Corporate success often comes with a hidden cost: losing touch with who you really are. While chasing promotions and hitting targets, many professionals find themselves wearing masks that slowly become harder to remove. Ekta Anand, Founder and CEO of Shambhala’s Land and Kellogg MBA graduate, has spent years helping hundreds of professionals bridge the gap between external achievement and internal authenticity.
Feeling Unfulfilled After Success
Let’s be honest, “corporate success often demands we wear a mask. In chasing titles, targets, and timelines, many lose touch with who they really are,” Ekta explains. It happens so gradually, you don’t even notice. One day you’re excited about your career, the next you’re going through the motions, wondering how you got here. The scary part isn’t wearing the mask. It’s when the mask starts feeling more real than your actual face. Ekta sees this all the time in her coaching work. People come to her successful on paper, but they feel empty inside. They’ve gotten so good at being what others expect that they’ve forgotten what they actually want.
Acknowledge the Disconnect
Most people avoid asking themselves hard questions because they’re afraid of the answers. But Ekta pushes her clients to look in the mirror anyway. “The first step to reconnecting is acknowledging the inner disconnect. Ask yourself: Am I driven by inspiration or by obligation?” she challenges them. That question hits differently when you really think about it. Are you excited to wake up Monday morning, or are you just showing up because you have to? “When I coach professionals, this awareness alone often triggers transformation. It’s not about abandoning your ambition, it’s about aligning it with authenticity,” she notes. You don’t have to throw your career away, but you might need to figure out why you wanted it in the first place.
Build a Daily Practice of Stillness
Here’s where people usually expect some complicated system that takes hours every day. Ekta keeps it simple. “In a noisy world, stillness is revolutionary. Even five minutes of silence, whether through meditation, breathwork, or simple reflection, can anchor you back to your core,” she says. Five minutes. That’s less time than it takes to scroll through social media. But those five minutes can save you from years of feeling disconnected. “I work with clients to build spiritual micro-habits that fit into busy schedules. Over time, these small rituals create space for clarity, creativity, and true alignment to emerge,” she explains. You’re not looking for perfection here. You’re just trying to remember what your own voice sounds like.
Lead with Spiritual Intelligence
Real leadership isn’t about having all the answers or being the smartest person in the room. It’s about being present enough to actually connect with people. “Spiritual intelligence is not about religion, it’s about presence, purpose, and emotional depth. It’s the capacity to lead from your center, not your stress,” Ekta clarifies. People can tell when you’re operating from stress versus when you’re coming from a centered place. It’s like the difference between fluorescent lighting and sunlight. “When you cultivate this, your impact expands because people respond to energy more than words. Leaders who are deeply aligned draw others into that alignment, naturally,” she observes. You don’t have to convince people to follow you when you’re genuinely connected to your purpose.
The good news is you don’t need to quit your job and become a monk to find yourself again. That’s the beauty of Ekta’s approach. She helps people figure out how to be authentic within their current circumstances, not despite them. The work happens right where you are, with the life you already have. You can keep your ambition and your paycheck. You just need to make sure they’re serving the person you actually are, not the person you think you’re supposed to be. “You don’t need to quit your job to find yourself, you just need to remember who you are within it,” Ekta concludes. This isn’t about choosing between success and authenticity. It’s about finally understanding that real success includes being true to yourself. The integration happens one small step at a time, but those steps add up to a completely different way of moving through the world.
Follow Ekta Anand on LinkedIn for more insights on authentic leadership and purposeful success.
