Do You Know If Your Leadership Has Outlasted Its Relevance

Are you still growing—or just holding on?

Are you leading with fresh eyes—or stuck in old frames?

Have you ever wondered if your role has changed, but you haven’t?

Is your purpose still alive, or has it quietly become a comfort blanket?

These aren’t easy questions. But they’re essential.

Because leadership isn’t reserved for CEOs or board members alone. It’s a mindset. Whether you’re managing a team of two or 20, heading a project, or simply trying to find your place in a sprawling corporate maze—these questions matter to you too. We often speak about leadership as something for ‘them’—the top brass—but the truth is, we’re all leaders in our own context.

And in corporate India, where hierarchies are deeply entrenched and change can be slow, this self-reflection is rare. We cling to titles, routines, and identities as anchors, even when the waters around us shift beneath our feet.

Firstly, your original context is not your current reality.

Let me explain what I mean.

Every role—whether you’re a fresh graduate stepping into your first team lead role, or a seasoned executive steering a multinational—begins in a certain context. Maybe you were the problem solver, the ‘go-to’ person during crises. Or the innovator who shook things up. But what happens when the organisation evolves, when the market shifts, or when your team’s needs morph?

If you don’t adapt, you risk becoming obsolete—an actor still performing a script nobody wrote for today’s stage.

I remember speaking with a mid-level manager who said, “I was promoted because I delivered results fast. Now, my job is to build consensus across teams. But I’m still wired for speed.”

It wasn’t a failure as he thought—it was a mismatch between his original purpose and current demands.

The same applies to senior leaders who were once the architects of rapid growth but now need to nurture stability and culture. If the context changes and your leadership doesn’t, you become a friction point instead of a force multiplier.

Secondly, power without self-inquiry becomes inertia.

It’s easy to mistake familiarity for mastery. In fact, the higher you climb, the more tempting it is to stop questioning. After all, why rock the boat when things appear to work?

But here’s the hard truth: power that is unexamined stagnates.

An old client, a founder of a growing family business, once told me, “I stay on because everyone expects me to. But sometimes I feel like I’m just taking up space.”

I asked, “Have you asked yourself what space you should take up now?”

He laughed, “No one told me I’d have to re-learn how to be useful.”

That’s a powerful moment: recognising that your role isn’t fixed but fluid.

To every professional out there—whether you’re managing a team or leading a division—ask yourself:

Are you still contributing your best self? Or just repeating familiar moves?

Thirdly, purpose is not a lifetime licence. It must be revalidated.

Purpose fuels leadership. It gives energy, direction, and meaning. But it’s also easy to become trapped in a purpose that served well once but now serves only the ego or habit.

I recall a senior executive who confided, “My purpose used to be transforming the company. Now, it feels like I’m just maintaining the legacy.”

I asked, “Is maintaining legacy what the company needs most right now—or is it something else?”

Purpose without reflection can become a blind spot.

For junior professionals, your purpose might start as ‘learning fast’ or ‘proving yourself.’ But after a few years, that purpose needs renewal. Maybe it’s time to shift from proving to empowering others, or from executing tasks to shaping strategy.

If you resist that evolution, your passion dims and your work becomes a grind.

Fourthly, legacy isn’t about tenure—it’s about impact.

Here’s something often missed in corporate India: legacy isn’t measured by how many years you’ve clocked, or how many reports you’ve signed off. It’s about what continues to thrive after you’ve moved on.

I’ve met many leaders who cling to their roles as if stepping down would mean admitting failure. But true leadership is about succession, about enabling others to shine.

One of my board colleagues put it simply, “If I haven’t made myself replaceable, I haven’t done my job.”

This applies to everyone—not just CEOs. Whether you lead a small team or a business unit, ask yourself:

What am I building that lasts?

Who am I preparing to take the baton?

So, here’s the takeaway—for every professional, at every level.

“Leadership is not a position, it’s a practice of renewal.”

And,

“Clinging to old purpose is the surest way to become irrelevant.”

Pause today—not to judge or regret—but to reflect deeply on your role and purpose.

Are you still serving the needs of your organisation—or just your own comfort?

Is your leadership growing with the challenges of today—or clinging to yesterday’s victories?

Have you invested time in reinventing your contribution, or are you on autopilot?

Because the hardest, most courageous leadership move is often not to push harder, but to pause, reassess, and sometimes step aside with grace.

For the younger professional: don’t wait for your title to lead. Lead by adapting, learning, and knowing when to let go of old scripts.

For the seasoned leader: know that your real strength lies not in how long you stay but in how well you prepare others to rise.

Leadership is a living, breathing journey—not a trophy to be hoarded.

So, ask yourself—what does your leadership need now?

And be ready for the answer, however uncomfortable it might be.

Dr. Srinath Sridharan is a policy researcher and corporate advisor.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the author, and do not necessarily represent the views of NDTV Profit or its editorial team.