Leadership Stems from Being not Doing with Tanmay Vora

Making the case for leadership as a practice, not a performance.

In this episode, Charlotte Otter talks to Tanmay Vora about leadership, visual storytelling, non-linear careers, and what it really takes to build a meaningful reputation. Tanmay is a founder, visual leadership facilitator, TEDx speaker, author, blogger, and former software executive who has spent more than 25 years helping people and organisations make sense of complexity.

Tanmay’s believes that brevity is a gift. He shares how blogging and Twitter’s old 140-character limit taught him to sharpen his thinking, communicate clearly, and distil complex ideas into something people can actually absorb. That discipline eventually led him into visual storytelling, sketch notes, and illustrating bestselling books, including titles by Tiffany Bova.

Charlotte and Tanmay explore the power of discipline over motivation, and why showing up consistently matters more than waiting to feel inspired. They also talk about non-linear careers and why purpose should be seen not as a prison, but as a playground. Tanmay’s metaphor of human beings as diamonds with multiple facets rather than coins with two sides is one of the standout ideas in this episode, especially in a world where work and careers are changing fast.

The conversation also goes deep on modern leadership. Tanmay makes the case for leadership as a practice, not a performance. Instead of command-and-control, he argues for grace, decency, curiosity, inclusion, and wayfinding together. His line that leadership stems from your being, not your doing is one of the most powerful moments in the episode.

Charlotte and Tanmay also discuss personal reputation, how to build trust by working out loud, and why real influence is a byproduct of character, generosity, and consistency.

If you care about leadership communication, personal brand, visual thinking, career development, or changing outdated leadership archetypes, this episode is full of insight. It’s thoughtful, practical, and deeply human.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:
* Visual storytelling and why it matters in a distracted world
* Why discipline beats motivation
* Non-linear careers and tiny experiments
* Leadership as grace, not performance
* Reputation, trust, and working out loud Follow Tanmay on LinkedIn · Tanmay's work · Tanmay's books · · Follow Charlotte on LinkedIn · Subscribe to Speech Bubbles the newsletter · Link to buy We Need New Leaders