IgnitedNeurons

Our Mission is to inspire & ignite your spark & be part of your journey as you discover your true self.

We are an organization driven by a sense of purpose and a clear focus on delivering impact with every life we touch. The three values are a part of our DNA and are expressed in our every interaction, every action.
> Excellence श्रेष्‍ठता - the quality of being very good
> Empathy समानुभूति - the ability to imagine how another person is feeling
> Equality समानता - everyone has the same rights and advantages

We truly believe that each one of us has greatness within us. Our objective is to be with you on that journey to discover who you are and who you can be.

We provide the following services - 
1. Executive and Leadership Coaching
2. First Time Manager Coaching Journeys
3. Happiness Coaching
4. Sessions on Well-being, Finding Purpose
5. Co-create Journeys to Help Each One be their Best Self

Founder

The IgnitedNeurons Podcast

I am the host of The IgnitedNeurons podcast that aims at humanising leadership by building conversations with guests and amplifying their stories globally!

Podcast Host

Can We Talk

Learning and Development Manager

BetterUp

BetterUp partners with global enterprise customers to bring transformation experiences to their people and measurable growth to their organizations. At BetterUp, I coach executives from Fortune 500 companies across the globe to help them navigate workplace challenges and achieve professional goals for career success. The BetterUp experience brings together world-class coaching, AI technology, and behavioral science experts to deliver change at scale - improving individual resilience, adaptability, and effectiveness.

Fellow Coach

Associate Coach

Torch

Torch is an integrated platform for Learning and Development leaders to deliver, manage, and measure employee growth at scale. In this role, I will be an Executive Coach to the clients that Torch onboards onto their platform.

Executive Coach

Mentora

In this role, I am heading the India Office for the organization & working closely with clients in the Asia-Pacific region. I enjoy the challenge of keeping pace with the changing external conditions while staying authentic to who I am as an individual and we are as a team.

Director Of Operations & Client Development

Director Of Marketing

Director Of Photography

Production Manager

Narang Healthcare and Wellness

Director & Founder

Executive Coach | Your Copilot to a Fulfilling Life and Career Growth | Powered by the Ignite Life Method™ | Coached 1,200+ Leaders at Dropbox, Salesforce, Coinbase | Take the Quiz to See What Needs to Shift — Now

Do you feel that you are stuck in your career,
life overwhelmed with busyness, 
and you are disconnected from yourself... 
then we need to talk.

Most high achievers I coach aren’t broken — they’re just disconnected.

🚨 Disconnected from their purpose.
🚨 Disconnected from the work they once loved.
🚨 Disconnected from the life they truly want to live.

It shows up as: STUCK, FRUSTRATION, LOST.

❌ Career stagnation
❌ Constant firefighting
❌ Burnout masked as busyness
❌ Imposter syndrome despite success

I help ambitious professionals — founders, product leaders, and emerging executives — reignite clarity, rebuild courage, and create conscious impact using The Ignite Method™.

You don’t have to choose between growth and fulfilment. You can have both.

🔥 The Ignite Method™

1. Clarity Journey — Rediscover who you are and what truly matters.
2. Courage Building — Move through fear and start acting boldly.
3. Conscious Impact — Create a career and life that actually feels like success.
4. Cohesive Action — Align what you think, feel, and do every single day.

🎯 What My Clients Gain

✅ Unshakable clarity on what’s next
✅ Courage to make big, aligned decisions
✅ Confidence to lead teams or businesses with purpose
✅ Energy and ownership to thrive at work and at home

📍 A Bit About Me

- PCC Certified Coach (ICF)
- 1,200+ leaders coached in 18+ countries
- Clients from Google, Coinbase, Dropbox, Salesforce, Intel, EA Sports, Rubrik, Visa, Zynga and more
- TEDx Speaker: Can Fear Push Us to be Courageous? Google it!
- Founder, IgnitedNeurons — a platform helping build a culture of high performance, growth mindset and based in values!
- Building the IgnitedNeurons Podcast to extract lessons you and I can apply in everyday life

💼 If You’re Leading a Team or Organisation:
I also partner with founders, HR heads, and L&D leaders to design bold cultures, build values-driven teams, and humanise leadership.

📩 Ready to Take the First Step?
Take the free 5-minute Ignite Life Quiz to discover what’s holding you back.

Let’s ignite your next chapter.

Utkarsh Narang

Stuck isn’t a place. 
It’s a mindset.

At the start of 2025, I thought clarity would just show up.

Spoiler: it didn’t.

What worked instead? 
Courage. 
Curiosity. 
Imperfect action.

Now as the year closes, ask yourself: Am I where I want to be?

If not, don’t wait for January 1. Change begins the moment you choose.

Here are 25 ways to get unstuck before 2026 begins:
1.	Reconnect with your values.
2.	Follow curiosity.
3.	Reach out to old peers and mentors.
4.	Test-drive skills through side projects or volunteering.
5.	Build something of your own.
6.	Learn: courses, books, workshops.
7.	Shadow someone in a role you admire.
8.	Refresh LinkedIn and your CV.
9.	Explore a new industry.
10.	Start small, aim consistent.
11.	Join inspiring communities.
12.	Reflect: what’s working, what’s not?
13.	Protect your energy.
14.	Ask for feedback.
15.	Attend events,online or offline.
16.	Embrace imperfection.
17.	Find a mentor or coach.
18.	Tap into online resources.
19.	Research company cultures.
20. Sharpen soft skills.
21.	Track and celebrate wins.
22. Stay open to surprise paths.
23. Try coaching for clarity.
24. Take the risk you’ve avoided.
25. Keep going.

Progress is rarely perfect but it is possible.
And sometimes, one small step is all it takes to open the next big door.

💬 What’s one step you’ll take before the year ends?

♻️ Share this with someone who feels stuck right now.

👋🏼 I’m Utkarsh Narang, Executive Coach and lifelong learner. I share ideas on leadership, growth, and living courageously. Follow along for more.

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Talks about #personalgrowth, #bebettereveryday, #leadershiplessons, #utkarshbrainspark, and #leadershipcoaching

Executive Coach Helping Ambitious Professionals Breakthrough Stuck Careers & Inner Frustration | Ignite Life Method™ | Coached 1,200+ Leaders at Dropbox, Salesforce, Coinbase | Take the Quiz to Reignite Yourself

Your past doesn’t define you.

