Amidst a landscape populated by fleeting figures and superficial leadership, genuine character, seasoned wisdom, and deep experience forge the path to authentic leadership. Saroj Chadha, a man whose remarkable journey has traversed continents, industries, and decades, embodies this rare quality. Although his titles reflect his stature, it’s the lasting impact he has created that truly defines him.
Saroj Chadha is not only a retired officer of the Indian Army but also a successful entrepreneur, a best-selling author, and, most importantly, a die-hard believer in self-leadership.
Early Life and the Call of Duty
Saroj Chadha comes from a family that has the distinction of serving the Indian Army for four generations. His thinking and approach to life are inspired by the military – simple, straight, honest, and always focused on doing right by the nation. He served for 25 years in the Army, where he naturally adapted and embodied the core values and principles of military life that include discipline, integrity, courage, valour, selflessness, sacrifice , loyalty , and non -discrimination. This was followed by five years in the corporate world and another 22 years as an entrepreneur in a joint venture. What has been remarkable in his life is his ability to seamlessly integrate into different environments and embrace the diverse challenges and demands that came his way.
He attributes all this to the character, belief in core values, and a special brand of leadership that he adopted into every facet of his life. He believes that if you focus on doing well by the nation, you will always do well by society, family, and oneself.
“On a symbolic level, a military uniform has a lot going for it. It signifies pride, a special identity, brotherhood, and traits like honesty, integrity, courage, and selflessness are automatically attributed to the wearer. It gives you an unmatched totemic identity,” says Saroj Chadha.
From Regimented Ranks to the Corporate World
Joining the corporate world was a lifechanging experience for Saroj. Most people struggle to apply themselves beyond their normal area of expertise. Still, he thrived by utilising his fundamental belief in self-leadership, which is the capacity to lead one’s own self before leading others.
His entry into the industry began in project management, where adaptability, new learning, and flexibility became essential. Saroj was
able to advance his career, notwithstanding the politics and corporate intrigues that are not part of a soldier’s environment. He made people admire and commit to him by building trust, promoting transparency, and delivering performance excellence.
His philosophy was straightforward but deeply rooted in his convictions. He says, “In case you are good to yourself, you will encourage other people to be good to themselves. The organisation flourishes when the leader and the team are in harmony with themselves.”
The Entrepreneurial Leap and Global Success
After a short five-year corporate career, he decided to venture into entrepreneurship. Over the next two decades, he built a thriving business in the field of industrial automation in a joint venture with a French company. He successfully overcame the inherent challenges associated with new ventures like risk, competition, and the need for innovation with his unique style of leadership that was not only visionary but also empathetic, disciplined, and dynamic.
In his words, “A new venture is akin to a new battle as in both you are stepping into the unknown. Therefore, strategy, dynamic planning, morale, and team work are as important in entrepreneurship as in war”
The Pen as a Sword – Writing as His Next Mission
His love for writing resulted in his calling it a day, about six years back, from his business interests. In the last five years, he has published five powerful books that include autobiographical reflections, fiction, and socio-political subjects of national importance. Additionally, he has published about 480 articles on his two blogs on diverse national issues.
His latest book, published in 2023, INDIA’s TRYSTWITH 2024, won the prestigious International Author Excellence Award, 2025 in Dubai this year. In reality, it was more than a book; it was a call for democracy. The book was aimed at exhorting and enabling citizens to make informed choices while voting during the 2024 national elections. His writings clearly show that he is not afraid to air his honest opinions on subjects of national importance, in a blunt & frank manner.
Leadership Reimagined – The Power of Self-Leadership
The concept that defines the legacy of Saroj Chadha, to a large extent, is selfleadership. Unlike the traditional paradigm of leadership based on the concepts of hierarchy and influence by outside sources, Saroj relies on his internal resource centre housed within himself.
In defining it, he says it is the power to shape one’s life towards a successful existence. Its day-to-day significance is relatable. Whether in his army life, his entrepreneurial endeavours, or his literary pursuits, this idea has always given him the strength to respond well to changing challenges with swiftness and composure.
Self-leadership is not a hype to him; it is a skill. He likes to say, and with reason, that “You cannot go out to fix the world before you fix yourself by learning to listen to your inner voice. Your inner voice is your real guide and mentor in your life.”
