
time with your people?", questioned the
youngster to which the leader said:
Spending time and energy with your people is
the true definition of quality time. Imagine
how it would be if I spend time with you, but
be focused on my mobile all the while.
The "quality" to the time is because of the
focus and the energy.
Takeaway:
The amount of time spent does not really
matter if there is no quality factor to it. You
can spend a long time and make someone
feel miserable, whereas you have the choice
to spend a little time and make the moment
wonderful.
 LESSON 64: GOALS
"I defined the goals for my organization for
the upcoming year. Did you do the same for
yours?", asked the youngster to which the
leader said:
The goals of my people automatically
become my organizational goals. Make the
goals inclusive so that the organization and
its people grow together.

Takeaway:
Organizations led by great leaders keep the
goals and aspirations of their people and not
just the customers while devising
organization level goals.
 LESSON 65: INDEPENDENT
"I must be a good leader, because whatever I
ask my people to do, they do it!", exclaimed
the aspiring leader to which he heard the
leader say:
Do not confuse between authority and
leadership. Your people might be taking
orders from you, but their willingness to
follow you is what makes you a good leader.

Takeaway:
Leaders help their people think and act for
themselves. Being authoritative does create
results in the short term but kills creativity
and productivity during the long run. People
follow you as a leader for enabling them to
be independent and not because of the
commanding them.
 LESSON 66: CONSISTENCY
"I want to be a very intense leader. Can you
give me some tips?", questioned the
youngster, to which the leader said:
You cannot get into shape by intensely
working out once a week at the gym.
Leadership is the same. It is about
consistency.

Takeaway:
You cannot choose to be a parent on
Mondays and Tuesdays and choose not to be
so on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Being
consistent has a long-term compounding
effect than just being intense now.
 LESSON 67: START WITH WHY
"What is the one thing I should do before
starting any initiative?", asked the youngster,
to which the leader said:
Start with WHY. Ask yourself why you would
do what you are planning to do, and the
answer cannot be just money.

Takeaway:
The stronger the WHY the longer you are
going to last in the game. Leaders do not
have a selfish motive behind their WHY. They
do it with the attitude of service.
 LESSON 68: PURPOSE
"What according to you contributes to the
WHY?", exclaimed the youngster to which
the leader said:
The WHY is your values, principles and
purpose that resulted in a passion which gave
you a mission to embark on that makes it
important to know.

Takeaway:
Leaders build everything on top of their
values and principles. When you take actions
based on your values and principles, there
will be alignment in what comes out of it.
This creates an authenticity that other will
greatly appreciate of.
 LESSON 69: PROCESS
"I got promoted to the next position where
I'll be handling a big team. Shouldn't that
automatically make me a leader?", exclaimed
the youngster to which the leader pointed
out:
True Leadership cannot be awarded,
appointed, or assigned. It needs to be
earned.

Takeaway:
One of the main reasons that Leadership is
arduous is for the fact that every bit of it
needs to be earned and it cannot be
outsourced.
You cannot outsource going to gym because
you wanted a great body. You need to go
through the process and earn it for yourself.
 LESSON 70: ENTREPRENEUR
"Is becoming an Entrepreneur the fastest way
to becoming a leader?", questioned the
youngster to which the leader said with a
sparkle in his eyes:
Entrepreneurship does not make you a
leader. If the entrepreneur's goal is to cash-in
on an idea and make money, that does not
make him/her a leader.

Takeaway:
Leadership is about working for a cause,
helping your people see the vision, and help
them achieve their goals in the process.
 LESSON 71: FORSEE DANGER
The captain who steers a ship must be a
leader, isn't it?", questioned the youngster, to
which the leader calmly said:
It is not just the ability to steer the ship, but
also to chart the course, foresee risks, then
steer your crew to safety that makes one a
leader.

Takeaway:
Leaders are visionaries. Being a visionary is
about looking beyond the short term,
assessing potential threats, risks and still be
able to achieve your goals and targets.
 LESSON 72: BENIFITS
"In-spite-of asking my team members to co-
operate, they did not. Why is it so?", asked
the young guy to which the leader said:
Co-operation, like trust happens when you
have good relationship with the other person.
As a leader, your work is to create a condition
that fosters deep and meaningful
relationships.

