Arun Malik - India’s Most Inspiring Author to Watch in 2025.pdf

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E
nspiring authors possess a rare ability to shape
I
perspectives, ignite imagination, and inﬂuence the way
we navigate life and leadership. Their words go
beyond mere information, oﬀering guidance, motivation,
and a lens through which challenges can be transformed
into opportunities. By blending personal experience with
universal wisdom, these authors encourage readers to
cultivate resilience, self-awareness, and purposeful action.
Their work does not simply inform; it transforms, leaving a
meaningful and lasting impact on individuals and commu-
nities alike. One such author is Arun Malik, a distin-
guished voice in contemporary leadership thought.
The CIO Leaders in its recent edition titled India’s Most
Inspiring Author to Watch in 2025 recognizes Arun Malik
as a voice of thoughtful leadership. A former corporate
executive and bestselling author, Malik blends strategic
acumen with spiritual insight, earning recognition as one of
India’s most inﬂuential leadership writers. His journey
began during a high-stakes technology project in Pune,
where long hours and relentless stress inspired him to distill
his reﬂections into short, powerful quotes. Shared with
colleagues and online, these insights resonated widely,
culminating in his debut book, Courting Happiness, and a
growing portfolio including Winning Over Life and
Positivity is Hatching.
Central to Malik’s philosophy is “micro-leadership,” the
idea that small, consistent actions, self-awareness, and daily
guidance build resilience and emotional intelligence. He
prioritizes sustainable practices over quick ﬁxes, combining
corporate experience with human-centered insight.
Recognized globally and listed among Hindustan Metro’s
“Top 20 Famous Authors of India – 2025,” Malik
demonstrates that true leadership transcends authority,
beginning with self-leadership and extending through
service to others. Through his books, talks, and mentorship,
he continues to redeﬁne modern leadership as intentional,
empathetic, and transformative.
Have a great read ahead!
Arun Malik’s Path from Execuve
Leadership to Movaonal Wring
James฀Green

08
T H E S I G N AT U R E S TO R Y
Arun malik
Engineering a Legacy of Leadership
Through Words and Wisdom
16 20
I N D U S T R Y I N S I G H T S
From Canon to Culture:
The Power of Literary Inuence
in Modern Writing
From Concept to Impact:
Mastering Storytelling for
Engaging Narratives

Editor-in-Chief Merry D'Souza
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Technology Consultant
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August, 2025
George Kingston

The Signature Story
India’s Most Inspiring Author to Watch in 2025
ARUN
MALIK
Engineering a Legacy of Leadership Through
Words and Wisdom
Author

