Leadership- A Crown of Thorns?

This edition brings together a single, cohesive narrative. Leadership is no longer only about capability. It is equally about capacity. The energy to think clearly. The courage to listen. The ability to hold performance and humanity together. Across this issue, we explore what it truly takes for leaders to remain vital in the face of pressure. How psychological safety shapes whether voices are heard or silenced. How technology, when used with intention, can protect judgment rather than erode it. And how shifting expectations across generations and society are reshaping what responsible leadership looks like today.

This issue opens with a feature conversation from Mahindra & Mahindra, where the safe2express movement shows how psychological safety can be built as a leadership capability, with speaking up and experimentation treated as catalysts for growth, while accountability stays non negotiable. From there, we step into the quieter moments organisations often miss, when high performers stop contributing and “silent resignation” begins, and what it really takes to make contribution feel both safe and responsible. We then move inward to the leader’s inner battery, where vitality becomes the difference between simply coping and leading with steadiness, especially when capability is high but capacity is running low. Finally, we widen the lens to the future, the ecosystems leaders need to keep learning at scale, the role of AI as decluttering and a second lens that protects judgment, and the shifting expectations leaders must now hold across Gen Z, sustainability, and the responsibility they carry beyond the next quarter.