{"id":5723,"date":"2019-05-16T20:03:00","date_gmt":"2019-05-16T14:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/laveshsumant.com\/?p=5723"},"modified":"2026-02-27T11:58:49","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T06:28:49","slug":"more-than-a-ceo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/laveshsumant.com\/index.php\/2019\/05\/16\/more-than-a-ceo\/","title":{"rendered":"More Than a CEO: Lessons, Conversations, and a Quiet Gratitude"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Some professional relationships don\u2019t end when roles change or titles move on. They stay with you \u2014 quietly shaping how you think, work, and grow.
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This story isn\u2019t about a single birthday celebration. It\u2019s about years of mentorship, daily conversations, and lessons that shaped my professional journey. The photos from my first trip to the USA \u2014 where we happened to celebrate Sumant\u2019s birthday \u2014 simply capture one rare in-person moment in a relationship that was built over countless calls, ideas, reviews, and shared problem-solving sessions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Mentor Before a Manager<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

From my very first interaction with Sumant, it was clear he wasn\u2019t just someone approving designs or reviewing decks.
He became a mentor \u2014 someone who guided without imposing, corrected without belittling, and trusted without micromanaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the years at Silicus, we moved far beyond formal meetings. After a point, we spoke almost daily. UI\/UX requirements weren\u2019t just tasks anymore \u2014 they were conversations.
Landing pages. Event collaterals. Investor presentations. Website redesigns. Each discussion felt like collaborative problem-solving rather than instruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What stayed constant was his clarity of thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Learning Beyond UI & UX<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sumant\u2019s academic journey \u2014 from IIT Delhi to Civil Engineering at the University of Toledo \u2014 reflected in how he approached everything. Logical. Structured. Grounded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From him, I learned far more than design systems or visual consistency:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • How to think logically before designing<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Why project governance matters as much as creativity<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • The power of documentation as a thinking tool<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • How simplicity often comes from deep understanding<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Despite his background and achievements, what stood out most was how grounded he remained. No hierarchy. No ego. Just honest conversations and sharp questions that pushed me to think better.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    <\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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    The Call That Became a Routine<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    I still remember our very first call for a website redesign requirement.
    One call became many. Many became routine. And before I knew it, seven years had passed with near-daily conversations \u2014 each one adding a layer to my professional growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Those weren\u2019t just work calls. They were lessons in clarity, prioritisation, and leadership \u2014 delivered casually, without ever sounding like a lecture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    The Day I Couldn\u2019t Speak<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    In my last few days at Silicus, I met almost everyone. I hosted a farewell party. I spoke to colleagues individually. I closed chapters properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But I couldn\u2019t face Sumant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Not out of discomfort \u2014 but out of emotion. Some goodbyes are harder when the respect runs deeper. We never spoke after that day. Yet, the connection never faded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Even today, if given a chance to work with him again, I would say yes \u2014 without a second thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    A Birthday, A Pause, A Reminder<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    That birthday celebration in the USA office wasn\u2019t about candles or cakes.
    It was a quiet reminder of how one leader can influence a career \u2014 not by authority, but by example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Some mentors teach you skills.
    Rare ones teach you how to think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And those lessons stay long after the office lights turn off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Have you ever worked with someone who changed the way you approach your craft \u2014 without ever asking for credit?
    Those are the people who truly shape us.<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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    If I ever truly succeed in my career \u2014 not just in titles or achievements, but in the way people remember working with me \u2014 I would want to become an individual like him. Someone who leads with clarity, not control. Someone whose presence makes others think better, not feel smaller. Someone who values logic as much as empathy, process as much as people. If, years from now, a colleague says they grew because of a conversation with me, or found confidence because I trusted them the way Sumant trusted me, I would consider that real success. That is the kind of professional \u2014 and human being \u2014 I aspire to become.<\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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