O
thers appear who speak with intent rather than
shouting above more noise in an increasingly noisy,
pressure-cooker, fast-forward world. Arun Malik is
among them. He is a winning Author and former corporate
executive, is both a strategic mind and spiritual traveler.
Perceived by many as one of India's ﬁnest leadership writers,
his journey is less one of rapid ascent than consistent,
deliberate expansion.
What began as an article about the hub of a challenging
corporate project in Pune, where burnout, overtime, and the
cutting edge of technology were the rule rather than the
exception, soon evolving into a mission. His method of
quoting powerful words at the time found its use well beyond
the boardroom. Bestselling books that contain a few like
Courting Happiness, Winning Over Life, and Positivity is
Hatching, to mention but a few, were the products of such
empathetic and resilience-based discussions.
His radical concept of "micro-leadership," that daily, small
habits of self-awareness and mentoring can make profound
diﬀerences, is the foundation of his work. Rather than
dictating quick ﬁxing, he is advocating daily, habitual
practices that produce inner resilience and emotional
intelligence.
His words, his writing, and his growing popularity worldwide
attest to a philosophy beyond title or profession: that true
leadership begins in awareness of self and continues through
service to others. Malik continually is redeﬁning what to is
leading in today's multifaith world, unobtrusive, powerful,
and always intentional ways through the integration of his
technical skill with rich stories.
The Crucible Moment
The turning point came in 2010 during what Malik describes
as his "crucible moment." While managing a high-stakes
technology project in Pune, he found himself working
relentless hours amid sudden technological shifts and
corporate budget cuts. Recognition was scarce, stress was
overwhelming, and many of his peers were burning out.
Instead of succumbing to the pressure, Malik began
channeling his thoughts into brief, powerful quotes. Initially
shared casually with colleagues and posted online, these
nuggets of wisdom struck an unexpected chord. Friends,
former classmates, and even strangers began reaching out,
sharing how his words had provided them with clarity during
their own diﬃcult moments.
"I realized that leadership isn't just about managing projects
or hitting targets. It's about touching lives, one person at a
time. When a struggling colleague told me that a single quote I
shared had prevented him from giving up on his career, I knew
I had found my true calling." he recalls.
The overwhelming response from his network provided the
validation he needed. Encouraged by a fellow IRMA
alumnus, he compiled his quotes into his debut book, "
Courting Happiness," marking the beginning of his
transformation from corporate executive to global
motivational leader.
The Philosophy of Micro-Leadership
Malik's leadership approach, both in his corporate years and
current writing career, centers on what he calls "micro-
leadership” the belief that small, consistent actions can create
profound transformations. Unlike traditional motivational
speakers who promise dramatic overnight changes, he
advocates for sustainable, daily practices of optimism and
awareness.
"Success and failure are mindsets, not end results. A leader's
job isn't to create perfect conditions, but to help people thrive
despite imperfect ones." he states
This philosophy permeates his literary portfolio, which
includes titles such as "Courting Happiness," "Inviting
Abundance," "Unfolding Dreams," "You Can Make It Big,"
"The Reﬂections," "Winning Over Life," "Happiness! As We
Seek It," "Odds Don't Deﬁne Me," "Silence Please," and
"Positivity is Hatching." Each book serves as a leadership
manual disguised as motivational reading.
His writing process itself reﬂects his leadership style,
methodical, authentic, and deeply empathetic. Working
primarily during night hours when inspiration ﬂows freely, he
spends considerable time researching psychological
frameworks and real-world applications before crafting his
insights. Some books have been completed in as little as 30
days during intense creative periods, a testament to his
disciplined approach to leadership through literature.
Global Recognition and Reach
The impact of Malik's unconventional leadership approach
has garnered signiﬁcant recognition. Featured in Hindustan
Metro's "Top 20 Famous Authors of India - 2025," he has built
a global readership through strategic self-publishing via
Kindle Direct Publishing. His books are available in both
“Success and
failure are
mindsets, not end
results. A leader's
job isn't to
create perfect
conditions, but to
help people thrive
despite imperfect
ones.”

