I’m back from Doha, one of my favourite cities. I love its modern, contemporary energy, but this time my joy had a far deeper reason. My two-year-old granddaughter, Azariah, lives there.
Now that she’s talking in full sentences (and opinions), our time together felt different this visit. Every evening ended the same way: her climbing into my lap and demanding, “Daadi, story.”
And so, story after story flowed. Some invented on the spot, some remembered, some reshaped with every telling. In the process, I found myself slipping back into my own childhood. Stories back then weren’t just entertainment. They were quiet carriers of values. I narrated many of the stories I had grown up hearing. Some had animals. Others featured princesses. I was drawn back to one from my own childhood: the story of a king and his three daughters.
Halfway through, I realised something. This wasn’t just a bedtime story. It was a quiet reminder. Leadership, like food, draws its flavour from essentials we rarely talk about. Salt is one of them.
The King and the three daughters
You might be familiar with this story. It goes like this: a king asked his three daughters how much they loved him. The first two daughters gave grand answers, comparing their love to the world and the universe. The youngest daughter, however, was the king’s favorite. She said something unusual and unexpected. She told him she loved him as much as salt.
The king was enraged and shocked. How could anyone love him as much as salt? In his frustration, he banished her. After a few years, she invited him for a lavish meal. She instructed the cooks not to add any salt to the food. As he tasted the food, the blandness struck him and he realized the depth of her words at that time. He asked for her forgiveness and all’s well that ends well.
The Salt of Leadership
How often do we confuse eloquence with depth? How often do we reward what sounds impressive rather than what is true?
In leadership, we are frequently drawn to the visible spices – the big gestures, the confident articulation, the impressive strategies. They matter, of course. But without salt, even the most elaborate dish loses its essence. Salt is foundational. It enhances everything else. It brings out flavour rather than masking it. And yet, when it is right, it is barely noticed.
Leadership has its own salt. It is truth spoken simply. It is self-awareness that grounds decisions. It is integrity that doesn’t need announcing. It is presence that steadies others, especially in uncertainty. Without these, leadership may look impressive, but it lacks substance. Teams feel it immediately. Something feels off. Flat. Unseasoned.
Over the years, working with leaders across industries, I’ve seen this repeatedly. The leaders who create trust and followership are rarely the loudest in the room. They are the ones whose words align with actions. Who listen as deeply as they speak. Who don’t over-season their leadership with theatrics. That evening in Doha, I was sitting with a two-year-old who cared little for dramatic endings. The child cared a lot for authenticity. I was reminded of this simple truth: Leadership doesn’t need more complexity. It needs the right seasoning.
In the Leadership Spice framework, salt represents the essentials. Self-awareness, truth, courage, and clarity. The quiet ingredients that don’t draw attention to themselves, yet transform everything they touch. Just like in food, when leadership is missing its salt, no amount of garnish can save it. And perhaps that’s why stories return to us at unexpected moments and remind us of what truly matters.
What Salt Looks Like in Leadership
In leadership, salt often shows up in moments that are uncomfortable and unpopular. It is the tough call that not everyone agrees with, but which protects the long-term health of the organisation. It means speaking up in sensitive situations. It involves calling out behaviours that are misaligned with values. Silence may be easier, but speaking up is necessary. It is choosing fairness over favour, truth over convenience, and clarity over temporary harmony.
These actions rarely win applause in the moment. In fact, leaders who bring this kind of salt are often described as difficult, too direct, or not very likeable. Yet, over time, they are remembered as dependable, credible, and deeply respected.
Think of leaders who are not universally liked because they refuse to dilute the truth. They are leaders who take principled stands, make unpopular decisions, or hold the line when pressure mounts. They may not be warm or charismatic. However, they create organisations that endure. They foster cultures that are clear. They build teams that trust the ground they stand on.
Salt in leadership is not about being harsh. It is about being honest. Used well, it doesn’t overpower but brings balance.
A Lesson from the Kitchen: Gajar ka Halwa
There’s a reason I often think about leadership through food. It’s perhaps not a coincidence that gajar ka halwa comes to mind now. This is exactly the season for it. Slow-cooked carrots, milk, ghee, sugar, cardamom, nuts – each ingredient matters. But there is one addition that surprises people when they hear it for the first time.
A small pinch of salt.
Not enough to be tasted on its own. Just enough to sharpen the sweetness, deepen the richness, and bring all the flavours together.
Without it, the halwa is still good, but something feels missing.
Gajar ka Halwa (Serves 4–6)
Ingredients
- 1 kg red carrots, grated
- 1 litre full-cream milk
- 4–5 tbsp ghee
- ¾ cup sugar (adjust to taste)
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
- A handful of cashews and raisins
- A small pinch of salt
Method
- Heat 3 tbsp ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add grated carrots and sauté for 5–7 minutes until aromatic.
- Add milk and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the milk reduces and the mixture thickens.
- Add sugar and continue cooking until the halwa comes together and leaves the sides of the pan.
- Stir in cardamom powder and the remaining ghee.
- Add cashews and raisins, lightly roasted.
- Finally, add a small pinch of salt, mix well, and turn off the heat.
Serve it hot or cold – preferably hot, with a scoop of Vanilla Ice cream.
Leadership Spice Reflection
Just like in the halwa, the salt will not announce itself, but you will taste the difference. Leadership works the same way.
You can have vision, strategy, empathy, and influence. But without the salt – truth, courage, and moral clarity, the leadership lacks depth.
The question worth asking is not whether you will add salt to your leadership, but when it will matter most.
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