Your next choice does.

We spend so much of our lives replaying old memories: 
the job we left, 
the words we wish we hadn’t said, 
the version of ourselves we can’t seem to forgive.

Yes, your past shaped you.
Yes, it taught you lessons.

But it doesn’t decide who you become now.

The future? It’s a man-made illusion.

Will you or I even be here for it? No one knows.
And that’s the whole point. The only thing that truly exists is this moment, and the choice you make in it.

Viktor Frankl once said:

“Between stimulus and response, there is a space.
In that space is our power to choose our response.
In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

That space is where life changes.
It’s where courage replaces fear.
It’s where awareness turns into action.

Every time you choose with awareness, you rewrite your story.
You move from reacting to responding.
From surviving to living consciously.

If you’re at that point where you’re ready to choose differently, to build a life rooted in clarity, courage, and conscious impact, that’s exactly what we do through the Ignite Life Method.

Because your next choice can change everything.

💬 What’s one choice you’re ready to make, consciously, today?

Are you winning in life? I am. 
And yes, I don’t have the CXO title or a billion dollars in my bank.

If you want to win in life, 
you need to know what it actually means to win.

Here are 4 hard truths most people learn the hard way 👇

I promise that if you can put these into practice, 
You will get closer to winning life, and very few are lucky enough to achieve this.

1️⃣ You won’t be liked by everyone.
The moment you start choosing yourself, someone will call you selfish.
Let them.
You’re not here to be universally liked. You’re here to live truthfully.

2️⃣ Not everyone deserves access to you.
Your time, energy, and attention are currency.
Spend them on people who expand you, not those who drain you.

3️⃣ Growth means leaving people behind.
You’ll outgrow circles, habits, and even versions of yourself.
It’s not betrayal. It’s evolution.

4️⃣ No one is coming to save you.
Not your manager. Not your partner. Not luck.
The day you stop waiting for rescue is the day you start leading your own life.

Winning isn’t about having it all.
It’s about having the courage to let go 
of validation, approval, and old identities 
so you can finally become who you’re meant to be.

💬 Which one of these truths hit you hardest today?

If this resonates:
♻️ Repost it to help someone who needs this today!
➕ Follow Utkarsh Narang for more.

“Utkarsh, I just don’t think I’m doing enough.” If I were paid a $ for every time I heard this, I would be a billionaire.

We’re all terrible at seeing our own gifts.

We focus on our flaws.
We dismiss our strengths as “just normal.”
We compare our struggles to everyone else’s highlight reels.

A few months ago, one of my coachees, a senior marketing leader, came to me and said:

“Utkarsh, I just don’t think I’m doing enough.”

She had built a high-performing team, led major launches, and earned deep respect across her organisation.

But all she could see were the gaps, what she hadn’t done, what she could’ve done better.

Through our coaching, we worked on rewriting her lens.
Every session, I asked her one simple question:

“If your best friend achieved what you did, how would you describe them?”

Slowly, something shifted.
The tone changed. The self-talk softened.
She began to see what had always been there. 
Her own brilliance.

Three months later, she didn’t just show up differently at work.
She showed up differently for herself.

Most people don’t need motivation.
They need a mirror, someone who helps them see what they’ve stopped recognising.

That’s what I do through The Ignite Life Method and help people move from self-doubt to self-trust, from noise to clarity.

If you’re constantly questioning your worth despite everything you’ve built,
DM me IGNITE, and let’s help you see yourself clearly again.

💬 When was the last time you gave yourself credit for how far you’ve come?

If this resonated with you, 
♻️ Repost it help someone who needs this today.
➕ Follow Utkarsh Narang for more such insights!

Over the last 40 years, I have grown.
And that growth has come at a cost.

That's what makes growth so scary.
So painful.
So hard.

I have lost relationships, careers, opportunities, and more.

In pursuit of growth that aligns with who I am.

The new you will cost you the old one.
This is how I pay the price.

No one talks about what you’ll have to let go of to grow.
The habits that kept you safe.
The people who preferred your smaller version.
The identity that gave you comfort.
The validation that made you feel seen.

Growth isn’t about adding more.
It’s about shedding everything that no longer fits.
And in that shedding, you’ll lose applause. You’ll lose belonging. You’ll even lose yourself for a while.

But then…
One day, you’ll wake up lighter. Clearer.
And you’ll realise, you didn’t lose anything.
You just outgrew what was never meant to come along.

So if it feels lonely right now, that’s okay.
You’re not breaking down.
You’re breaking through.

🧠 Question for you:
What part of your “old self” are you finally ready to outgrow this season?

When I had 4,000 people in my LinkedIn community, I dreamed of 10,000. At 10,000, I started imagining 20. Now, at 23,000… 

I’ve realised the number was never the point.

There’s a past version of me, sitting behind a clinic desk, or staring at a blank screen, or doubting if my words mattered, who would be amazed to see what I get to do today.

Not because it’s perfect.
But because I kept showing up even when no one was watching.

I kept writing when the likes were low.
I kept coaching when clients were few.
I kept believing that impact begins long before attention arrives.

And that’s what I remind my coachees, too.
The goal isn’t to only scratch the surface,
it’s to go deeper.
To become someone your past self would be proud of.

If you looked back right now,
you’d probably see the same thing,
a younger you who’s stunned you made it this far.

Don’t rush past that version.
Honour them.
Because they’re the reason you’re here.

And you’re not done yet.
Not by a long shot.

💬 What would your past self thank you for today?

If this resonated with you:
♻️ Repost it to help someone who needs it.
➕ Follow Utkarsh Narang for more such insights!

LinkedIn

Most professionals give everything to a job that would replace them in a week.

I am not against that. Hear me out.

82% of professionals say they live with the constant fear of being laid off.

If you are lucky enough to find the sweet spot between your passion, profession, 
And a culture that values it…
Don’t let go.