digital and print formats, making his leadership insights
accessible to diverse audiences worldwide.
What sets Malik apart from other motivational authors is his
authentic integration of corporate experience with spiritual
wisdom. Having led cross-functional teams across multiple
continents, he understands the practical challenges leaders
face while maintaining an unwavering belief in human
potential.
During his corporate years, he observed that the most
eﬀective leaders weren’t necessarily the most technically
skilled. Instead, they were the ones who could inspire hope
during uncertainty and maintain team morale during setbacks.
This insight is what he strives to capture in his books oﬀering
practical wisdom for everyday leadership challenges.
The Personal Foundation
Malik's leadership credibility stems partly from his personal
authenticity. Supported throughout his career transition by his
mother, whose faith became a pillar of his perseverance, and
married to Dr. Monika Malik, a postgraduate dental surgeon,
he has maintained strong family bonds while pursuing his
mission. Their children, Amish (22) and Ambika (18), have
grown up witnessing their father's transformation from
corporate executive to inspirational leader.
His personal values, vegetarianism driven by empathy, love
f o r a n i m a l s , a n d c o m m i t m e n t t o c o m m u n i t y
engagement—reﬂect the same principles he advocates in his
professional philosophy. These aren't merely lifestyle choices
but demonstrations of the integrated leadership approach he
champions.
"Leadership begins with self-leadership. How can you inspire
others to live authentically if you're not living authentically
yourself? My family, my values, and my daily practices are all
part of my leadership platform." he emphasizes
Future Vision and Legacy Building
Currently working on a satirical book about corporate culture,
Malik continues to evolve his leadership approach. The
upcoming work aims to highlight discrepancies between
corporate values and real-world practices, using wit and
humor to expose deeper truths about professional
environments, a natural extension of his leadership
philosophy of addressing diﬃcult topics with accessibility
and insight.
His future goals reﬂect the ambitious scope of his leadership
vision: delivering keynote lectures worldwide on emotional
intelligence and personal growth, expanding into guided
journals and audiobooks, and promoting what he calls "a
global culture of inner motivation and conscious leadership."
"My ultimate goal isn't to be known as a successful author. It's
to contribute to a world where leadership is synonymous with
empowerment, where every person recognizes their capacity
to inspire others, and where positivity becomes a practical
tool rather than mere wishful thinking." he clariﬁes.
The Malik Method
What emerges from conversations with Malik is a leadership
approach that deﬁes conventional categorization. He
combines the strategic thinking of a technology executive
with the empathy of a counselor, the discipline of an engineer
with the creativity of an artist, and the global perspective of an
international professional with the grounded wisdom of
someone who has faced personal and professional adversity.
His signature quote encapsulates this integrated approach:
"Please don't give up in the face of adversity. A diamond is just
a piece of charcoal that handled stress well." It's vintage
Malik scientiﬁcally accurate, metaphorically powerful, and
practically applicable.
As organizations worldwide grapple with employee
engagement, mental health, and authentic leadership, his
journey from corporate corridors to inspirational literature
oﬀers a compelling model. He demonstrates that true
leadership isn't about position or authority, but about the
consistent ability to help others see possibilities they couldn't
see before.
In an era of complex leadership theories and expensive
corporate training programs, Arun Malik's approach is
refreshingly simple yet profoundly eﬀective: lead through
authentic inspiration, one person, one quote, one moment at a
time. For a mechanical engineer who stumbled into
motivational writing during his most stressful professional
period, he has architected something far more valuable than
any corporate success, a legacy of hope that continues to
multiply with each reader who decides not to give up.
“Leadership begins
with self-leadership.
How can you inspire
others to live
authentically if
you're not living
authentically
yourself? My family,
my values, and my
daily practices are
all part of my
leadership
platform.”

www.cioleadersmagazine.com August 202516 17
From Canon to Culture
THE POWER OF
LITERARY
INFLUENCE IN
T
he world of contemporary writing is rich brocade
woven from strands of literary convention and
imagination that already exist. Literary inﬂuence is a
driving force that shapes the character of narrative structures,
stylistic choices, and thematic developments in contemporary
literature. Authors of today's works do actually stand on
giants' shoulders, beneﬁting from what has been to guide and
motivate the novels that captivate readers of today without
crossing the limits of historical backdrops. The dialogue of
what has been and what exists now bears witness to the kind of
literature being written today with a clearer vision of human
existence and further development of culture. Literary
comprehension is the concern with realizing how literature
happens as artwork representation and cultural work. Authors
engage with the literary canon to read and not emulate and to
create the limits of form and material to challenge current
reality.
This article outlines literature as a living tradition where
inﬂuence is both an integral constituent and a motivation to
artistic imagination.
Literary Inﬂuence as a Foundation for Innovation
Literary inﬂuence oﬀers new authors a platform upon which
they can innovate and subvert conventions. By examining the
classics and set masterpieces, new authors are aﬀorded an
idea of the potential of plot-creation, character creation, and
thematization. This idea enables authors to reach for new tales
and material but based in the tradition that challenged them.

