Leadership, Loss and the Lessons of Yoga

Meeting uncertainty with humility, courage and compassion

Growth often begins quietly—nurtured by unseen tears, unfolding through small acts of courage. Even in uncertainty, new life finds a way.

A few months before beginning my yoga teacher training, I found myself in a period of transition. After losing my job due to a structural change, I was navigating the uncertainty that comes with being between roles. During that time, yoga philosophy became more than just a personal practice—it became a way to reflect more deeply on leadership, resilience and growth.

It’s easy to assume that yoga and business belong to entirely different worlds—one focused on inner stillness, the other on external outcomes. But the deeper I go into my practice, the more I realise they are not opposites at all. Yoga isn’t about escaping reality; it’s about meeting it with steadiness, clarity and compassion. And leadership, at its best, asks us to do the same.

In yoga philosophy, the kleshas are described as five obstacles or afflictions that cloud judgement and create suffering: avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego), raga (attachment), dvesha (aversion), and abhinivesha (fear of loss). At first, I thought of them as personal struggles. But over time, I realised they also shape how we lead, how we navigate uncertainty, and how we show up for ourselves and others.

Avidya (Ignorance)

Avidya is the inability to see things as they truly are.

During my time between jobs, I noticed how easily I tied my worth to my job title. Financial responsibility is important, but my worth isn’t defined by a role or a salary. Reducing myself to those measures made me lose sight of both the full landscape of who I am, and the wider possibilities of who I could become.

In leadership, avidya shows up when we cling to outdated beliefs, resist change or misinterpret others’ intentions. No leader has all the answers—and recognising that creates space for curiosity, collaboration and deeper connection. Humility, I am learning, is not a weakness but a form of wisdom.

Asmita (Ego)

Asmita arises from over-identification with the ‘I’. Career transitions have a way of exposing how tightly we hold onto identity. Pride in past achievements, the sting of rejection, the silent comparisons - we all feel them.

Yoga teacher training is reminding me to soften the grip of ‘I’ and to trust in the power of ‘we’—to create spaces where everyone is invited to contribute, explore and lead in their own way. In leadership too, when ego loosens, new possibilities open. Shared purpose grows stronger than individual ambition.

Raga (Attachment)

Raga is attachment to comfort, familiarity or pleasure. I found myself clinging to the identity I had built over my career - the version of myself that felt ‘safe’ and ‘known.’ Letting go wasn’t easy. It still isn’t. But slowly, I’m learning that loosening my grip makes space for something new to emerge.

In leadership, raga often shows up as holding onto familiar strategies or successes, even when the ground has shifted. Gratitude for the past matters — but so does the willingness to evolve.

Dvesha (Aversion)

Dvesha is resistance to discomfort or perceived threats. At the start of the new year, I dreaded small talk, networking events, even casual conversations with friends — anything that might stir up the vulnerability of not having answers. Yet often, the conversations I feared most brought the most unexpected encouragement or clarity.

Leadership, too, demands the courage to sit with discomfort, to hear uncomfortable truths and to stay open. Growth rarely happens without it.

Abhinivesha (Fear of Loss)

Abhinivesha is the fear of change, loss or death. This klesha was perhaps the most persistent companion during my months of transition — the fear of being judged, of making a mistake, of not finding my way back. But slowly, a different possibility emerged: what if these rejections weren’t endings, but redirections?

Without this space, I may not have had the chance to study yoga so deeply. It was a risk I didn’t choose — but a gift nonetheless. In leadership, fear of failure often keeps potential locked away. But reframing uncertainty as an opening, rather than a threat, can be transformative — for ourselves, and for the communities we serve.

Leadership Questions Inspired by the Kleshas

The kleshas aren’t abstract concepts; they are daily mirrors, showing us where we cling, resist or fear — and inviting us to meet those places with compassion and curiosity. These are the questions I carry forward:

• Avidya (Ignorance): What assumptions might I be making that don’t reflect reality? How can I seek clarity by inviting diverse perspectives?

• Asmita (Ego): Am I prioritising personal recognition over collective success? How can I empower others to lead or contribute?

• Raga (Attachment): What familiar strategies or successes am I clinging to? How might letting go create space for innovation?

• Dvesha (Aversion): What challenges or conversations am I avoiding? How might facing discomfort lead to progress?

• Abhinivesha (Fear of Loss): What risks am I avoiding due to fear of failure? How can I reframe uncertainty as an opportunity?

Transitions — whether in careers, relationships, roles or identities — are tender places. They ask us to loosen our grip, soften our resistance, and trust that something new is taking shape, even if we can’t see it yet.

Yoga reminds me that we are not broken when we are in-between. We are becoming.

And if we can meet that becoming with humility, courage and compassion, we might just emerge not only stronger — but freer.