Post-Retirement – Redefining Relevance
Even today, as he approaches his eighties, Saroj continues to write and hopes to publish his next book in a year. His remarkable energy levels help him to pursue his other passions like reading, exotic cooking, learning singing, and keeping in touch with friends and family.
He strongly believes that one is the youngest one will ever be today; tomorrow, one will be a day older. But the good thing is that tomorrow you will once again be the youngest ever. In short, he says, “You are young every day, so why not enjoy and make the most of this uniqueness?”
It is the incredible zest for life, supported by constant change, continual development, and the never-fading inner barometer, that makes Saroj Chadha a great leader but also a role model to anyone engaged in the process of finding a purpose in life and creating an identity for themselves.
Facing Adversity with Grace and Resilience
One of the most challenging experiences of Saroj’s life was when he voluntarily opted to retire early from the Indian Army due to some urgent family needs. The decision to bid farewell to the olive-green uniform and to cut short a promising career was a very difficult one and came with an immense emotional strain.
This is where my inner voice came to my rescue when it said to me, “You can be a soldier even in civilian clothes. What matters is the character; the uniform is only symbolic.”
The soldier within him, aided with an unwavering positivity and inherent optimism, has been a driving force throughout his life. From battling corporate bureaucracy and navigating the inherent challenges and risks of entrepreneurial ventures to embracing aging with dignity and meaning, he has consistently met challenges with swiftness and composure. He maintains unwavering self-belief, listens to his inner voice, and readily redirects or reinvents his path as needed.
The InnerVoice – A Spiritual Anchor
To truly understand Saroj Chadha is to comprehend the profound depths of his inner stillness. It is in this silence that his inner voice resonates, a sacred compass woven from conscience, intuition, and spiritual insight, offering profoundly personal and transformative guidance.
He considers that the inner voice is our soul and conscience talking to us. By learning to listen, we will be guided, rooted, and lifted. It is the truest teacher that we can ever get.
To truly lead amidst the escalating noise of today’s world, Saroj Chadha urges new leaders to find and foster moments of silence, both within themselves and in their surroundings. This practice, he asserts, enables them to listen to their internal guidance, distinguishing the signal from the noise to make truly informed decisions.
Mentorship and Legacy – The Advice He Offers to Emerging Leaders
When offering advice to young leaders, Saroj avoids a one-size-fits-all template. He stresses on self-awareness, self learning, vision, goal setting, balance in life, and being proactive.
He says, “A leader should raise his hand when responsibility beckons instead of waiting for it to be thrust upon him. Always be proactive in this regard.”
His advice also centres on –
- Spiritual and emotional well-being
- Life-long learning
- Change tolerance, i.e., the ability to adapt to changes
- Maintaining the sanctity of one’s core values.
He says, “All this can be achieved through Self-leadership. It makes you understand yourself and be accountable to yourself, which is the highest form of accountability. It also helps you to take care of your physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental wellbeing so that you can focus on your job at hand.”
Future Vision – Finding Fulfilment in a Simplified Existence
Even as awards and acclaim flow in, Saroj Chadha’s goals for the future are refreshingly modest. Good mental & physical health, emotional clarity, financial discipline, and a joy of creating and learning something new continually. These are the new benchmarks that he has set for himself.
He continues to write, and relationships and friendships are enduring. His life, by any metric, is a testament to legacy building with humility and depth.
“I’m not done,” he smiles. “I just move differently now, with more intention and less urgency.”
Why Saroj Chadha’s Leadership Matters More Than Ever in 2025
Saroj Chadha is not a man who follows trends; he is a man who sets everlasting examples. He navigates a world where people constantly seek guidance and direction. He offers a steady hand amidst the tumult, bringing clarity to the clamour. While others seek external validation or frameworks, he consults his inner compass, aligning with his core values and heeding his intuition.
Having successfully led in the demanding arena of the Army, transitioned to guiding businesses, and now captivating readers and citizens through his literary work, his proven leadership principles resonate across diverse fields. He underscores the importance of ‘integrity, discipline, compassion, wisdom, and moral and physical courage’ as foundational to effective leadership for everyone.
He is not only a leader to watch for in 2025, but also a leader to look up to, be influenced by, and, more importantly, a leader to emulate in the future.