An awareness of literary tradition enables writers to make
informed choices regarding whether to proceed and abandon
some of the conventions, reorder, or even to overturn them
altogether, and this adds richness and signiﬁcation to their
work. Contemporary innovation is at times an ironic gamble
with convention in which the very best of previous literary
achievement is used as stepping stone and not limitation.
Authors can learn such as genre convention, stylistics, or
philosophical thought and reinterpret them in such a way that
they are in a position to handle present issues in some new
form that is novel and contemporary. Not just does it restore
the old forms but also opens up new avenues for literature. It
makes literature a living, evolving art with the capacity to
expand and mature with changing social, cultural, and
technological milieus in which it is being produced. Finally,
the remarkable strength of literary inﬂuence is that it can
uncover creativity that pays tribute to what has previously
been accomplished but ever interrogating in terms of form as
well as content, creating new forms of telling and making
sense.
The Role of Literary Inﬂuence in Cultural Criticism
Literary inﬂuence is a part of literature at present, and
literature at the present time is a cultural criticism. Canons of
every age have certain core cultural values, social
impressions, and philosophical ideas that continue to shape
writers with the concerns of the day. By allusion to or
reinterpretation of those canons, the current writers are
reclaiming an argument of enduring relevance about issues of
identity, morality, power, and justice. By such continued
dispute, cultural heritage is rendered more sensitivity to
society's nature and facilitation of critical analysis of human
life.
Literary intervention also provides authors with the ability to
create otherwise forbidden criticism of unpopular or
intimidating topics within society in a less explicit, more
subtle manner. Resonance of the literature they have been
trained on provides a point of entry for topics such as race,
gender, class, and technology to locate one's work within an
expanded argument. Identiﬁcation with the literary past
provides fertile ground for challenging master narratives and
presenting counter-narratives. Through reinvention and
reinterpretation, authors today grapple with problems of
today and invoke understanding of the past to construct texts
that engage intergenerational conversation.
Reader Involvement through Literary Dialogue
Literary dialogue through allusion in contemporary ﬁction
invites reader engagement by constructing meaning to be read
and provoking thought. When authors successfully integrate
allusions, stylistic allusions, or thematic equivalencies within
a work of literature, they allow readers to engage in a literary
dialogue beyond time and space. Intertextuality stimulates
reading because it allows readers to view and comprehend
these allusions, raising their level of exposure to the new work
and broader literary tradition on which it draws.
Intellectual provocation through literary inﬂuence also
heightens reader engagement. Confrontation in the sense of
other literature or stylistic innovation challenges readers to
think about how earlier texts are related to later texts. Such
thinking heightens active imagination and higher active
perception of literary history and its contribution to the
building of the modern narrative. Literary inﬂuence by
bringing past and present together opens space for active
meaning construction rather than passive absorption of
material.
Conclusion
Role of literature Literature's impact on contemporary
literature is multifaceted, from sources of originality to
cultural imagination and reader interest. It allows
contemporary authors to borrow and reinterpret the literary
heritage so that literature is written for the contemporary
reader and yet continues to be true to the past. Through such
constant conversation, modern writing is an alive, breathing
form of art that is capable of illuminating the tacit ways of
human being within an inﬁnitely evolving universe. Constant
struggle between imagination and convention, past and
present, writer and reader ensure that literature remains an
essential driving force of cultural understanding and artistic
imagination.

www.cioleadersmagazine.com August 202520 21
From Concept to Impact
MASTERING
STORYTELLING FOR
S
torytelling has long been at the heart of human
communication, shaping how people understand the
world, form connections, and pass on knowledge. In
business, education, and creative industries, the ability to
tell a compelling story is a valuable skill that transforms
ideas into meaningful experiences. Engaging narratives
capture attention, sustain interest, and leave lasting
impressions. Mastering this art requires a deliberate blend
of structure, creativity, and empathy for the audience. While
facts, ﬁgures, and data provide substance, it is storytelling
that adds context and emotional resonance. Whether
addressing a team in the workplace, pitching to investors, or
crafting brand campaigns, eﬀective narratives allow
messages to transcend mere information and foster deeper
understanding. The essence of good storytelling lies in the
ability to merge clarity with imagination, ensuring that the
audience not only hears but also feels and remembers.
Core Elements of a Strong Narrative
Every engaging narrative rests on certain foundational
elements: characters, conﬂict, and resolution. Characters
provide a human dimension that audiences can relate to,
even in corporate or technical settings. A character can be a
customer facing a challenge, a team striving to innovate, or
even the audience themselves. Conﬂict introduces tension
and stakes, highlighting the obstacles that must be
overcome. Resolution ties the narrative together,
demonstrating growth, achievement, or transformation.