But if you are someone who 
‼️Dreads Monday morning
‼️Feels that the weeks are long and the weekend is a myth
‼️Does not know what they ‘really’ do at work

Then you must pause. 
Pause and ask yourself…

Who are you?

We’ve tied our identity to our job title.
Our self-worth to our performance review.
Our security to a company that can change its mind overnight.

This is why it hurts so much when people lose jobs,
because they don’t just lose income,
they lose who they thought they were.

Work is important.
But it’s not your oxygen.

You existed before your job.

You’ll exist after it.

If you’re reading this and feeling the weight, 
start investing in yourself, not just your company.

Learn. Reflect. Build something that no layoff can touch,
your clarity, courage, and capability.

Because if you don’t define who you are beyond work,
someone else will.

➕ Follow Utkarsh Narang for more content that hits hard.

Last weekend, I had the joy of coaching my 11-year-old son’s basketball game. Before tip-off, I told the boys something simple…

 👉 “That’s the basket you’re scoring in.”
They laughed, of course, they knew that.
But in the second half, something happened.

In all the excitement, one of our players sprinted across the court, dodged defenders beautifully, and scored in the wrong basket.

The crowd gasped. 
The kid froze.
He’d done everything right… except one thing.
He’d lost sight of direction.

And that’s when it hit me - we adults do this all the time.
We sprint through life,
chasing goals we didn’t choose,
burning energy in the wrong direction.

Imagine Cristiano Ronaldo celebrating after scoring in his own net.

Or Serena Williams smashing the perfect ace on the wrong side of the court.

Ridiculous, right?
Yet, that’s what so many of us do every day
moving fast, 
going nowhere.

Speed feels good. 
Progress looks good.
But if you’re not clear on where you’re headed,
you’ll end up exhausted, not evolved.

So here’s my reminder:
If you’re moving fast but going nowhere, slow down.
Because in the long game of life,
direction will always matter more than speed.

If this resonates with you,
♻️ Repost it to help someone who might need this today.
➕ Follow Utkarsh Narang for more such daily posts!

___

On Dec 12, I’m hosting a 90-minute masterclass “Unapologetically You.” It’s for anyone ready to stop living the default version of themselves and start leading, creating, and living with their signature.

Save your spot – link is in the comments.

We live in a world where everyone is talking…
but almost no one is telling the truth.

We message, reply, react, “circle back,” drop emojis, soften edges, and avoid anything that might create discomfort.

We communicate constantly.

But honest conversations?

Rare. Painfully rare.

We need to bring truth back.

Truth with empathy.
Truth with courage.
Truth that builds, not breaks.

Because when people start saying the real thing… cultures transform. Teams breathe again. Leaders become human. And individuals feel free.

This week, try asking yourself:
✨ What honest conversation have I been avoiding?
✨ What truth (with kindness) could change everything?
✨ What reality am I finally ready to acknowledge?

Honesty isn’t the risk. Avoidance is.

Follow Utkarsh Narang and subscribe to the newsletter!

Welcome to another beautiful week. When an idea sparks that I think is worth sharing, it becomes this weekly newsletter. If something hits home, write

A world full of communication but starved of conversations

'A-Players' are not born. They are made. 
The world needs more A Players.

Here’s what the research says 👇🏽

Harvard and McKinsey found that the top 20% of people create nearly 80% of results.

They’re not just more talented.
They’re more intentional.

When I watch a Roger Federer, an Usain Bolt, a Serena Williams... I wonder, what is different about them and I think it comes down to their insatiable appetite for growth.

A Players:
 ✅ Own outcomes, not excuses.
 ✅ Seek feedback, not comfort.
 ✅ Compete with their potential, not their peers.
 ✅ Turn pressure into progress.

But here’s the truth most people miss -
Being an A Player is a choice.
Not everyone wants to go there.

But if something inside you whispers, “I was made for more,” then staying in your comfort zone will always feel like betrayal.

Because a few decades from now, 
you’ll meet one of two versions of yourself:

Your default self or your designed self.

Which one will it be?

Answer in the comments and let's have a conversation.

Follow Utkarsh Narang for more!

What It Takes to Become an 'A' Player

7 costs of entry you must pay to get the life you want
(most people quit at #3)

1️⃣ Rejection — Airbnb
Rejected by investors 20 times. They turned cereal boxes into cash to survive.

2️⃣ Embarrassment — Howard Schultz (Starbucks)
His idea was laughed at 242 times. He kept pouring the coffee anyway.

3️⃣ Uncertainty — Netflix
They offered to sell to Blockbuster for $50M and were turned down.
That moment of uncertainty birthed a $200B empire.

4️⃣ Discipline — Jeff Bezos
Every year he writes the same shareholder letter: “It’s still Day One.”
Boring consistency beats bursts of brilliance.

5️⃣ Loneliness — Sara Blakely (SPANX)
No one believed in her idea for women’s shapewear.
She sold door-to-door with a smile and grit.

6️⃣ Faith — Walt Disney
Bankrupt twice. Rejected hundreds of times.
Still believed in the magic he wanted to build.

7️⃣ Ego Death — Steve Jobs
Fired from Apple. Built Pixar. Came back stronger.

Sometimes you must lose what you built to rediscover who you are.

The cost of the life you want?
A true belief in who you are and what you aspire to build.

Everything fake, easy, or familiar.
But on the other side of that payment… is freedom.

If this resonates with you,
♻️ Repost it to help someone who might need this today.
➕ Follow Utkarsh Narang for more such daily posts!

___

On Dec 12, I’m hosting a 90-minute masterclass “Unapologetically You.” It’s for anyone ready to stop living the default version of themselves and start leading, creating, and living with their signature.

Save your spot – link is in the comments.

7 costs of entry you must pay to get the life you want 

Don’t preach what you can’t practice.
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
 
Ralph Waldo Emerson said that.

I lived that.
Most people don’t know this, but my career didn’t move in a straight line.

It looked more like a crash course in starting over.
✅From Physiotherapy - three clinics, full house, “successful” by every measure.
✅To Video Production, where I filmed 400+ hours of leadership content, with no roadmap, just curiosity.
✅To Sales, where I learned the art of rejection and resilience.
✅To Coaching, where I finally found alignment between who I am and what I do.

