This is the year of Mahakumbh and how can we not talk about ‘Maha Samundra Manthan’. In this story, poison surfaced before nectar. Shiva stepped in — not to destroy the poison, but to hold it, so the process could continue.

In organizations, leaders are in a similar space. During change, what surfaces first is often confusion, fear, or noise. It’s their choices and behaviour that matter the most in that situation. Do they pass everything down as-is or do they pause, process, and choose what’s needed to be passed forward?

Leadership in those moments isn’t about quick answers — it’s about thoughtful containment. About filtering what helps, and letting go of what doesn’t serve. Because what gets passed on shapes how the team thinks, feels, and moves.

A couple of reflection questions for the leaders:

  • What are you choosing to hold, filter, or transform before passing it on to your team?
  • When tension or uncertainty surfaces, how do you decide what truly needs to be shared, and what needs to be made sense of first?