In the hustle of building a start-up, it’s easy for passion to blur into pressure. Many founders believe their intensity is justified—that raising their voice or pushing too hard is just part of chasing excellence. But one leader’s story shows how a single question from a junior employee forced him to confront the uncomfortable truth about his behaviour and power.
Delhi-based founder, Himanshu Kalra, recalls that years ago, while leading a team, he often yelled at team members during stressful moments. To him, it felt like an obsession with quality, a sign of how deeply he cared about the work. But during a one-on-one, a young employee asked him something that cut through his self-justification: “Do you ever yell at your bosses?”
The question floored him. The employee went on to explain that he never raised his voice to those above him because he couldn’t—but with juniors, his authority allowed him to shout and still convince himself it was about logic or standards.
That moment flipped a switch. The founder began noticing how people often disguise control as “care” or “expectation.” He compared it to a husband who says he hits his wife out of love, or a manager who justifies shouting as a push for better performance. In reality, he realised, it wasn’t passion or high standards—it was unchecked power.
He admitted that it’s far easier to be kind to someone who has authority over you. The real challenge is to treat those with less power the same way. Today, he credits that brave employee for keeping him accountable and helping him evolve as a leader and as a person.