hey you,
yes – the person sitting in your chair right now, I see you. I get you.
I see the sleepless nights, the endless pressure, the constant balancing act you perform every day. You’ve created something out of nothing—a company, a vision, a team. That alone makes you stand apart. Most people won’t ever know what it takes to do what you’ve done.
But I also see the frustration. The exhaustion. The feeling that no matter how hard you push, you’re not making the progress you want.
And I see something else—a trap that you may not even realize you’ve fallen into.
The Trap of External Reasons and Excuses
Right now, you’re searching for answers outside of yourself. Maybe you think a new strategy will fix it, or a consultant will give you that secret weapon you’ve been missing. Or maybe you believe that the conditions around you—market trends, team issues, limited resources—are the real reason you’re stuck.
Here are some of the most common external reasons leaders lean on:
- Market Conditions: “The economy is tough right now,” or “Our industry is changing too fast.”
- Lack of Resources: “If only we had more budget,” or “We need more talent on the team.”
- Client Demands: “Our clients’ needs are constantly shifting,” or “They’re squeezing our margins.”
- Team Dynamics: “My team isn’t delivering,” or “There’s too much turnover.”
- Time Constraints: “I don’t have the time to focus on growth with everything going on.”
- Board or Investor Pressure: “The board wants me to follow a certain path,” or “Our investors are pushing for faster results.”
These reasons feel legitimate. They sound real because they reflect the complex, chaotic world of running a business. And maybe you’ve even convinced yourself that if only one or two of these things would change, everything else would fall into place.
But here’s the truth: These external reasons are just distractions. They’re taking your focus away from the one thing that actually matters—you.
Leadership is never about having the perfect resources. It is about being “resourceful”.
The Real Problem: Looking in the Wrong Direction
The problem isn’t that the market is unpredictable, or that your team is underperforming, or that your board has other ideas. The problem is where you’re looking for the solution. When you constantly look outside of yourself, you’re missing the point.
Here’s what happens when you chase external solutions:
- Temporary Fixes: You might find a quick solution—a new strategy or hire—that gives you a temporary win. But sooner or later, the same problems will come back, just in a different form. You’ll be right back where you started because you haven’t addressed the core issue.
- Giving Away Your Power: When you place blame on external factors, you’re giving away control over the situation. You’re telling yourself, “I can’t succeed unless these outside conditions change.” But the truth is, you are the one in control. The leader sets the tone, the pace, and the direction.
- Avoiding Responsibility: It’s easier to point to external factors than to look in the mirror. It’s easier to say, “The market is bad,” than to ask, “What am I avoiding? What am I not doing that could change this?”
Looking outside for answers is like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. You can move things around, but unless you address the leak, you’re still going to sink.
Why It’s Always About You
Here’s a radical idea: Every situation you’re in, you contributed to creating it.
That’s not to say you’re responsible for every external event, but you are responsible for how you’ve reacted, for the choices you’ve made, and for the environment you’ve built around you. The business, the team, the results—all of it reflects the leadership you’ve brought to the table.
You are not to blame. You did not consciously create the problems that you have. I am not saying that.
I am saying that you can still own the choices you made that led you here. That is responsibility and ownership, not blame.
And if that feels like a hard truth, good. It should. Because until you recognize that you are the common denominator in every problem you’re facing, you won’t be able to fix it.
Why External Success is the Booby Prize
The business results you’re chasing—more revenue, more clients, better margins—they’re important, but they’re not the real prize. They’re the booby prize. They’re the shiny object that keeps you focused on external markers of success while ignoring the deeper work you need to do as a leader.
Here’s the thing: You didn’t start this company just to hit revenue targets. You didn’t pour your heart and soul into this business just to stay afloat. You started it because you had a vision. A gift. A contribution to make to the world. Somewhere along the way, you got caught up in what everybody was telling you, and that vision – your vision – got lost in the shuffle.
But if you’re only chasing results, you’re going to be on an emotional rollercoaster for the rest of your career. Revenue will go up and down. Clients will come and go. Markets will shift. If you’re anchored to those external outcomes, you’ll always be at the mercy of forces you can’t control.
What you can control is who you are as a leader. The steady hand that remains calm no matter what storms come your way. That’s the real work. That’s where you should be focused.
The Work Begins with You
So, how do you get there? How do you stop chasing external solutions and start becoming the kind of leader who can weather any storm?
It starts with asking yourself some tough questions:
- How did I create this situation?
- What am I avoiding?
- What hard truths am I not facing about myself?
- What would happen if I took full responsibility for this, instead of blaming external factors?
These questions aren’t easy to answer, but they’re necessary. Because until you take ownership of your role in creating your current reality, nothing will change. You’ll keep spinning your wheels, trying to fix things externally, when the real solution is within you.
The Leader You Were Meant to Be
Look, I get it. You’ve been grinding day in and day out. You’ve been doing everything you can to make this business a success. You’ve been putting out fires, managing crises, and trying to stay afloat. And I see you for all of that.
I am an entrepreneur myself. I have started companies in the past and failed. I get it. and I have great respect of what you do – day in and day out.
But I also see the leader you’re capable of becoming. The one who isn’t thrown by external challenges. The one who leads from a place of strength and conviction. The one who doesn’t chase the next shiny object, but instead builds something lasting, meaningful, and true.
That leader is already inside you. But you have to stop looking outside for answers and start looking at yourself.
Your team deserves better. Your company deserves better. And most importantly, you deserve better. You deserve to lead from a place of purpose and clarity, not from fear or pressure. You deserve to build something that matters, not just something that survives.
