Rewriting the Rules of Leadership: Lessons from 32 Years in the Corporate World
Article by Khurshed Dordi
When I began my professional journey in the early 1990s, leadership followed a well-defined, almost rigid formula.
Wear the crisp suit. Speak when spoken to. Never question the hierarchy. Above all, never admit to not having the answer.
For a time, this model served its purpose. But over the past three decades, the world—and the workplace—have evolved in ways we could never have imagined.
Today, effective leadership looks very different. It is no longer about being the loudest voice in the room. It’s about asking better questions, learning faster than the environment is changing, and building teams that are empowered to operate without constant oversight.
After 32 years across leading global financial institutions, one truth stands clear: If you don’t evolve your leadership playbook, you become irrelevant—regardless of your title or tenure.
From Legacy Institutions to Agile Execution
Much of my career was spent within the structured, hierarchical frameworks of global banks—organizations that defined “order” and “process.” Legacy systems, grand infrastructure, and layered decision-making were the norm. The pace was deliberate, and roles were clearly demarcated.
That changed the day I joined BDO.
Gone were the marble floors and sprawling corner offices. What replaced them was a culture of agility, immediacy, and accountability. I vividly recall walking into a much smaller office and realizing: Here, you eat what you hunt.
It wasn’t a downgrade—it was a reset. In fast-paced, entrepreneurial environments, utility outweighs optics.
What you deliver in the next 10 days holds more value than what you accomplished over the last 10 years.
Here, leadership isn’t about managing legacy—it’s about building the future.
Leadership Then and Now: What’s Changed
The challenges facing today’s leaders aren’t necessarily easier—but they are markedly different.
At Deutsche Bank, scale defined everything. Leadership often involved orchestrating vast systems across functions and geographies. There was depth—of talent, of expertise, of infrastructure.
At BDO, the emphasis is on speed over scale. Leaders are hands-on—building functions even as they run them. The role requires constant shifting between execution, strategy, mentoring, and problem-solving, often within the span of a single hour.
This transition taught me two essential truths:
The ability to unlearn is a leadership superpower. What worked five—or even two—years ago may no longer apply. Leaders must constantly challenge their own assumptions or risk falling behind.
Hierarchy is not a source of insight. Some of the most valuable ideas I’ve encountered recently have come from team members in their twenties. Leadership today is about staying open, not staying on top.
What Modern Teams Really Want
The new generation of professionals does not respond well to micromanagement. They seek clarity, context, and autonomy.
In today’s work culture, the best individuals don’t need to be told what to do. They need to understand why it matters.
This shift has reshaped my own leadership style. I’ve moved away from frequent check-ins and toward clearing the path for others to succeed.
My questions now are simple:
Do you have the right resources?
Are we aligned on the outcome?
Is there a blocker I can help remove?
Gone are the days of carpet approvals and power lunches. In their place: meaningful work, delivered by trusted professionals.
The Commitment to Lifelong Learning
Each day, I meet someone younger, smarter, and faster. And each day, I make it a point to write something down—to learn something new.
Because learning isn’t a career phase—it’s a survival strategy.
In a world defined by rapid change, relevance is not a function of age, authority, or experience. It is a choice—one that must be renewed consistently.
Final Thought: The New Definition of Relevance
Relevance is not a title. It’s not tenure. It’s a conscious decision—to stay adaptive, to remain humble, and to be of use in every new context.
In this new era of leadership, those who continue to learn, question, and evolve will always find their place—not at the top, but at the heart of progress.