Takeaway:
If people do not see a benefit for themselves
in doing a task, they would not co-operate
with others to do the activity. This is why
leaders keep talking about the vision and
how each and every one can get benefited by
it.
 LESSON 73: SUCCESS
"What is your definition of success?", asked
the young guy to which the leader said:
Before you are a leader, success is all about
growing yourself. When you become a
leader, success is all about growing others.

Takeaway:
Becoming a leader involves self-growth
before helping others. How well one can help
others grow and, in the process, grow oneself
determines the success of a leader.
 LESSON 74: MYTH
"What is the biggest myth of leadership?",
questioned the youngster to which the leader
said:
When you hear someone say that "Leaders
are born and it is in their genetics", that is the
biggest myth. Leaders are made rather than
born.

Takeaway:
Leaders are humans who are skilled at
knowing and handling people. They have
developed values and principles and live
them in their day-to-day life. Leadership can
be learnt and can be practiced.
 LESSON 75: SAY NO
"What is the one thing you learnt that is very
difficult to do as a leader?", questioned the
young man, to which he heard the leader say:
The art of leadership is saying no, not saying
yes. It is very easy to say yes.

Takeaway:
The reason why leadership is hard is because
at times, it is not easy to say NO. But leaders
do so if the decision is not aligned with their
mission and vision. Saying no also gives you
time and energy to focus on things that really
matter.
 LESSON 76: PROBLEM SOLVING
"What is the role of a leader in solving
problems", questioned the young man, to
which the leader said:
The role of a leader is to show the direction
and not necessarily the path. It is up to the
team to figure out the best path to reach the
destination.

Takeaway:
The work of a leader is to enhance the skillset
of his people. When you give away all the
solution, your people will start relying heavily
on the leader and stop innovating. Just point
them towards the direction and look at them
work their way towards the goal.
 LESSON 77: IDOLIZE

"Why do you idolize some and call them

great leaders?", questioned the youngster, to
which the leader said:
That is because my leaders inspired me to
dream more, learn more, do more and be
more.

Takeaway:
Inspiring others is the best way for a leader
and for his people as the presence of the
leader is no longer needed to keep the unit
moving forward and this also helps the unit
achieve their own targets.
 LESSON 78: ALIGNMENT
"Can you explain some of the qualities of
great leaders?", queried the youngster, to
which the leader said:
The quality that great leaders display is that
their thoughts, words, and actions perfectly
align with one another.

Takeaway:
When the thoughts are clear, you can put
them into words and if the communication is
clear it can be put to action. Great leaders
always have all these three things aligned.
 LESSON 79: CHARACTER
"If asked to choose between strategy and
character, which one would a leader
choose?", queried the youngster, to which
the leader said:
A leader would choose character because,
with strong character you will have the ability
to create strong strategies.

Takeaway:
A strong character is built upon great values
and principles. When the character is strong
a leader will have the ability to keep moving
forward in-spite-of the challenges and create
contextually correct strategies.
 LESSON 80: EMERGENCY
"What is that one ability that is common to
all leaders?", questioned the youngster, to
which the leader said:
One of the greatest abilities of a leader is to
recognize a problem before it becomes an
emergency.

Takeaway:
To lead is to move ahead of others to take
the danger head-on. It also means to think
ahead of others and to see things that others
do not. For example, Leaders know what can
get them out of business and therefore
constantly work towards improving required
areas.
 LESSON 81: POPULARITY
"What is the one thing that leadership is NOT
about?", was the youngster's question, to
which the leader said:
The one thing leadership is not about is being
popular.

Takeaway:
The courage to say NO to lots of things can
make a leader unpopular. But leaders know
that it is for the greater good and to reach
the goals they must take tough decisions.
Ultimately, you or your organization is the
sum total of all the decisions that were taken
in the past.
 LESSON 82: HUMILITY
"What were the top 3 things you developed
to become the leader that you are?", asked
the curious youngster, to which the leader
said:
They were humility, clarity and courage.

