The Two 'I's of Leadership

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My Sustainable Encounter with Anuj Kumar Bhatia

by Albert Schiller

We analyze corporate actions through the lens of profit and strategy. But what if the most critical factor is the internal state of the leader: are their decisions driven by the outer 'I' of ego, or the inner 'I' of the soul?

After deconstructing the systemic flaws in our approach to sustainability, my conversation with the social sector veteran Anuj Bhatia took a turn. We moved from the external world of frameworks and governance to the internal world of the leader. His final analysis was not about corporate systems, but about the human soul. He argues that to understand why organizations act the way they do, we must first understand the fundamental duality that governs every leader: the conflict between the two 'I's.

The Parable of the Two 'I's

Anuj’s framework is built on a simple but profound distinction. There is the "I" of the ego, the outer self, concerned with status, perception, and how one appears to others. And there is the "I" of the soul, the inner self, open, curious, and authentic. “When we are born,” he explains, “my soul is open, completely open.” A child is unconcerned with failure or judgment.

This state does not last. He tells a powerful parable: a child comes home from a 100-meter race, happy to have participated. "What was your position?" an adult asks. "Tenth," the child replies. "How many children were there?" "Ten." The adult's reaction is dismissive. "You were last... This is a failure."

In that moment, Anuj argues, "my I gets hurt. My soul understands that this is right and this is wrong... and this keeps on growing." We are conditioned by a lifetime of such judgments. We learn to suppress the inner 'I' of the soul and operate almost exclusively from the outer 'I' of the ego, which is governed by a single, fearful question: "What will people think?"

The Ego on the Balance Sheet

This psychological shift has massive consequences in the corporate world. An ego-driven leader makes decisions based on appearances. Their focus is on the metrics that look good, the grand gestures that generate positive press, and the certifications that provide a veneer of compliance. As Anuj notes, the entire world may applaud a billionaire's foray into space travel, but the soul asks a different question: "how much carbon footprints, what you are doing!"

The 'outer I' is obsessed with the question of need versus desire, and it consistently chooses desire. It seeks more status, more growth, and more recognition. In sustainability, this translates to a "book-oriented" approach. An ego-driven leader is content with a certificate that proves they are compliant, because the certificate looks good. They are less concerned with whether their people actually know how to use the fire extinguisher.

A leader operating from the 'inner I,' however, would make different choices. They would prioritize substance over appearance. They would, in Anuj’s words, "do small, do real." They would focus on the unglamorous, ground-level changes that create genuine well-being for their employees and communities, because the soul is motivated by connection and service, not by status.

Anuj's framework is a radical call for introspection. It suggests that the sustainability of any organization is a direct reflection of the inner state of its leaders. An ego-driven leadership will inevitably create a superficial, compliance-focused culture. A soul-driven leadership is the only kind that can make an authentic, resilient, and genuine one. His final advice to corporate leaders is therefore not a business strategy, but a personal one: "Start opening your inner I because time is less."

So what can we take from his approach?

Questions for Audience

1. Anuj's parable of the "two 'I's" suggests that childhood experiences of judgment can shape adult leadership styles. How can a leader today consciously work to "re-open their inner I" and make decisions less driven by their ego?

2. The blog contrasts ego-driven actions (like chasing certifications) with soul-driven ones ("do small, do real"). In a corporate environment that often rewards visible, ego-friendly achievements, how can an organization create incentives that encourage and reward quieter, "soul-driven" progress?