Every chapter felt like burning down an old version of myself, with family, kids, bills, and responsibilities whispering, “play it safe.”
But something louder inside said, “You were not born to play small.”
Reinvention isn’t about being fearless.

It’s about being honest. Brutally, unapologetically honest,
about the fact that comfort kills dreams.

And every time I chose growth over fear, I found a deeper version of me waiting on the other side.
If you’re in a season of doubt, remember this…
The world benefits nothing from your pretending.

Your kids, your team, your future self, they’re all watching you choose.

On Dec 12, I’m hosting a free 90-minute masterclass: Unapologetically You

It’s for those who are done hiding behind titles, roles, and expectations and ready to build an unapologetic mindset.
Because the greatest accomplishment is not success.

It’s becoming yourself and staying that way.
👉 Register now. Don’t wait for life to force you into clarity. Choose it.

—

If this resonates with you,
♻️ Repost it to help someone who might need this today.
➕ Follow Utkarsh Narang for more such daily posts!

Everyone has a signature.
Few ever live it.

A thumbprint. A voice. A rhythm.

Even that scribble at the end of your email — uniquely yours.

And yet, somewhere between fitting in and growing up,
most of us became templates.

Every time you mute your truth to please the room,
you erase a line from that signature.

The goal isn’t to be perfect —
it’s to be distinct.

To bring your flavour, your courage, your weirdness, fully alive.
Because nobody remembers the photocopy.

They remember the original.

On Dec 12 at 12 PM, I’m hosting a 90-minute masterclass “Unapologetically You.” It’s for anyone ready to stop living the default version of themselves and start leading, creating, and living with their signature.

Save your spot – link is in the comments.

Why Be Ordinary When You Can Have Your Signature?

An engineering manager I worked with once told me,

“Utkarsh, I’ve been trying to move into people leadership for 5 years, but nothing’s shifting.”

He was smart, capable, and respected.

But he couldn’t move upward because he couldn’t influence
not stakeholders, 
not decisions, 
not outcomes.

Through our coaching, we discovered something powerful:
He already knew how to influence.
He did it everyday, with his friends, with his family, in his personal life.
He listened deeply. He understood others. He made people feel seen.

But the moment he walked into work, that shifted.
He feared judgment.
He tried to sound “smart” instead of being real.
He started performing instead of connecting.

That’s what most people get wrong about influence.
It’s not about talking louder, dressing sharper, or being in every meeting.
It’s about creating space for others to succeed around you.

Once he broke through that fear and showed up the same way at work as he did outside it.
He was unstoppable.
Within three months, he’d built trust, led with empathy, and earned the leadership role he’d been chasing for years.

If you’re reading this and you’ve been:
•	Stuck in the same role for years
•	Doing great work but still unseen
•	Unsure how to influence upward

Then it’s time to stop trying to “act” influential and start becoming it.

That’s exactly what we do through The Ignite Life Method.

We help leaders build clarity, courage, and conscious impact - the real foundations of influence.

DM me IGNITE, and let’s unlock your next level.

If this resonates with you,
♻️ Repost it to help someone who might need this today.
➕ Follow Utkarsh Narang for more such daily posts!

___

On Dec 12, I’m hosting a 90-minute masterclass “Unapologetically You.” It’s for anyone ready to stop living the default version of themselves and start leading, creating, and living with their signature.

Save your spot – link is in the comments.

Facebook Fitness Fanatics.
That was the first community I ever built, more than a decade ago.

I had no playbook. 
No followers. 
No clue what “content strategy” even meant.

Just a deep desire to share, connect, and grow.

We posted workouts, motivation, messy progress photos,
and in that small corner of the internet, I learned what creation really feels like.

Since then…
 🎥 I’ve made YouTube videos.
 💬 Written hundreds of LinkedIn posts.
 🎙️ Launched a podcast.

Different hats. Different platforms.
But one thing stayed constant — I kept showing up.

There were days it felt pointless.

Posts no one read. 
Videos no one watched.

But I kept going.
Because creation, for me, was never about applause.
It was about aliveness.

Looking back, I realise…
What you see today started in silence, not success.

It started with a habit, not hype.

So whatever you’re building today 
do it with joy and consistency.

Because in the long run,
systems will always beat emotions.
And consistency will always beat luck.

If this resonates with you,
♻️ Repost it to help someone who might need this today.
➕ Follow Utkarsh Narang for more such daily posts!

___

On Dec 12, I’m hosting a 90-minute masterclass “Unapologetically You.” It’s for anyone ready to stop living the default version of themselves and start leading, creating, and living with their signature.

Save your spot – link is in the comments.

Why be ordinary when you can have your signature?

Each of us is born with a unique pattern that no one else has.
A thumbprint.
A voice.
A rhythm.
Even that scribble at the end of your email that says PFA, your signature, is uniquely yours.

And yet… most of us live templated lives.
We work like everyone else.
Speak like everyone else.
Even dream within the same safe boundaries.

Somewhere between fitting in and growing up, we lost our originality.
We started seeking validation instead of expression.

But here’s the truth…
Your signature is your story in motion.
It’s your way of saying,
“I was here. I mattered. I left a mark.”

Every time you suppress your ideas to please the room,
you erase a line from that signature.

The goal isn’t to be perfect.
It’s to be distinct.
To bring your flavour, your truth, your weirdness - fully alive.

Because nobody remembers the photocopy.
They remember the original.

On Dec 12 at 12 PM, I’m running a 90-minute masterclass “Unapologetically You.”
It’s for those tired of living the default version of themselves,
ready to reclaim their signature, at work, in life, in impact.

Your signature isn’t what you write.

It’s how you live.

👉 Save your spot. Be remembered for being you.

If I had one thing to tell my 25-year-old self, it would be this:

You don’t need a perfect plan.
You just need to be aligned.

At 25, I was already a father.
A physiotherapist with one clinic.
Hungry to create impact but unsure what success even meant.

Back then, I thought the answer was in doing more.
More clients. More credentials. More work.

But over the last 15 years, I’ve learned something far simpler and far truer.
You don’t need to know where life will take you.
You just need to know who you are and what feels true inside.

Because when you act from alignment,
your path unfolds, step by step,
without a master plan.

