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 and photographing them. The same holds true for how far I have come as a leader.
I still remember that day. 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 in doing that, and I was filled with self-doubt and anxiety.
When I shared this with my mother, she replied back, “Yes, it is crazy. But knowing you for who you are, I am sure you can do that. You will find out a way. Just put one foot after the next.” Her words gave me the belief and confidence to actually 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 I could always see confidence and belief in her eyes and words. She was my rock.
Today, I carry her legacy forward by being a rock for those who are changing the world. I coach, support, and guide some of the biggest impact makers on the planet. I am not a sage on the stage – neither do I want to. I am a guide by the side – just like my mother was for me.
Today I help leaders go beyond the limits of conventional success and to “unreachable” lands. Just like I going to the high-altitude mountain passes in the Himalayas – the highest so far has been 18,300 feet.
Ever since I lost my mother, I’ve dedicated my life to understanding human behaviour and answering several essential questions.
Who am I really?
What wants to happen through me?
Why do people behave and perform the way they do?
I’ve studied and have been deeply inspired by disciplines that shape my coaching: psychology, systems thinking, neuroscience, embodiment, entrepreneurship 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. I am left in awe and wonder as I guide people to find and shine their own unique light.
People come to me feeling frustrated, low on energy, and stuck in achieving something that matters to them. They come confused and with their lights DIM and leave with their lights shining many times brighter.
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 best photographs, take a look at these from Amsterdam, Paris, Italy, and India. If you are into photo essays, you can see my photo essay from Kumbh Mela, or from Streets of Kolkata, or 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.
The APC Model to Deploy Yourself
There is more to being human than just thinking and analysing. If life is an iceberg, then it has 3 layers, and we need to Deploy Ourselves at all levels.
1. Your Actions – The Visible Layer
This is what we usually focus on – doing more, being busy, working hard, etc – to create better results.
2. Presence – The Hidden Layer
Presence is the quality of our being. It includes our moods, emotions, energy, and body. Unless we are present, we are operating only from limited bandwidth.
3. Care & Purpose – The Hidden Layer
Identifying what we (and others) most deeply care about allows us to create better teams, well-being, and results.
Deploy Yourself School of Leadership’s mission and commitment is to:-
- Elevate the level of leadership in our organizations, enabling work that nourishes and enriches people rather than making them sick.
- Use the heroic spirit of business as a force for good on our planet, and eliminate waste of effort and energy.
- Create a world where we can discuss any issue with each other as comrades, not as adversaries. (without hating or killing each other)
- 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