The Man Who Forgot to Live

One of India's fastest growing city next to New Delhi is Noida. In its sleek glass towers, IT company called EC Mantra was once a name whispered with admiration. But those days were long gone. At the helm sat Kunal Sethi, the company’s Director — always in a branded shirt, always frowning, and always micromanaging. He had no idea how code worked, what innovation meant, or why his team looked so dead inside. Yet he held every decision hostage.

When people shared new ideas, he’d respond with lines like, “Let’s circle back later,” or “How does this improve our quarterly chart?” Talented youngsters left. Meetings turned into rituals of silence. Kunal, meanwhile, thrived on appearing busy — endless spreadsheets, buzzwords, and coffee he never finished.

One night, reading a letter of resignation from an exceptional designer, Kunal noticed something hand-written at the end:

"Sir, existence is not life. May you find the courage to live someday."

He snickered. "Another philosopher!" he grumbled.

But that evening, by himself in his cold office with motion detectors killing lights, Kunal gazed at his reflection in the glass wall. He knew — he had no recollections, only meetings; no happiness, only buzzwords.

He hadn’t really lived.

But by then, the wheels had turned too far. EC Mantra was crumbling. Visionless leadership had done its damage.

No one remembers Kunal’s strategy decks. But they do remember their ex boss when crossed a quote from Oscar Wilde somewhere on LinkedIn: 

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” — Oscar Wilde

Moral: 

True leadership isn’t about control; it’s about passion, vision, and the ability to inspire life, not just existence.