If I hadn’t learned this,
I’d still be living someone else’s life.
Still avoiding conflict.
Still mistaking success for validation.

Today, I’ve changed 
not because I figured it all out,
but because I found peace in not knowing.

Have I achieved everything I want to?
No.
Do I have regrets?
None.

Because the moment you start building from who you are,
not what you should be,
life becomes blissfully, beautifully yours.

⸻

💬 If you could tell your 25-year-old self one thing, what would it be?

Most people don’t have a technology problem.
They have a self problem.

We keep asking:
 “How do we make AI better?”
 
But rarely ask:
 “How do we make ourselves better so AI can actually help us?”

This week on the IgnitedNeurons Podcast, I sat down with Barbara Wittmann — an IT leader turned philosopher and the founder of the Digital Wisdom Collective.

And this conversation shook me.

We spoke about:
 🔸 Why freedom is an inner state, not a career choice
 🔸 How limiting beliefs sabotage our potential
 🔸 Why self-image can be dangerously misaligned
 🔸 The “cleanup of the self” and why it must happen before we build better machines
 🔸 How to identify your unique superpower
 🔸 And why the future belongs to the wise, not just the smart

Barbara’s take is simple but profound:
 If we don’t upgrade our inner operating system, AI will only amplify our limitations.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed by the future, or unsure how to navigate the world we’re stepping into, you’ll want to hear this one.

🎧 Listen to the full episode on Spotify 
 
If it resonates, please support the podcast by following IgnitedNeurons and sharing the episode with one more person who needs it.

Let’s build wiser humans for a wiser future.

Award-Winning Author & Interim CIO | Pioneer of Digital Wisdom — the OS for AI and Transformation Success

Most people don’t realize how fragile the world really is until someone explains it with clarity.

This week on the IgnitedNeurons Podcast, I sat down with Irina Tsukerman, one of the most fascinating voices in human rights, national security, and information warfare.

From childhood curiosity to becoming a globally recognized attorney, Irina’s journey is a reminder that the world is shaped not just by power but by people who choose to think critically.

We spoke about:
 🔸 Why geopolitical fragmentation is accelerating
 🔸 How social media quietly manipulates our perception of reality
 🔸 The balance between human rights and national security
 🔸 Why dialogue matters more than ever
 🔸 The importance of empathy in disagreement
 🔸 And the one thing we still underestimate: our personal agency

Irina’s insights are sharp, honest, and much needed in a world drowning in misinformation.

If you’ve ever wanted to understand what’s really happening behind the headlines, this episode will open your mind.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify

 If the conversation resonates, please support the IgnitedNeurons Podcast by following, sharing, and sending it to one person who needs to hear it.

Your support goes a long way.
Let’s build a world where nuance still matters.

A national security & human rights lawyer, Fellow at Arabian Peninsula Institute, Fellow at Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. Board Member at The Washington Outsider Center for Information Warfare

IBGC - Indian Business Game Changers

Precision TalentZ

I specialize as a mentor in Sales Talent Acquisition, guiding companies to successfully build high-performing sales teams in 120 days.

 My innovative STARS method is designed for You to find sales talent without solely depending on placement agencies and making expensive hiring mistakes.

A.P.Engineering Works

"A P Engineering Works has established a robust presence in the manufacturing sector, specializing in CNC turned and machined components alongside a range of engineering goods primarily for OEMs, multinational corporations, and top-tier companies within the automobile industry and its allied sectors.

In my tenure, I have played a pivotal role in forging strong business relationships with major players in the automobile industry, both domestically and on a global scale. My hands-on involvement has been instrumental in expanding our customer base across Indian and international markets.

Currently, I am at the forefront of steering the company's growth and innovation. I lead the New Product Development division, manage our day-to-day operations, and drive our sales strategy. This multifaceted role not only leverages my comprehensive understanding of the industry but also underscores my commitment to integrating cutting-edge practices into our core business functions."

Owner

A.S.P.Engineering Products P Ltd

"As a seasoned professional in a leading tool room, I am deeply involved in the specialized manufacturing of dies for sheet metal components. Our facility caters to the needs of industry giants and produces a diverse range of engineering products for various sectors.

My primary role encompasses driving business development. This responsibility puts me at the helm of identifying and cultivating new growth opportunities, expanding our clientele, and ensuring that our manufacturing solutions align seamlessly with the evolving demands of the industry. My expertise lies in forging strong relationships, understanding client needs, and delivering tailored solutions that uphold the highest standards of quality and efficiency."

Director

Pawah Tools and Components P Ltd

"At Pawah Tools and Components P Ltd, we specialize in the manufacturing of CNC turned and machined components, serving the diverse needs of the engineering industry. In my capacity as Director, I am steadfastly committed to driving our company forward with a keen focus on sustainability and innovation.

My role involves strategically guiding our manufacturing processes and business practices towards more sustainable methods while continuously fostering innovation in all aspects of our operations. This commitment to eco-friendly practices and technological advancement not only positions us as a forward-thinking leader in our field but also reflects my extensive experience in aligning industry expertise with progressive, responsible business strategies."

Most people think success is about going faster.

But I’ve learned the hard way that real success comes when your business stops depending on you to survive.

I am Ssanjay A Pawah, the founder of Indian Business Game Changers (IBGC), India’s First Talentpreneur Mentor.

I work with SME /MSME founders who are tired of the hustle-loop and ready to build structured, scalable, and time-rich companies that grow with or without them.

But I didn’t get here by reading books or quoting frameworks.

In my 20s, I had early wins… followed by some brutal lessons.

Multiple business failures. Financial damage. 
A personal breakdown that left me with anxiety, sleepless nights, and even a Stage 1 depression diagnosis.

It wasn’t because I lacked ambition.
It was because I lacked systems.

That was the turning point. I went all in, learning from global mentors, studying behavioural psychology, leadership design, and how real businesses scale without chaos.

What came out of that journey wasn’t just recovery; it was a framework.

One that’s now helping Indian founders, business owners build wealth creating, founder-independent businesses, with structure, not just sweat.

Today, I serve as a business mentor, author, international speaker, and serial entrepreneur.