The world needs the gift you have to offer. But it can only come from you stepping into the leader you were meant to be.
Building and scaling a company is an adventure. You are on an adventure. And adventures are exciting and fun. It doesn’t have to stress, alienate, and kill you.
My Challenge To YOU
What if—just for a moment—you stopped trying to fit in?
What if you stopped trying to please everyone around you?
What if you stopped second-guessing yourself and shrinking to meet other people’s expectations?
What if, instead, you started speaking from your purpose? From the deep, passionate reason you started this company in the first place?
What if you started asking for what you truly want without apologizing or justifying yourself?
Let me ask you: What do you stand for? Not what your business stands for, not what your brand is about—what do YOU stand for? As a leader, as a CEO, as a parent, as a friend, as a human being? What are the beliefs and values that, deep down, you refuse to compromise on, even when it’s uncomfortable or unpopular?
What are your key PROMISES to your employees, partners, children, colleagues, fellow leaders, spouse – and most importantly – to yourself?
It’s easy to lose sight of those things. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day noise, the expectations, the opinions of others, and the need to be liked or approved of. But what if you stopped listening to that racing mind that tells you to play it safe? What if, instead, you spoke from your heart?
What If You Spoke from What You CARE about?
Remember what drove you to start this company? What do you CARE about most deeply?
Remember the fire that fueled those early days? What if you started speaking from that place again?
Leaders don’t convince people. They don’t beg for approval or give endless justifications for their choices. Leaders inspire. They move people by standing firmly in what they believe, by speaking with conviction, by showing up powerfully and unapologetically.
What if, instead of trying to convince others of your worth, you spoke in such a way that people were left wondering, “Who is this person?” What if you stopped trying to be liked and started being someone worth following?
What if you spoke in such a way that people want to join you because they know deep down that you will create something powerful in the future?
What if people wanted to work with you—not because you’re the CEO, not because they have to—but because you showed them a bigger possibility for themselves? What if they saw in you the kind of leader who makes them believe they can do more, be more, create more?
I am writing this letter because I see that potential in YOU.
What If You Played to Win?
I’m going to ask you something that might make you uncomfortable: Are you playing it safe?
I know you’re doing your best. I know you’re navigating a thousand pressures and responsibilities. But are you playing to win? Or are you just trying to survive, to get through the next quarter, the next deal, the next fire to put out?
What if you gave yourself permission to fall and fail, to take risks that scare you, and to push the limits of what you believe is possible? What if you wore your scratches and bruises with pride instead of fear? Wouldn’t you rather be bruised from playing big than stay perfectly safe and small?
What If You Knew Everything Would Work Out?
Now let’s go even further. Imagine—just for a moment—that everything would work out. Imagine that no matter what risks you took, no matter how far you stretched, everything would be fine. Nothing could go wrong.
What would you do next if you knew it would all turn out well? How would you lead? What decisions would you make? What risks would you take if you weren’t afraid of failure?
The truth is, you don’t need that kind of guarantee. You already have everything you need to lead powerfully. You just have to give yourself permission. Permission to step into your own leadership, to trust your gut, to follow your passion, and to make bold choices even when it’s scary.
What If You Stopped Worrying About What Others Think?
So many leaders hold back because they’re afraid of what others will think. They’re worried about judgment, criticism, or disappointing someone. But what if you stopped caring about that? What if you stopped worrying about what others will say about you and started saying what you actually mean?
Yes, it will be uncomfortable. Yes, it will feel scary. But it will also be worth it.
You’ll start to feel the weight lift off your shoulders. You’ll feel the freedom that comes from being true to yourself. You’ll inspire your team, your clients, your colleagues—not because you’re trying to win their approval, but because you’re living and leading authentically.
You Don’t Need a New Knife—You Need a Steady Hand
So, stop looking for the next tool, strategy, or fix.
Enough of that!!!
Or, keep going and you can come back to this letter next year. Be my guest.
Instead of looking for a new knife or tool, strengthen your hand. Strengthen YOU.
Do the hard work of looking inside, taking responsibility, and growing into the leader who can turn any situation into an opportunity.
Because the real prize isn’t the business results—it’s the leader you become in the process.
You Are Stronger Than You Think
The truth is, you are stronger than you think. You’ve already shown immense strength in building your company and leading through countless challenges. But you have even more in you than you realize. More than just adjusting to the world around you. More than just managing the day-to-day. You don’t need to look for someone else to save you.
You don’t need a savior. You are the leader you’ve been waiting for.
It’s time to own your choices. Own your power. Own your leadership.
Every moment, you’re making a choice. Even when you choose not to act, you’re making a choice to stay where you are. So, why not choose something different? Why not choose to step into the fullness of who you are? Why not choose to lead from your heart, from your purpose, from your deepest values?
Choose Wisely. Choose Leadership. Choose YOU.
This is your moment. Your team, your business, the people around you—they all deserve a leader who is fully alive, fully engaged, fully in their power.
More importantly, you deserve it. You deserve to lead from a place of freedom, purpose, and passion. You deserve to be the leader you know you’re capable of being. You deserve to have fun and enjoy each day on this journey.
Yes, it will be uncomfortable. Yes, it will require courage. But it will also be exhilarating. It will also be transformative. And it will also be worth it.
Your dreams deserve that. Your purpose deserves that. You deserve that.
You have a choice in every moment. Choose yourself. Choose leadership. Choose your power.
Because the world needs what only you can give. And that gift can only come from you stepping fully into your leadership—without apology, without hesitation, without fear.
With respect and belief in your greatness,
Sumit