Choosing Leadership with Sumit Gupta

About Choosing Leadership with Sumit Gupta

As a leader, you are always making choices. Even when you think you have no choice. And if you are unable to make a decision, you are choosing to stay in a state of indecision. The only question is - are your choices taking you where you want to go? I am Sumit Gupta, and this is "Choosing Leadership" - a podcast for high performers with big dreams - who know deep inside that there is more. This is a podcast for people who know they are more powerful than the level they are currently playing. I have spent a long time feeling powerless, and that is why I see where you are powerful even when you cannot. I dare to say what most people would not. I dare to speak to the "tremendous power" which you already have rather than what you believe are your strengths and limitations. This podcast is called "choosing leadership" - because that is what leadership is - a choice. The choice to step into the unknown. The choice to see fear as a friend. The choice to take courageous action rather than waiting for readiness. Join Sumit in exploring this question when it comes to your leadership. In each moment of life, are you Deploying Yourself or not? In each moment of life, are you Choosing Leadership or not?

Publisher

Sumit Gupta

Category

business · education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

22 Dec 2021

Latest episode

14 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

1 of 337 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   14 Oct 2026

   Leadership Journeys [298] - Paulo De Tarso - "Hospitality and the Art of Leadership with Paulo De Tarso"

   This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast. I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories, of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, I attempt to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name. What if the secret to a business that lasts is not a clever strategy, but treating hospitality as a way of serving people, your guests and your staff alike? Paulo De Tarso opened his first coffee shop in New York at 15 or 16, started again from the bottom as a dishwasher and worked his way up through the ranks of the restaurant world. He fell in love with hospitality because of how loyal people are when you look after them well. Years later he opened Margot in London, with 72 people on the payroll and a restaurant that was full at night and empty at lunch. Paulo and Sumit explore what he did when the pressure hit: how he and his partner went door to door, invited neighbours and concierges in for lunch, and let word of mouth do the work. They talk about failure as part of the journey, why curiosity matters more than being right, and why bad service is so often a leadership problem rather than a people problem. They also go into where technology helps and where it does not, why guests still need to be greeted and acknowledged by a human, and what Paulo expects from himself and his team as non-negotiables. He makes the case for mentoring, for training people properly and for giving young people leaders worth following. You can find Paulo at the links below LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulo-de-tarso-65734527/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulo-de-tarso-65734527/) Instagram: @paulodetarso24 In the interview, Paulo shares "Failure is part of your journey. If life was happy every day, you wouldn't be learning anything." "Don't be afraid of asking a question. You get it wrong, but now you know, and now you can move on." "I still believe that word of mouth is the most powerful PR there is." "When you're truly successful, I believe that's when your local community is coming after you." "If your staff don't have passion, maybe your recruitment needs to improve. Maybe it is your fault that you're not training and motivating people well enough." "In the restaurant world, we are only as good as our last service." "I used to say to my team, 'You give me 50%, I'll give you 50%, and together we're a good team.'" "You need to be served by a human. You need to be acknowledged by a human." "There are a lot of wonderful young people out there who are willing to learn. They don't go into hospitality because they've had so many poor leaders." "If every restaurant and every hotel is educating and looking after their staff, the world will be a better place."

2. 

   9 Oct 2026

   Leadership Journeys [297] - Oliver Pickup - "With AI, I want humans to be the carpenter rather than the nail."