I have partnered with Ron Malhotra, Director Black Footed Business Advisors, from Australia to bring global business wisdom to Indian SMEs/MSMEs.

At IBGC, our work is simple, but powerful:

Build businesses that are :

▶️ Time-Rich
▶️ Wealth-Creating
▶️ Stress-Less

If you’re running a business that’s profitable but still feels heavy, maybe it’s time to build one that gives back your life.

DM me ‘FREEDOM’ if that’s where you’re headed.

Ssanjay A Pawah

🚀 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 — 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸
Just a few days ago, Ron and I sat down — notebooks open, whiteboard markers ready, no distractions.

Two minds, one mission:
 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲?
And that’s when it truly hit me…

 What a year it has been since 𝟴𝘁𝗵 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰, the day we launched a bold initiative for Indian business owners:
𝗜𝗕𝗚𝗖 – 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀

Since then:
 ✅ 𝗪𝗲’𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺𝘀 with India’s most committed entrepreneurs
 ✅ 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝟮𝟬𝟬+ 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 across industries
 ✅ And built 𝗧𝗦𝗘𝗠 – 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱

🔥 We didn’t just start a program.
 𝗪𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.

A movement for entrepreneurs who were:
• 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲-𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵-𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗿
 • Growing slowly, with no time freedom
 • Running operations, but with no clear vision and growing stress

As we now chart our path toward 2026, here’s what’s ahead:
 📍 𝗗𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿, 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝘀
 📍 Launches in new cities and new sectors
 📍 An 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮-𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 of purpose-led, wealth-creating entrepreneurs

Here’s the insight Ron reminded me of — one that echoes deeply in this journey:
💡 𝗕𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲. 𝗗𝗼 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲. 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲.
“𝗧𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲.
 𝗧𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲.
 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆.”

Founders who react to problems will always be busy.
 But 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲?
 They build legacies.

Most people overestimate what they can change in 3 weeks…
 And underestimate what can be built in 𝟯 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀.
While others are scrambling to fix December…

 𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 — 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲, 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.
Because real success isn’t built in sprints.
 It’s built in 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹, 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵.

🔁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻:
 What are you building for the long game?
 Not just for next month…

 But for the entrepreneur, the leader, and the legacy you want to become by 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲?
𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀.

Found this post insightful?
Follow Ssanjay A Pawah , Ron Malhotra  for more valuable insights.

Bringing World-Class Business Systems to India’s Growth-Focused SMEs & MSMEs | Founder, IBGC | Business Coach | Best Selling Author

Most founders think growth means moving faster.

More sales. More hires. More meetings. More output.

But speed doesn’t fix pain.
It multiplies it.

I’ve seen companies scale quick…only to collapse under problems they never solved:

• Unclear roles
• The same person doing 5 jobs
• Hiring out of fear, not fit
• Leadership carrying emotional weight alone
• Goals changing every week
• Teams scared to say “this isn’t working”

Growth isn’t blocked by lack of ambition. It’s blocked by friction you keep ignoring.

If you want real growth, ask:

What hurts today that will hurt more at 10x?

Then fix that first.

Because growth isn’t acceleration.
Growth is removing drag.

When business stops hurting,
speed comes naturally.

🔔 Follow Ssanjay A Pawah for systems that scale peace and profit together.

Ever notice your team is busy… but the business isn’t moving?

That’s not an effort issue. That’s an alignment issue.

Most founders assume their team knows what matters. But clarity is not given once, it's renewed weekly.

When goals drift even 10%, your team will spend 100% effort in the wrong place.

Here’s the fix, a 15-minute weekly alignment audit that saves weeks of rework:

✅ 1. What are we trying to achieve?
Strip the goal down to one sentence. If the team can’t repeat it, it’s not clear.

✅ 2. Why does it matter?
People commit when they understand meaning. Not metrics.

✅ 3. How do we know we’re on track?
Define one signal. Not five. One.

Run this every week and you’ll cut confusion fast:

✔ Projects move without chasing 
✔ Meetings get shorter 
✔ Your team stops waiting for approval 
✔ You stop micromanaging by accident

Alignment isn’t a meeting. It’s the glue that holds execution in place.

Great teams don’t need more effort. They need the same effort pointed in the same direction.

🔔 Follow Ssanjay A Pawah for frameworks that make execution simple, meaningful, and fast.

Most founders don’t burn out from workload.

They burn out from what they carry inside while doing the work.

Guilt when they disconnect.
Pressure to “hold everything together.”

The fear of letting someone down.
The habit of solving every problem alone.

This emotional friction drains more energy than any 12-hour day ever will.

Here’s what I’ve learned working with exhausted founders:

When the mind is crowded, every decision feels heavier. When the mind is clear, the same work feels lighter.

Emotional clarity isn’t soft.
It’s a business tool.

Clarity does three things fast:

✅ It cuts second-guessing
✅ It reduces firefighting
✅ It makes your team feel safer and stronger

One simple practice you can try today:
Name the feeling → Name the need → Name the next step.

Most chaos comes from skipping the first two.

Because leadership isn’t only strategy and systems.

It’s self-awareness that keeps you steady when the business shakes.

Founders heal companies
the moment they start healing their own noise.

🔔 Follow Ssanjay A Pawah for human leadership insights that make business feel clear, not crushing.

Most founders think their team has a skill gap.

Most of the time, it’s a transfer gap.

You can hand over a task in 10 seconds.

But handing over the thinking behind the task takes real leadership.

That’s why teams can complete work… but can’t complete outcomes.

They follow the steps. They don’t understand the reason. So the moment something changes, they freeze.

Here’s the shift that fixes it:

✅ Level 1 - Task Transfer
“How to do it.” Good for speed. Bad for ownership.

✅ Level 2 - Thinking Transfer
“Why we do it this way.” This builds context. Context builds confidence.

✅ Level 3 - Judgment Transfer
“How I decide when things change.” This is the real scale point. It turns followers into leaders.

Try this simple practice for 30 days: When someone asks, “What should I do?”
reply with:

“What do you think is the right call… and why?”

You’ll see hesitation turn into thinking. Thinking turn into judgment. Judgment turn into ownership.