These elements create a natural arc that resonates because
they mirror the way humans experience life.
Equally important is structure. A story with a clear
beginning, middle, and end gives audiences a sense of
direction. The beginning establishes context and draws
people in, the middle builds momentum through challenges
or discoveries, and the end delivers closure. When this
structure is thoughtfully designed, it provides coherence
and ﬂow. Without it, even the most creative ideas risk being
confusing or fragmented. By blending elements of
character, conﬂict, and structure, storytellers can create
narratives that are not only engaging but also memorable.
Techniques to Deepen Audience Engagement
To keep an audience invested, storytellers must learn to
appeal to both intellect and emotion. Emotional connection
is often what diﬀerentiates a good story from a forgettable
one. Using vivid imagery, sensory detail, and relatable
situations can immerse listeners in the narrative. Techniques
such as metaphors and analogies are powerful because they
help audiences understand complex ideas through familiar
experiences. For example, a business leader might describe
scaling a company as navigating an unpredictable journey
at sea, allowing listeners to visualize the challenges and
triumphs in tangible terms.
Engagement also relies on authenticity. Audiences can
sense when a story is exaggerated or disconnected from
reality. Genuine experiences, even when modest, tend to
resonate more deeply. Storytellers should also consider
pacing and tone. Pauses, changes in rhythm, and variations
in delivery can heighten anticipation and highlight key
points. In written narratives, this translates into varied
sentence structures, strategic use of emphasis, and language
that mirrors the intended mood. Together, these techniques
elevate storytelling into an interactive experience rather
than a passive exchange of information.
Applying Storytelling Across Contexts
The versatility of storytelling makes it a powerful tool
across multiple settings. In business, leaders use stories to
inspire employees, align teams with organizational values,
and persuade stakeholders. A company presenting its brand
story can connect with customers by highlighting real
challenges it has addressed and the human impact of its
solutions. In education, stories help students relate abstract
concepts to everyday life, fostering better comprehension
and retention. Stories also play a crucial role in public
speaking, journalism, and creative writing, where engaging
an audience is essential for success.
Mastering storytelling requires practice, reﬂection, and
adaptability. Each audience is unique, and eﬀective
narratives consider their expectations, cultural background,
and level of familiarity with the subject. By observing
responses and reﬁning delivery, storytellers can identify
what resonates most. Over time, this iterative process
sharpens intuition and builds conﬁdence. When used with
intention, storytelling becomes more than a communication
skill. It evolves into a means of forging meaningful
connections, inspiring action, and creating lasting impact.
Conclusion
Storytelling is not simply about entertainment; it is a strategic
tool for inﬂuence, connection, and clarity. When used
eﬀectively, it transforms complex information into relatable
experiences and inspires audiences to think, feel, and act. By
mastering the core elements of narrative structure, applying
techniques that foster emotional engagement, and tailoring
stories to diverse contexts, individuals and organizations can
communicate with greater impact. In a world where attention
is limited and information is abundant, the ability to tell a
story that resonates is an invaluable skill. Those who cultivate
this craft gain a distinct advantage, whether in leadership,
education, business, or creative pursuits. Ultimately,
storytelling is about creating meaning, and those who master
it have the power to leave impressions that endure well
beyond the moment of delivery.

C
L E A D E R S
www.cioleadersmagazine.com

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