Leadership lessons from costly mistakes: An IIT and ISB-educated manager has sparked widespread discussion by publicly acknowledging how poor management practices led to the departure of three talented employees early in his career.

Leadership lessons from costly mistakes: An IIT and ISB-educated manager has sparked widespread discussion by publicly acknowledging how poor management practices led to the departure of three talented employees early in his career. Rather than blaming his team, he identified his own failures, including failure to verbally recognize contributions, misinterpreting high workloads as trust signals, and becoming defensive when challenged. His candid reflection highlights a critical gap in elite business education, which emphasizes technical and strategic skills but often overlooks the interpersonal dimensions of effective leadership. The manager's insights underscore that talent retention depends heavily on clear communication, genuine acknowledgment, and decisive decision-making, not just compensation or role prestige.