Takeaway:
Humility during success, clarity during
confusion and courage to face dangers
defines a leader. This is exactly why
leadership is not as easy as it seems.
 LESSON 83: ACTION
"I am fine tuning the plan to get it to a
perfect shape before I ask my team to start
executing it. Any suggestions?", exclaimed
the youngster, to which the leader said:
A good plan executed immediately is better
than a perfect one executed next week.

Takeaway:
For a leader, the best time to act is NOW. An
imperfect action has much higher value than
waiting for the right moment. The more you
value your time, the less you are going to
think about being perfect.
 LESSON 84: BLAME
"What is the relationship between a leader,
blame and taking credit?", questioned the
youngster, to which the leader said:
A good leader is a person who takes a little
more than his share of the blame and a little
less than his share of the credit.

Takeaway:
Responsibility is an important trait of every
great leader. Leaders take major
responsibility to the results if it did not go
according to plan and give major credit to
their people if it went according to plan.
 LESSON 85: LEARNER
"I train my people periodically about
performing better every single day. Teaching
them should be my primary task, isn't it?",
questioned the youngster, to which the
leader said:
It is not just about teaching your people, it is
also about learning from them that can
elevate you as a great leader.

Takeaway:
Many think that being in senior position
means to only teach and discipline others.
Leaders know that there is something to
learn from everyone.
 LESSON 86: GOLDEN CIRCLE
"You spoke about the importance of WHY,
HOW and WHAT for a leader before taking
huge steps. Can you explain that?",
questioned the youngster, to which the
leader said:
It is the clarity of WHY, discipline of HOW and
the consistency of WHAT that makes a leader
and the company great.

Takeaway:
This is from the golden circle as explained by
Simon Sinek in his book “Start with WHY”
 LESSON 87: CREATE ENVIRONMENT
"It's difficult to take care of others before
taking care of yourself. That being the case,
why should I invest time and energy to serve
others first?", questioned the aspiring leader,
to which the leader said:
The idea is to create and nurture a
community of individuals who care about
each other and not just themselves. That is
why it is important for a leader to invest time
and energy serving others to build the
culture.
Takeaway:
Leaders spend their time and energy creating
environments where people can thrive.
 LESSON 88: MORE LEADERS
"You always talk about the ability of a leader
to inspire others. How should the leader be
self-motivated?", asked the youngster, to
which the leader said:
The desire to inspire others & help them be a
better version of themselves itself should be
the motivation for a leader to be inspired.

Takeaway:
Ultimate goal of every leader is to create
more leaders and that in itself is the
motivator to do what a leader does.
 LESSON 89: JOB CUTS
"There are possibilities of job cuts this
quarter to meet the numbers. What would
be your advice?", questioned the youngster,
to which the leader said:
Are you looking for short term gain or long-
term success? Your decision as a leader
should be one of a visionary, who looks far
into the future and not just at the present.

Takeaway:
More the job cuts to book short-term profits,
more the churn in the organization in the
long-term. Leaders put people ahead of
numbers always.
 LESSON 90: DEPENDENCY
"What should be the one goal of every
leader?", questioned the youngster to which
the leader said:
The one goal of every leader should be to
develop his/her team in such a way that the
presence of the leader to run the show is no
longer needed.

Takeaway:
If a leader can create more leaders, the
presence of the leader is no longer needed.
Just the cause is good enough to advance the
vision.
 LESSON 91: RISK
"If the leader makes the team independent,
then isn't the leader risking his/her
position?", was the next question he
youngster had, to which the leader said:
Only if you can risk your current position, can
you move on to the next!

Takeaway:
Leaders do not think themselves as
irreplaceable. They keep evolving, developing
and take up new challenges. They understand
that the reward is proportional to the risks
they take.
 LESSON 92: LEADER TO ALL
"Is it possible for someone to be a leader to
all?", questioned the youngster, to which the
leader said:
You as a leader, attract your tribe based on
your values and principles. You cannot expect
everyone to have the same set of values or
principles, therefore you cannot be a leader
to all.

