About Me

Hi, I am Sumit.

As you can see from the above photograph, which was taken at an altitude of 16,600 ft, I love going to unreachable places. The same holds true for how far I have come as a leader.

It was 2011, and I had just decided to organise an anti-corruption protest march. At that time, as an introverted techie, I had no idea what all would be involved, and I was filled with self-doubt and anxiety.

When I shared this with my mother, she replied back, “Yes, it is crazy. But you can do that. You will find out a way. Just put one foot after the next.”

Her words gave me the strength to organise what would turn out to be 400 people walking 11kms for the march

I lost my mother the next year – in 2012. It was only then I realised that how much of a rock she was for me. I took on and achieved multiple impossible milestones only because she was my rock. 

Today, I carry her legacy forward by being a rock for others. I coach, support, and guide leaders and entrepreneurs go beyond the limits of conventional success and to “unreachable” lands

I am not a sage on the stage – neither do I want to. I am a guide by your side – just like my mother was for me. 

I’ve dedicated my life to asking several essential questions:

Who am I really? 
If I can do this, what else can I do?
Why do people behave and perform the way they do?

I’ve been deeply touched by disciplines that shape my work: first-principles thinkingpsychology, systems thinking, neuroscience, emotional intelligence and eastern wisdom. And of course – my own stints with leadership and entrepreneurship.

One of my superpowers is to create safety and trust so that people do not have to wear a mask in front of me. People come to me when they are frustrated and stuck in achieving something that matters to them.

They leave feeling empowered, confident, relaxed, and ready to produce expanded results and relationships – for themselves as well as their teams. 

Intrigued? Curious? Write to me at sumit@deployyourself.com 

Or, if you want to view my photography work, take a look at these from AmsterdamParisItaly, and India. If you are into photo essays, you can see my photo essay from Kumbh Melaor from Streets of Kolkataor these two from Naples, or about Art In Our Cities.

About Deploy Yourself School of Leadership

“The first step toward change is to refuse to be deployed by others and to choose to deploy yourself.” – Warren Bennis

People today want to be led differently and have different expectations from leaders – they seek not only productivity and salary but also joy, meaning, purpose, wellbeing, and constant growth. 

Deploy Yourself School of Leadership exists to create the kind of leaders that we need in the 21st century.

Trying to control people and what they do, motivating them by rewards or punishment, and just doing ‘more’ and working ‘harder’ can only take you so far. And, there is huge price to be paid for that – increased stress, poor wellbeing and heath, and strained relationships.

In any given moment, you are either Deploying Yourself or being deployed by something external – other people, emotions, circumstances, or old and unexamined habits from the past. The good news is that the choice is yours – to continue being deployed or choosing to Deploy Yourself.

Deploy Yourself School of Leadership’s mission and commitment is to:-

  1. Elevate the level of leadership in our organizations, enabling work that nourishes and enriches people rather than making them sick.
  2. Use the heroic spirit of business as a force for good on our planet, and eliminate waste of effort and energy.
  3. Create a world where we can discuss any issue with each other as comrades, not as adversaries. (without hating or killing each other)
  4. Empower people to realize how powerful they are.

“Deploy Yourself” is about understanding ourselves, nurturing and developing our strengths in a way that allows our own unique light to shine upon the world, instead of following the path others have decided for us.

Want to know how we can help? Write to us at sumit@deployyourself.com