Because tasks build workers. But judgment builds leaders.

And until your team learns how to decide, your business cannot grow without you.

🔔 Follow Ssanjay A Pawah for advanced systems that build second-line confidence without burnout.

Most work doesn’t fail at the start.

It fails in the middle.
Teams begin clear.
They end confused.

Not because they’re careless, but because outcomes drift.

A tiny misunderstanding.
A skipped update.
A missed question.
A silent assumption.

By the time the work comes back, you look at it and think:

“This is not what I asked for.”

Here’s the fix, a 3-checkpoint Midway Sync Ritual:

1️⃣ Start Check – “What are we building?”
One sentence. Nothing more.

2️⃣ Mid Check – “Are we still on the same track?”
10 minutes. No slides.
Only: What changed? What’s unclear?

3️⃣ Pre-Finish Check – “Show me 20% before you do 100%.”
This saves days of rework.

When teams stay aligned, output stays clean.

And you stop firefighting fixes that should’ve never existed.

Outcome drift is silent, but the cost is loud.

Tighten the middle, and the finish finally looks like what you imagined.

Follow Ssanjay A Pawah for more valuable insights.

Most founders delegate WORK!!!

But they never delegate emotional responsibility.

You still hold:

• Keeping clients calm
• Giving confidence to insecure leaders
• Carrying team fear during slow months
• Holding culture together when people fight
• Absorbing pressure so others don’t panic

Your team handles tasks.
You handle emotional storms.

That imbalance creates a bottleneck no process can fix.

Here’s a shift that helps:

Stop protecting people from discomfort.

Start preparing them for responsibility.

Try this the next time a tough issue comes up:

👉 Instead of “Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.”
Say: “Let’s face this together, what’s your plan?”

People grow when they feel the weight, not when you carry it for them.

Leadership is not absorbing emotions.

It’s building people who can hold their own.

🔔 Follow Ssanjay A Pawah for leadership shifts that reduce emotional load, not increase it.

You’re not overwhelmed because there’s too much to do.

You’re overwhelmed because every small decision still waits at your door.

A founder’s calendar doesn’t break them.
Their inbox of repeated decisions does.

This carousel breaks down how to turn default rules into clarity, so your team moves without waiting, and your mind finally gets quiet enough to think long-term again.

If you feel like the business still needs “permission” from you to move, this will help.

🔔 Follow Ssanjay A Pawah for systems that reduce founder dependence without losing control.

Systems > Willpower

A few years ago, I met a man whose life taught me something I’ll never forget.

He wasn’t a founder.
He wasn’t a coach.

He was an old watch repairer who sat outside a tiny shop near my home.

One day, I asked him,
“Don’t you get tired of fixing watches all day?”

He smiled and said, “I don’t fix watches. I fix belief.
People hand me time that has stopped… and I give it back to them.”

I didn’t understand it then.

Later, he told me a story about a customer who brought a watch that wasn’t broken at all. Nothing inside was damaged.

The engine was fine. The parts were fine. But it had stopped ticking.

He tapped the watch gently and said,
“This one didn’t lose power.
It lost confidence.”

I laughed.
He didn’t.

Then he said something that hit me hard:

“When a watch believes it won’t run, even perfect parts can’t push it.
Humans are the same.”

That day, I understood something about business and life:

Most people don’t fail because they lack skill, money, or help.
They fail because their belief stops before their work does.

A founder can have a great plan…but if the mind is full of fear, guilt, or doubt, the business slows down even when the systems are right.

A team can have talent…but if they don’t believe they can grow, they won’t.

A person can have dreams…but if they don’t trust themselves, they won’t even start.

Belief is not a “nice idea.”
It’s the engine.

And here’s the simple truth I learned from that old man:

When belief moves, everything moves.
When belief stops, everything stops.

Sometimes the first thing we need to fix is not the work… but the mind doing the work.

🔔 Follow Ssanjay A Pawah for grounded stories that build clarity, calm, and courage in the founder journey.

Most founders don’t drown in the tasks everyone can see.

They drown in the tasks no one talks about, the mental tabs open 24/7, the “I’ll handle it” moments, the emotional clean-up after every small fire.

This post is not about productivity.

It’s about exposing the silent work that drains founders and giving you a way to pull it out of your head and into a system your team can share.

If you’ve ever ended a day exhausted without being able to explain what tired you, this one will hit home.

🔔 Follow Ssanjay A Pawah for founder systems that return your time, peace, and control.

This is something no one talks about.

Founders lose more time to assumptions than to actual problems.

I’ve seen leaders burn a whole day fixing an issue that never existed.

“Team can’t handle this.” “Client must be upset.” “Market is slow.” “Sales is not interested.”

Most of it is not truth. It’s fear pretending to be fact.

This is the Assumption Tax, hours lost reacting to stories in your head.

Here’s the fix.

Before you jump in, run a 5-minute Truth Check:

1️⃣ What do I know for sure? Not “I think.” Not “Maybe.” Only facts.

2️⃣ What did I not confirm? Most pressure lives here.

3️⃣ Who can give me the real picture in 2 minutes? Ask. Don’t guess.

You’ll be shocked how many “problems” disappear, once truth enters the room.

Leaders don’t burn out from work. They burn out from fighting ghosts.

Stop paying the Assumption Tax. Ask once. Confirm once. Then act.

Found this post valuable? Share this post with others.
Follow me for more valuable insights.

Some stories don’t teach you, they warn you.

A single choice created two opposite futures. Same chance.

Different mindset.

If you’ve ever wondered why some people grow while others stay stuck…
this carousel may hit harder than you expect.

Read it slowly.

And if it makes you think differently, follow for more clarity like this.

From Treasure to Trajectory

Most projects don’t fail at kickoff.

They fail in the handoffs.

The moment work moves:

Sales → delivery
Delivery → finance
Ops → product
Founder → second line

Context gets lost.
Intent gets diluted.

Teams finish "something" but not the thing you asked for.

It’s not a skill. It’s missing checkpoints.

Try this Tight Handoff Rule next week:

Before you pass work forward, answer three things:

1- What is the goal? (one sentence, not a paragraph)
2- What must not change? (non-negotiables)
3- What does success look like when it lands back? (example or draft)

And when you receive work:

Ask: "Show me 20% before you finish 100%."