Takeaway:
The tribe you attract as a leader is based on
the values and principles that you showcase.
It goes by the old saying, “Birds with same
feather, flock together.”
 LESSON 93: BE LIKED
"Is it important to be liked to be a leader?",
questioned the youngster, for which the
leader said:
People like you for who you are and follow
you for what is in it for them. Some may not
like you but surely would want to be led by
you.

Takeaway:
You may not be liked for who you are but
people would want to follow you for the
work, discipline and integrity you showcase.
 LESSON 94: YOUR CHOICE
"How do I make all my people into great
leaders?", questioned the apprentice to
which the leader said:
Everyone wants to be fit, but only few choose
to be. Just like that, leadership is a choice
that one should make, and it cannot be
forced.

Takeaway:
Leadership like parenting, is a choice. Anyone
who wishes to be can be a parent but not
everyone chooses to be one.
 LESSON 95: LIMITED RESOURCES
"How can I impact the lives of many when my
time and energy are limited?", questioned
the youngster, to which the leader said:
By creating more leaders who understand the
importance of values and principles through
which they can impact the lives of many
others in a positive way.

Takeaway:
The goal of every leader is to positively
impact the lives of many others. Since the
time and energy is limited, leaders create
more leaders through which they create
impact in the world.
 LESSON 96: LEGACY
"What is your definition of being a successful
leader? What is your goal of being a leader?",
questioned the curious youngster to which
the leader said:
If my teachings & my legacy can positively
impact not just the current generation, but
millions of them in the future as well, I would
consider myself a successful leader.

Takeaway:
Leaders being the visionary they are always
look towards leaving their legacy in the
world.
 LESSON 97: QUIT
"Did you ever want to quit on your leadership
journey. If no, then why did you not?",
questioned the youngster, to which the
leader said:
I do sometimes feel like quitting because
leadership is an arduous journey and gets
lonely at times. The reason I did not is
because, my vision is bigger than my pain.

Takeaway:
Even when you are pursuing your passion,
you need to do things that you do not want
to but keep working because of the larger
vision that you see.
 LESSON 98: INTROVERT
"Can you mention one biggest myth of
leadership that you learnt about?",
questioned the eager youngster, to which the
leader said:
I believed that all leaders are extroverts, but
that is the biggest myth that I learnt about.

Takeaway:
Since leadership is about responsibility, the
question is can introverts be responsible?
And the answer is of course, anyone who
chooses to be, can be.
LESSON 99: GREAT POWERS

"Do you have a quote from any of the movies

you watched that resonates with
leadership?", questioned the aspiring leader
to which the leader said:
The one from Spider-Man that says, "With
great power, comes great responsibility."

Takeaway:
Many think that with great power comes
great perks, but along with the perks comes
great responsibility to take care of the people
in your charge.
LESSON 100: PRACTICE

"After learning 100 amazing LESSONs of

leadership, I am sure I am a great leader now,
isn't it"?", exclaimed the aspiring leader, to
which the leader said:
Learning about leadership may be a 100-day
effort, but implementing it takes a LIFETIME!
Practice them every single day and one day
you will sure be recognized as a great leader.

Takeaway:
There is a reason why we say doctors practice
their art. Similarly, leadership is about the
everyday practice that you put-in to keep
improving yourself.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, I would like to pay my Gratitude towards God who
provided me this vision to work on my passion.

I would like to thank Bhamathi.V.S, my mother, and Sundararaman.M.R, my

father, for providing the best of life despite going through challenges. I will
forever be indebted to what you have done.

I would like to thank Niveditha Raj, my wife, supporter, and critique for
pushing me to get better every day and acknowledging it!

I would like to thank all those who made me the person I am today which
includes my friends, family, and colleagues.

I thank all my mentors: Guru Dev Gadhvi, Som Dutta Sarkar, Sugeeta Madan,
Anju Choudhary, Amol Salunkhe, and others for making me believe in myself.

Big thanks to Simon Sinek for creating a movement in how to be a leader and
for the optimist that he is. If not for his work, you would not be looking into
this book.

Greatness is only possible if you believe, without any doubt, that the future is
bright. – Simon Sinek
 LET’S STAY CONNECTED
Thank you so much for picking this book up and for continuing till here.
I would love to stay in touch with you!

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