A Leadership Reset: Reflections from IHERC 2025

Leadership is far less about authority and far more about responsibility, humility, and presence.

A Leadership Reset:
Reflections from IHERC 2025 

As I sat there, notebook open but mind fully present, a few leadership lessons stayed with me long after the sessions ended. I look forward to building on these insights as I continue my work in the higher education ecosystem—trying, in my own small ways, to lead with clarity, compassion, and purpose.

I returned from IHERC 2025 at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi feeling grateful, inspired, and quietly reflective. Two days immersed in conversations on higher education, research, and leadership have a way of slowing you down—in a good way—and nudging you to re-examine what truly matters in the work we do.

One of the most special moments for me was what I can only describe as a fanboy moment. Listening to Prof. V. Ramgopal Rao and Mr. Kiran Karnik—two leaders I’ve admired since the very beginning of my professional journey—was both grounding and energizing. Their words didn’t feel aspirational in a distant sense; they felt deeply real, shaped by lived experience, failures, and hard-earned wisdom.

As I sat there, notebook open but mind fully present, a few leadership lessons stayed with me long after the sessions ended.

✓ I was reminded that leadership begins with communicating the vision clearly, not just to the top few, but all the way to the bottom of the organization. A vision that isn’t understood widely rarely moves people meaningfully.

✓ Another powerful reminder was about ownership—taking charge of failures without hesitation, and generously attributing success to the team. That quiet shift in mindset says more about a leader than any title ever could.

✓ What also struck me deeply was the emphasis on choosing battles wisely. Not every fight deserves energy. Knowing which challenges to confront and which ones to let go of is an underrated leadership skill, especially in complex academic and institutional ecosystems.

✓ Leadership, I realized again, is also about translation—turning vision into values, and values into everyday behaviours. Big ideas only matter when they show up in small, consistent actions.

✓ There was also a strong emphasis on leading by example. Not by instruction or authority, but through conduct. People observe far more than they listen.

✓ Another takeaway that resonated with me was the importance of emotional connection, alongside rational clarity. Teams don’t just need direction; they need to feel seen, heard, and valued. Logic may guide decisions, but emotion sustains commitment.

✓ Leaders, I was reminded, must provide direction and actively remove obstacles, creating space for others to do their best work. And perhaps most importantly—even when people disagree with you, listen. Disagreement, when met with openness, often carries the seed of growth.

As I reflect on these lessons, one thought stands out clearly: leadership is far less about authority and far more about responsibility, humility, and presence.

I look forward to building on these insights as I continue my work in the higher education ecosystem—trying, in my own small ways, to lead with clarity, compassion, and purpose.

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