The Price of Free Calls: A Story of How Misinformation Hijacks the (brilliant) Mind.
- Albert Schiller
- Jun 23
- 2 min read
My NoSmalltalk session with Sanjana Rathi
Leadership is often perceived through the lens of external achievements, such as strategic victories, market dominance, or societal impact. Yet, the profound insights shared by Sanjana, a pioneering "cyber diplomat" at the forefront of digital ethics, reveal a deeper, often more demanding internal landscape. Authentic leadership, particularly in nascent or complex fields, compels an individual to confront their very nature. It mandates a relentless self-assessment beyond mere strategic acumen, challenging the leader to cultivate a specific set of qualities when no external guide exists.
Sanjana's early career provides a stark illustration of this internal demand. As a young leader operating in what remains a male-dominated industry, she faced circumstances where conventional mentorship or established playbooks were absent. Her experience led to a profound realization: "No one will be there" to provide the answers. This absence of external guidance forced an immediate confrontation with self. It underscored that in uncharted professional territory, the responsibility to forge a path and define direction rests solely on the leader's internal compass. Such solitude, while demanding, accelerates an unparalleled form of self-development.
This unique pressure led Sanjana to a critical understanding: leadership often necessitates a profound "molding yourself from inside", even when it means acting "against your nature". This is not a compromise of identity but a purposeful transformation driven by the demands of the role. She connects this to the concept of "sacrifice," referencing Nelson Mandela's 26 years in prison as a potent example of the personal cost required to effect larger societal change. This perspective is vital. It implies that impactful leadership is not merely about possessing inherent traits. It is about a deliberate, often arduous, cultivation of specific qualities and a willingness to transcend personal inclination for the sake of the mission.
Sanjana reinforces this by rejecting the notion of "duality" in a leader's approach. For her, ethical leadership requires unwavering clarity and an uncompromising commitment to one's defined role. To be "true to your role" means maintaining a constant, conscious awareness of responsibilities, particularly when making decisions. This internal bedrock of self-awareness and principled consistency enables effective external action. It prevents a leader from being swayed by external pressures or internal inconsistencies, anchoring them to the inherent logic of their mission.
Ultimately, Sanjana's insights reveal that effective leadership is less about a static set of inherent traits and more about a continuous process of self-awareness and personal development. It is about the willingness to confront one's limitations, adapt, and even transform personal nature to meet the axiomatic demands of a chosen purpose. It is a profound lesson for any individual charting a course where no map exists, demonstrating that the most impactful leadership is forged through rigorous, often solitary, self-cultivation.
5 Lessons I Learned from this Encounter:
Open Questions for Discussion
Sanjana suggests that leaders must sometimes act 'against their nature' for the role. This is not a form of self-betrayal, but rather a necessary step in personal growth for leadership, particularly when facing profound internal conflict.
If leadership is a cultivated set of human qualities, as Sanjana argues, what specific, non-academic practices can aspiring leaders adopt to develop self-awareness and disciplined decision-making in solitude rigorously?
Really like the blog.
Sometimes, acting 'against your nature' is how you realize your nature isn’t fixed, it’s evolving. Leadership is the lab where that evolution gets tested.
I have led several startups, and the most challenging part is not the decisions themselves. It is staying grounded when your ego wants to take over. The phrase “no one will be there” feels familiar. That silence often brings the most clarity. Sanjana’s ideas remind me that solitude is not a problem. It can be the very thing that keeps your values sharp in high-pressure environments.
Sanjana’s rejection of duality in leadership reminds me of virtue ethics, where values must be lived, not just declared. In digital diplomacy, where ethical thinking often arrives too late, her clarity is powerful. A leader who sacrifices comfort to keep inner values aligned with public decisions is rare. I will be using this piece in my graduate seminar on applied ethics. It is a sharp and necessary perspective.
The often-unseen personal crucible of leadership, where one's very nature is challenged and reshaped by the demands of purpose, demands our full intellectual attention. This transformation, a necessary sacrifice for clarity and effectiveness, determines whether a leader merely occupies a position or truly becomes the solution.