   This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast. I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, I attempt to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name. What happens to the first rung of the career ladder when AI takes over the entry-level work? In this conversation, Oliver Pickup, a journalist of more than 20 years who now calls himself a human work evolution storyteller, shares how the launch of ChatGPT gave him what he calls FOBO, the fear of becoming obsolete, and how it pushed him out of his comfort zone and onto the speaking stage. Oliver and Sumit explore why he sees three tribes (AI martyrs, AI zealots and AI agnostics), why he treats AI as a smart intern while keeping the creative process and the end product his own, and why a world drowning in AI slop will reward lived experience, personality and detail. For leaders, Oliver raises a pointed warning about the vanishing first rung: if companies hand all the entry-level work to AI and stop bringing in young talent, what will their garden look like in five years? He also explains why people need a vision and proper training before you hand them the keys to a Formula 1 car. Underneath it all is a family thread: how becoming a father reset his values, why he builds Friday afternoons around watching his son play rugby, and why reading the bedtime story together still counts, even when AI can write one in a blink. You can find Oliver Pickup at the links below https://www.linkedin.com/in/ojpickup/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ojpickup/) https://oliverpickup.com (https://oliverpickup.com) In the interview, Oliver shares “I want humans to be the carpenter rather than the nail at the other end of the hammer.” “AI is making many of us a hamster going faster on a faster wheel. The more tech you throw at something, the busier people are.” “There are AI martyrs who think AI will take their job, AI zealots who defer to it for everything, and AI agnostics who don't fear it and don't worship it. They see it as a tool.” “I use AI as a smart intern to help with the legwork, but the creative process and the end product are all mine.” “Generative AI is the average of the average, so it's clear to see when something isn't up to the standard a human would produce.” “The heart skills, the seven C's, are collaboration, compassion, communication, courage, critical thinking, creativity and curiosity. They matter more as the machines get stronger.” “I just don't think we should be so ready to give all the keys to the castle to AI.” “We need that lived experience. We need that messiness. We need that friction to really understand a problem.” “If you don't water the garden with young talent, in five years' time you're looking at a garden that is completely barren.” “AI can write a bedtime story in a blink, but it's taking the time to read it with her that truly counts in the end.”

3. 

   3 Sept 2026

   Leadership Journeys [296] - Sree Varma - "Success means nothing if you lose your family along the way."

   This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast. I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, I attempt to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name. What happens when success stops being about building a bigger business and starts being about building a life that actually matters? In this powerful conversation, Sree Varma opens up about his journey from arriving in the UK with just £150 to building successful ventures while navigating adversity, self-doubt, and a deeply personal purpose. He shares why great leadership isn’t about working harder, but about building strong systems, developing capable leaders, and creating the freedom to focus on what truly matters. If you’re a founder or leader who feels trapped in the business you built, this conversation offers a powerful reminder that your company should not need your constant presence to succeed. More importantly, Sree and Sumit explore what it means to turn success into service and build a legacy that creates impact far beyond yourself. You can find Sree Varma at the links below https://www.linkedin.com/in/sreevarma/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sreevarma/) In the interview, Sree shares “Leadership is not about the title you hold; it’s about the choices you make and the impact you create.” “True success is not just about building businesses. It’s about using what you build to create a better world for others.” “Sometimes, life changes your definition of success. What once was about achievement can become about purpose, contribution, and legacy.” “You don’t build a great company by working 20 hours a day forever. You build it by creating systems and developing people who can lead without you.” “Delegation isn’t about doing less. It’s about creating the capacity to contribute at a much higher level.” “The goal isn’t to make yourself indispensable. The goal is to build something that can thrive even when you step away.” “Imposter syndrome doesn’t always disappear with success. Sometimes, the more you achieve, the more you question whether you deserve it.” “Leadership requires balancing ambition with contentment—always growing while learning to appreciate how far you’ve already come.” “Your greatest achievement may not be what you build for yourself, but what your success makes possible for other people.” “Leadership is a choice: a choice to dream bigger, serve others, and leave a legacy that extends far beyond your own success.”

Inside a recent episode

Leadership Journeys [45] - Faisal Hoque - "Life is somewhere in between letting it happen and making it happen."

Published 7 Dec 2022 · Transcript excerpt

[…] Where do you see the dots connecting? What gives you purpose for that? The older I get and the more I do, I mean, I have been very fortunate to work with some of the best companies in the world as customers. They've been my customer from the various companies. But also through my writing, I was able to explore a lot of different type of personalities, their styles of leadership, management, and whatnot. So I find myself more and more almost like a share of knowledge and contribute the knowledge any way I can and learn from. I find enormous joy in it because If that sparks somebody with some inspirations, that's a huge impact. […]

Who has been a guest on Choosing Leadership with Sumit Gupta

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Puneet Shivam
• Akhil Shahani
• James Jackson
• MJ
• Tessa Clarke

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

63,570

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

9 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 76 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

97

Social presence

0

YouTube

76

Engagement

60

Contact Choosing Leadership with Sumit Gupta

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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