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By:

Divyaa Advaani 

2 November 2024 at 3:28:38 am

Why Growth Feels Lonely

Success has a strange way of changing the atmosphere around a person. The climb is crowded, competitive, and loud — but the higher you rise, the quieter it becomes. Many founders who once dreamed of hitting big revenues and building powerful teams are surprised to find that the peak feels more isolating than they ever imagined. They have stability, scale, and status — yet they carry responsibilities, decisions, and pressures that very few people around them can fully understand. And that...

Why Growth Feels Lonely

Success has a strange way of changing the atmosphere around a person. The climb is crowded, competitive, and loud — but the higher you rise, the quieter it becomes. Many founders who once dreamed of hitting big revenues and building powerful teams are surprised to find that the peak feels more isolating than they ever imagined. They have stability, scale, and status — yet they carry responsibilities, decisions, and pressures that very few people around them can fully understand. And that isolation doesn’t come from weakness; it comes from leadership. People stay close to successful individuals, but often with expectations — a favour, an introduction, an opportunity, some hidden benefit. Wealth and influence attract attention, but rarely authenticity. And for many business owners, especially those running companies upward of Rs 90 crores, this is where the silent disconnect begins. They are surrounded by people but starved of genuine connection. Yet beneath this loneliness lies a deeper, more strategic issue that most leaders never pause to consider: the brand they project externally no longer matches the identity they need internally. Their success is visible — deals, achievements, awards, numbers. But personal branding isn’t just about visibility. It is about emotional resonance, relational depth, and the quality of the people who enter your space because of who you are, not what you have built. Here’s the truth most high-performing founders overlook: loneliness at the top doesn’t come from success — it comes from the absence of aligned relationships. And that gap is bridged only when leaders intentionally shape their personal brand. When a founder’s personal brand becomes clear, something shifts. People begin to see the human behind the entrepreneur. They understand the leader’s values, personality, and intentions. The communication becomes more meaningful. Teams speak more openly. Partnerships become smoother. Even day-to-day interactions feel less transactional and more genuine. A well-aligned personal brand acts as an emotional filter — drawing in people who resonate with your energy and quietly distancing the ones who don’t. For business owners managing large-scale operations, the need today is not popularity. It is positioning. Presence. Influence. Trust. Because once your personal brand reflects depth, clarity, confidence, and relatability, you stop attracting people who want to take something from you — and start attracting people who want to contribute, collaborate, and grow alongside you. With the right personal brand, authority no longer has to come with isolation. Leadership becomes magnetic rather than demanding. Teams align faster. Networks strengthen naturally. And the circle around you evolves from being crowded to being meaningful. The irony is that most founders think their next stage of growth requires new strategies, new hires, or new markets. But often, what they actually need is a stronger sense of identity — one that the world can see, feel, and connect with. Because expansion doesn’t only happen in revenue charts; it happens in relationships, and relationships are built on perception. The clearer your identity, the stronger your influence. And the stronger your influence, the easier it becomes for people to trust you, align with you, and open doors that were previously inaccessible. So if the world around you has gotten quieter as you’ve risen higher, perhaps it is not a sign of distance — but a sign that it’s time to realign how people experience you. Not just as the owner of a successful business, but as a leader whose presence carries credibility, warmth, and clarity. Success is fulfilling, growth is exciting, but connection is what gives leadership its depth. And only a well-aligned personal brand can create the kind of connection that feels genuine, nourishing, and empowering. If you’ve reached a stage where your achievements speak loudly but your identity feels misunderstood or unseen, then it may be time to reshape the way the world perceives you. Not to impress, not to sell, but to finally be experienced in the way you truly intend to be. If this resonates with your journey, you’re welcome to reach out for a conversation here: https://sprect.com/pro/divyaaadvaani Not for introductions. Not for transactions. For alignment — and perhaps for the first step toward a personal brand that grows with you, not away from you. (The author is a personal branding expert. She has clients from 14+ countries. Views personal.)

Bangladeshis in Our Cities: The Hidden Migrant Crisis

Updated: Jan 2

Bangladeshis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has resolved to crack down on illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in Mumbai. But who are these immigrants, how many are there?


The numbers remain elusive. Various estimates suggest tens of thousands—possibly even hundreds of thousands—reside in the Mumbai metropolitan area. To the discerning eye, they are everywhere: in bustling bazaars, on construction sites, in restaurants and even at municipal waste centers. From fruit sellers at Vashi Plaza to labourers in Navi Mumbai’s residential complexes, the prevalence of Bangladeshi workers is striking. They often blend into the urban tapestry, presenting themselves as migrants from West Bengal or Assam, aided by fake Indian identity documents acquired through corrupt networks.


The motivations for migration are clear. Bangladesh’s dense population and limited economic opportunities drive people to India, where they take up low-paying jobs often spurned by locals. Construction work, domestic help, street vending and small-scale factory jobs are dominated by these migrants. Their willingness to accept lower wages and poor working conditions creates resentment among Indians displaced from such roles.


The impact of illegal immigration extends beyond employment. In cities like Mumbai, infrastructure and public services are already stretched to breaking point. Schools, hospitals and public transport groan under the weight of an ever-increasing population. Bangladeshi children admitted under quotas for economically weaker sections have begun to crowd classrooms in private schools, while public hospitals are overwhelmed by patients lacking documentation or legal residency.


The security implications are equally troubling. Law enforcement agencies periodically arrest Bangladeshi nationals involved in criminal activities, including theft, smuggling, and even militancy. The arrest of undocumented migrants, however, rarely results in deportation. Deportation remains a bureaucratic quagmire, hindered by poor cooperation between Indian and Bangladeshi authorities.


There are darker undercurrents too. Some immigrants have been linked to extremist networks or act as conduits for espionage. Instances of radical preaching by Bangladeshi clerics in Indian cities highlight the potential for ideological subversion. For decades, illegal Bangladeshi migration has been entwined with Indo-Bangladesh relations. The initial wave, in the 1980s, was reportedly aided by underworld syndicates that used migrants as couriers, enforcers or sex workers.


Identifying these migrants can be difficult, particularly as many speak Bengali and adopt Indian-sounding nicknames to avoid detection. Their fluency in Hindi and Urdu further complicates matters. Yet subtle differences in dialect and cultural practices occasionally reveal their origins to those with a trained eye.


India faces a dilemma. On one hand, illegal Bangladeshi immigrants fill a labour gap in roles that are unattractive to locals. On the other, they strain already limited resources, disrupt labour markets and pose security threats. Successive governments have struggled to implement coherent policies, oscillating between rhetoric and sporadic crackdowns.


Addressing the issue requires more than ad hoc measures. India needs robust border management, effective bilateral dialogue with Bangladesh and streamlined deportation processes. Corruption among local officials must be curbed. For now, the sight of Bangladeshis labouring in anonymity remains a common one in India’s metropolises. Unless structural reforms accompany political will, the question of illegal immigration will remain unanswered.


(The author runs an NGO, Society for Economic and Entrepreneurship Development. Views personal.)

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