In boardrooms and business corridors where deadlines dominate calendars and targets define worth, a crucial question is being raised: who is really in charge — the leader or stress?
That question anchors Who Leads Who – Stress-free Leadership, Tools, Frameworks and the Art of Living Practices, a new book by Dr. CA Sangeeta Shankaran Sumesh, which explores how high-performing professionals can deliver results without surrendering their mental well-being.
The book carries a foreword by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, who writes:
“Dr CA Sangeeta has brought this work to life with exceptional depth. Drawing upon her decades of corporate leadership and passion for coaching, she presents innovative frameworks, practical tools, and assessments that leaders can immediately integrate into their professional and personal lives.”
Stress: The Silent Leadership Drain
The book opens with a stark reminder: being busy is not the same as being effective.
Stress, it argues, rarely appears only as workload or time pressure. It manifests in subtler, deeper ways:
- Emotional intelligence erodes when patience and empathy decline.
- Decision fatigue drains strategic clarity.
- Team management turns transactional instead of transformational.
- Organisational culture weakens as urgent tasks overshadow purpose.
- Self-care is sacrificed, shrinking resilience.
- Identity blurs under constant expectations and performance pressure.
The result is a leader who appears successful on the outside but feels depleted within.
Tools, Self-Checks and Ancient Wisdom
Unlike conventional leadership manuals heavy on theory, Who Leads Who offers a practical playbook.
Readers are guided through:
- Self-assessment checks to evaluate their current stress and leadership patterns.
- Easy-to-implement frameworks designed for real-world application.
- Transformational stories of leaders who rebuilt themselves from burnout to balance.
- Anecdotes from Indian Puranas, reframed to energise modern decision-making.
The book bridges corporate science and timeless wisdom, making it equally relevant to CXOs, entrepreneurs and emerging leaders.
Art of Living and Energy Management
A distinctive element of the book is its integration of practices inspired by Art of Living Foundation. Rather than treating stress as an unavoidable byproduct of ambition, the author positions breathwork, mindfulness and energy management as leadership superpowers.
The core message: mental wellness is not a luxury; it is a strategic asset.
High-performance leadership, the book argues, begins with internal alignment. When energy is managed intelligently, clarity improves, empathy deepens and results follow sustainably.
“Are You Leading Stress — or Is It Leading You?”
The blurb distils the premise into a provocative question. If stress has been calling the shots in your leadership journey, it is time to reverse roles.
Described as a “go-to playbook,” the book encourages leaders to breathe easy in order to lead easy — without compromising ambition or excellence.
About the Author
Sangeeta Shankaran Sumesh is a former Chief Financial Officer turned business and leadership coach. With over three decades of corporate experience, she blends financial acumen, boardroom insight and coaching expertise to help leaders grow on purpose, performance and profits.
A Chartered Accountant and Management Accountant with executive education from Harvard Business School and a doctorate from the Swiss School of Business & Management, she is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation, a TEDx and global professional speaker, an Art of Living practitioner and a bestselling author.
Her latest offering expands her portfolio by focusing not just on financial intelligence but on emotional and energetic intelligence — the hidden drivers of sustainable leadership.
The Larger Conversation
As workplaces evolve in the era of AI, digital acceleration and relentless competition, the conversation around burnout is no longer optional.
Who Leads Who positions itself not as a stress management guide, but as a leadership reset — one that invites professionals to reclaim control, align purpose with performance and show stress who is truly the boss.
For leaders navigating complexity, the book makes one argument clear: the real power lies within — and it begins with mastering the mind.