It saves weeks of rework.

Teams don’t need harder effort.

They need cleaner handoffs.

🔔 Follow Ssanjay A Pawah for execution systems that protect outcomes, not just activity.

Feeling clear is HARD!!!

As a founder, you’re silently expected to:

Know exactly what matters next
Make perfect decisions at full speed
Pretend you’re “on top of it” even when everything feels blurry

But here’s the truth: it’s actually a lot simpler than we make it:

Your brain isn’t confused… It’s overloaded.

Your priorities aren’t wrong… they’re competing for the same space.

Your week isn’t chaotic… It’s just unstructured.

Decision-making isn’t hard.

We’ve just been conditioned to think clarity must feel dramatic or complicated. But clarity is usually quiet.

It shows up when you slow down long enough to hear what actually matters.
One line I always come back to:

“When everything feels important, nothing truly moves.”

If that hit home, take 10 minutes today to ask yourself: “What is the one thing only I must move this week?”

You’ll feel the fog lift instantly.

Save this; your future self will thank you.

🔔 Follow Ssanjay A Pawah for leadership shifts that reduce emotional load, not increase it.

If your mind feels loud and your team feels slow!!!

The problem isn’t capacity, it’s decision debt.

Small open loops cost more than you think.

Close them, and your whole business breathes.

🔔 Follow me for more valuable insights

Here’s the part most founders miss

You don’t lose a company in one big event!!!

You lose it the day your team stops telling you the truth.

It doesn’t happen loudly.

It happens in tiny moments:

A mistake gets softened.
A delay gets a story.

A concern gets hidden because “you looked stressed.”

A real issue gets wrapped in nice words so you don’t react.

People stop managing the work…and start managing your emotions.

And that’s when the real slide begins.

No founder plans this.
But many create it without seeing it:

- Snapping at bad news
- Rewarding only good updates
- Solving problems before people finish speaking
- Making every issue feel urgent
- Reacting instead of listening

Silence grows where safety dies.

If you want truth back, try this:

1️⃣ Say: “Tell me the worst part first.”
It teaches them you can handle it.

2️⃣ Thank the person, not the news.
People repeat what gets respected.

3️⃣ Share one mistake of your own each week.

Leaders who hide mistakes create teams who hide mistakes.

Truth is oxygen. When it stops flowing, the company suffocates slowly.

If you want a strong team, build a place where the truth lands softly…even when it hurts.

Follow me for more valuable insights.

Most businesses don’t slow down because of big mistakes.

They slow down because of the work that almost gets done.

This week’s carousel breaks down why 90% completion quietly kills margin, morale, and momentum, and how fixing it can unlock speed you didn’t know you lost.

If your team feels “busy but behind,” this one’s worth saving.

🔔 Follow Ssanjay A Pawah for systems that reduce founder dependence without losing control.

The Final 10% That Breaks Businesses!

We love talking about how Steve Jobs “thought different.”

But his real power wasn’t creativity.

It was subtraction.

When he returned to Apple in ’97, the company was dying, bloated product line, confused teams, scattered bets.

He didn’t walk in with a grand new idea.
He walked in, looked at a table full of products… and went quiet.

No pitch deck. No motivational speech. Just silence.

Then he said, “We’ll focus on four. The rest goes.”

People were angry. Whole teams saw their work vanish. But that single moment did something rare:

It gave Apple a single direction.

From that “empty table” came the products that rebuilt the company.

Here’s the part most founders miss:

Growth isn’t adding more things. Growth is removing everything that dilutes what matters.

Try this test: If your team can't explain what you're building in one breath, you’re building too much.

Focus turns companies around. Silence helps you see what stays and what goes.

If this hit you, share one thing you know you need to cut this quarter.

🔔 Follow Ssanjay A Pawah for systems that create clarity, not chaos.

I spent 25+ years studying why most teams stop one step before finishing, so you don’t have to.

Here are 3 ingredients that turn a “waiting” team into an ownership-driven team:

1. Clear Finish Lines

The number one thing you need from clear finish lines is certainty. People finish confidently when they know exactly what “done” means.

Secondarily, you need context, why this task matters, where it fits, what problem it solves.

Combine both and suddenly tasks stop returning for your approval… and start landing on your table already completed.

2. Decision Safety

Most team members don’t lack skills. They lack psychological permission to take the final call.

The classic example is when someone asks, “Should I send this?” even when the work is perfect.

Use safe decision boundaries, “This type of decision is yours. This type comes to me.” And then step back so they feel responsible, not supervised.

3. Visible Progress Loops

Ownership is emotional, not operational. People take more responsibility when they can see their own progress.

Start by creating a simple weekly ritual:

what they finished → what they learned → what they own next.

Then add a lightweight scoreboard so their contributions are visible.

Don’t shame mistakes, nothing kills initiative faster. But also don’t reduce progress to “good job.” Acknowledge the specific actions that showed ownership.

Most founders think their team needs motivation. But what they actually need is clarity, confidence, and a clear final step.

If you help them cross the last 10%, they’ll start crossing the whole 100% without you.

P.S. Save this if you found it helpful. This shift can change the way your entire team behaves this month.

How Steve Jobs Used Silence to Outsell EVERYONE!!!

When Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, the company was weeks from collapsing. The product table was packed with devices, ideas, and noise.

He didn’t lecture.
He didn’t present slides.
He just stood there in silence.

Then he said one line that changed Apple forever:

“We’ll make four products. And we’ll make them great. Everything else… delete.”

People fought the decision. Departments begged him to keep their projects alive. But Jobs cleared the entire table anyway.

What came next?

- The iMac.
- The iPod.
- The iPhone.
- The iPad.

The most profitable product line in history… born from subtraction.

Here’s the real lesson:

Your business doesn’t need more things. It needs more clarity.

Customers don’t choose the most detailed option. They choose the one that’s easiest to understand.

When you remove noise, people notice value. When choices are simple, decisions happen faster. When your message is clear, your market responds.

The empty table wasn’t about minimalism. It was about focus.

And focus is what wins.

Found this post insightful?

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