In an era when leadership is often measured by growth, scale and financial performance,
Shantanu Chakravartty’s book Leadership with Purpose offers a different lens—one that places character, values and a sense of service at the heart of institution building.
It draws on his close study of the life and teachings of Swami Vivekananda and his observations of the Ramakrishna Mission to explore what business leaders can learn from an institution built around purpose.
The book emerges from Chakravartty’s own experience of more than two decades in leadership across infrastructure, real estate, aviation and travel retail. Having worked across Asia, the Middle East and Africa, and having led businesses through periods of transformation and uncertainty, he approaches leadership not as an abstract management concept but as a lived discipline. His current role as CEO and Director of Globiq, an India-born travel retail company that he helped acquire and transform into an independent brand, adds a practical dimension to his reflections.
At the heart of the book is Chakravartty’s engagement with the Ramakrishna Mission. His visits to its centres in India and abroad gave him an opportunity to observe the organisation from close quarters. What impressed him was not simply its spiritual foundation but the professionalism, discipline, humility and institutional consistency with which its monks manage complex organisations while remaining committed to service.
These observations form the foundation for a broader inquiry: what can corporate leaders learn from an organisation whose primary purpose is not profit? Chakravartty finds answers in areas such as strategic management, delegation, ethical decision-making, resilience, people management and institution building.
Swami Vivekananda’s life provides the book with its central narrative thread. His efforts to establish Belur Math and expand the Ramakrishna Mission across geographical and cultural boundaries illustrate the challenges of translating an idea into an enduring institution. Chakravartty draws parallels between that journey and the contemporary challenge of building organisations capable of adapting, scaling and retaining their core values.
Importantly, Leadership with Purpose does not present spirituality as a substitute for management expertise. Rather, it explores how principles such as self-discipline, humility, service and clarity of purpose can complement conventional approaches to organisational leadership. This makes the book relevant not only to business leaders but also to entrepreneurs, institution builders and young professionals seeking a broader understanding of leadership.
Ultimately, Leadership with Purpose is an invitation to reconsider what it means to lead. Its message is straightforward yet enduring: sustainable institutions are built not merely through strategy and resources, but through people, principles and purpose. By bringing together corporate experience and lessons drawn from the Ramakrishna Mission, Shantanu Chakravartty presents a thoughtful framework for leaders seeking to build organisations that deliver results while retaining a strong sense of character and meaning.
