Let me pull back the curtain and show you something real. Over the past two weeks, my spine has decided to stage a rebellion. Acute back pain, the kind that gnaws at you day and night, doesn’t care if you’re leading a team or crafting a campaign. But guess what? That struggle, that relentless ache, became my unlikely muse.

Here’s the truth no one tells you: leadership in advertising isn’t about looking good on a magazine cover. It’s about pushing through when your body is screaming and still finding the fire to turn chaos into clarity. This is my manifesto, born not from comfort but from that very real, very human struggle.

From Pain to Manifesto: The Brutal Art of Leading in Advertising by Nikhil Sharda

In this game, some inspire with words. Others do it with a broken back and a smile at 7:00 AM. Guess which one gets the job done.

Read on Substack
Tags: