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The Liberated Leader
The Strategic Playbook for Unconventional Leaders to Play Change the Game
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About The Book
While many senior leaders think they are “playing the game,” they are noticing it seems harder than ever to get noticed or make an impact. That's why I want to tell you about a group of unconventional executives doing something different. They are watching, listening, calculating, and taking actions—and in return, they are being seen, heard, recognized, and rewarded.
What’s their secret?
I’ll give you a few hints:
They are not “faking it ‘til they make it.”
They are not doing it by themselves.
They are not over-working to prove their worth.
They are not keeping quiet to go along and get along.
They are not riding another person's coattails.
They are not waiting for their turn
And no, they are not selling out or sacrificing today for a future payoff..
In The Liberated Leader, I share a sophisticated approach to leading when you are different. After you finish this book, you will have the toolkit to show up in any situation and lead from your authentic values and unique wisdom.
Why I Wrote This Book
The Reality about Getting to the Top (and Staying There)
That Nobody is Talking About
1
The Reality About Getting to the Top
Here's what I've observed after coaching hundreds of leaders and consulting at organizations like Amazon and Microsoft, and industries like biotech, professional sports, VC, and startups: the path to the C-suite is designed to weed people out, and it's particularly brutal for unconventional leaders.
Recent research from leadership firm, Korn Ferry, confirms what I see daily—over 25% of high-potential leaders from non-dominant backgrounds derail before reaching the top, not because they lack talent, but because they can't navigate the unspoken rules of organizational power.
The leaders I work with—the firsts and onlys, the immigrants, women, people of color, the ones who are different—face an even steeper climb. They hit invisible barriers around adaptability, peer relationships, and team building that no one taught them to recognize. Meanwhile, they're playing by outdated rules that got them to middle management but won't get them to the C-suite. They're stuck in what I call "Frustrated Genius" territory, knowing they're capable of more but unable to break through to winning the game.
2
The Math is Not Mathing
Currently, in America, Asian Americans have a college graduation rate slightly greater than White students. Since 1990, Asian Americans have historically hovered between 15-20 percent of Ivy League school student populations. But, right now, Asian Americans make up just over 2 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs. First and only leaders, unconventional leaders, tend to get to the “middle” tier of success and achievement but are woefully underrepresented at executive levels, in positions of power and decision-making.
I have seen this pattern play out in my own experience and that of the hundreds of leaders I have coached. Most solutions put the onus of change on the individual leader and their shortcomings—not appreciating that the moment has come for validating a different set of leadership qualities and perspectives at the top of our organizations.
3
Why My Approach Works
This is exactly why I developed the toolkit you’ll find in "The Liberated Leader."
Instead of telling my clients to "lean in" or work on their "executive presence," I help them decode what's really happening around them.
We start by getting clear on the unique value they bring that can't be replicated. Then we frame the actual game they're in, not the one they think they are or should be playing. Most importantly, we unpack their relationship with power, authority, and leadership so they can own their role without compromising their values.
When my clients understand the hidden games, identify other people's agendas, and change their inherited rules about how power works, they stop derailing and start changing the game from the inside. They become the kind of leaders who don't just survive the C-suite—they transform it into something that works for everyone.
4
Why This Approach is Required More Than Ever
The skills I talk about in "The Liberated Leader" aren't just for climbing corporate ladders—they're essential for anyone trying to create change or build influence in today's world.
Whether you're a solopreneur building from scratch, a nonprofit director navigating foundation politics, an entrepreneur seeking venture capital, or a community organizer working to influence policy, you're still dealing with hidden games, unspoken rules, and power dynamics that determine who gets heard and who gets marginalized.
Even as a freelancer, you need to decode what really motivates your clients, understand their context, and position yourself as someone who can navigate complexity—not just deliver great work.
The Bottom Line
The traditional models of leadership and influence are breaking down across every sector because the institutions themselves are dissolving. This shift is creating unprecedented opportunities for unconventional leaders to be seen, heard, and rewarded. But success demands understanding how power actually plays, wherever you are.
What others are saying
Testimonials
"This book opened my eyes"
I've been in the trenches, building and investing in successful companies for over two decades—and Meghna presented so much brand new and helpful information. This book opened my eyes to a whole new way to see work and how to operate with an organization. I didn't realize the games I had been in...to my detriment. Moving forward, I now feel more aware of the hidden dynamics of my work environments and better equipped to shape them and adjust my approach more proactively.
— Alex Ortiz
CMO, Founder, Investor
"This approach dispels myths about jobs and career"
This book is succinct and gets to the point, which is rare for business books. The opening chapters help diagnose the problem, and the latter chapters get into the actions you can take. Meghna’s approach dispels a number of myths about jobs and career—so much of the “good advice” out there isn’t the actual story. Reading this book helped me reframe key pieces to focus on what actually works.
— Rajiv Vaidyanathan
Product Leader, Startup Executive
"A thoughtful way to break out of old stories"
I found Meghna’s clear definitions of the “games” at work, power, and authority helpful for thinking through how I could be even more effective as a Head of Product leading teams of product managers, engineers, and designers. The latter sections connecting childhood and family dynamics to how certain negative patterns repeat at work really resonated with me, and offer a thoughtful way to break out of old stories and show up more confidently as a leader.
— Sabrina Ko
Founder, Product Leader, Angel, Product Advisor
Uplevel Your Leadership
(And Get the Results YOU Actually Care About)
You can expect 3 major changes after reading this book...
1. You Will Chart a Clear Path to Your Next Big Step
(Without Compromising Who You Are)
You've been successful enough to get this far, but getting to that next level— the one where you can really make the impact you're capable of— still feels frustratingly out of reach. You're not sure if it's about working harder, being more strategic, or something else entirely.
What's Really Happening
You're optimizing for your current role when you need to be operating at the next level. But here's what most leadership advice won't tell you: individual strategy can only take you so far. Sometimes the barrier isn't your performance—it's understanding the larger game board of budget constraints, organizational restructuring, or systemic biases that no amount of personal development can overcome.
What Changes
You'll develop the skills to distinguish between what you can control and what you can't. When progress is possible, you'll stop second-guessing your decisions and identify exactly what needs to change in your approach. When structural barriers exist, you'll recognize them early and make informed decisions about whether and how to navigate around them, push for systemic change, or find environments where your talents are better valued. This clarity alone will save you years of spinning your wheels.
2. You Will Develop a Sixth Sense for What's Really Going On
(And Position Yourself Strategically)
You hate the idea of "playing politics" or being an "unreasonable" leader, but you're tired of being surprised by decisions that seem to come out of nowhere. You want to focus on doing good work, but you're starting to realize that's not enough to get the recognition you deserve or the right things done.
What's Really Happening
You're not bad at office politics—you're operating from inherited rules about power that made sense in another time and place but don't serve you in today's leadership landscape. However, even perfect political navigation won't overcome every barrier. Some environments are genuinely toxic or discriminatory, and some decisions are made based on factors (personal relationships, bias, economic pressures) that your performance can't influence.
What Changes
You'll learn to decode the hidden agendas and informal power structures that really drive decisions. More importantly, you'll develop the judgment to assess whether an environment is worth your continued investment. You'll understand who has actual influence and how to position your ideas effectively—but you'll also recognize when you're fighting systemic issues that require different strategies or different environments entirely.
3. You Will Be Known as a Game Changer
(i.e. The Leader Others Want to Follow)
You've been successful enough to get this far, but getting to that next level— the one where you can really make the impact you're capable of— still feels frustratingly out of reach. You're not sure if it's about working harder, being more strategic, or something else entirely.
What's Really Happening
The rules that made you successful as an individual contributor are now limiting your executive effectiveness. But let's be honest: not every high potential performer becomes a "game changer," and that's not always about individual limitations. Organizational structures, industry dynamics, and economic realities play huge roles in determining who gets to exercise transformational leadership.
What Changes
You'll stop trying to be the smartest person in every room and start reading between the lines more effectively. You'll develop the skills to lead through influence rather than just expertise. Even though, the ultimate scope of your impact will still depend on factors beyond your control—like the organization's readiness for change, available resources, and external market conditions—you'll have a plan to take the right next step.
The Double Bottom Line
You already have significant capability. This book will help you see it clearly, communicate it powerfully, and use it strategically—while developing the judgment to recognize where your talents can be invested more effectively. My goal isn't to guarantee you a promotion; it's to help you BE the leader you want to be, and create the career and impact that only you can.
What This Book Won't Do: Fix broken organizational cultures, eliminate unconscious bias, or create executive positions where none exist.
What This Book Will Do: Give you the tools to navigate complex leadership terrain with your eyes wide open.
About The Author
Meet The Person Helping Good People Be Great Leaders
Meghna Majmudar
I am a strategist and coach, an optimist, an immigrant, and anthropologist.
I was raised on the American Dream—and lived it. And now increasingly, see how it is failing.
I graduated magna cum laude in Anthropology from Harvard; I have a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Cape Town and an MBA from UC Berkeley; as well as formal training in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and coaching. I have over 25 years of experience as a strategist and leader working with influential organizations across healthcare, technology, financial services, consumer goods, automotive, major league sports, government, and non-profits.
At Harvard and in the organizations I advised, I saw that the game of success wasn’t a meritocracy. But…it was a game. And it had specific rules one had to understand to be successful.
Based on mine and my clients’ experiences, I know there is a particular type of inner work and game theory the leaders who will take us into the future have to do around their sense of power, authority, and leadership to be effective. I also know there is structural inertia in how we work that makes it difficult to change, and for those who have traditionally not been in power to influence effectively toward a more inclusive and equitable world.
I had to learn to play the game and change the game at the same time. That's what my clients are up to as well: Play the Game. Change the Game. It’s a big task, and that’s why my approach is much more than executive coaching. It’s a building leadership capability for an intensely complex world, a future well beyond our imagination…
A future where we all thrive.
My Bold Guarantee
I am so confident this book will set you on the path to be a transformative leader that⸺ if you're unsatisfied (for whatever reason)⸺you can send the book back within one year and receive a 100% refund.
No questions asked.
Just contact me via the support details at the bottom of this page. You will be given a return address to send the book back to. I will personally see to it that you are refunded every penny of the shipping cost.
How's that for fair?
Limited Inventory
I have printed a limited number of books. After these copies sell out, there's no guarantee I'll do another print run. Why?
First, I’m self-publishing this book.
My work and coaching has remained a well-kept secret and given the urgency of the moment we’re in—with few models of positive leadership, I did not have the time to find a big name publisher nor the social media following to mess with an Amazon release.
Second, sharing a physical book takes time, money, and energy to maintain.
I don't want to run a massive business and hire lots of people. I want time to write, think, and work in-depth with my clients.
The inventory is updated hourly. If you place an order and the book is already sold out, you will be refunded immediately. If you're reading this message, then that means there are still copies left.
Special note: If you'd like to order multiple copies, please email me directly with your request.
Why I'm Giving The Book Away (for the moment)...
(And no, it's not a gimmick.)
I am sharing this book at no cost for a limited time...
...Because it's about time we had a different conversation about what good leadership looks like and how the leaders who will take us into the future act.
There are two core reasons I'm doing this.
First, I've spent 27 years studying what to do—and what not to do—when it comes to power, leadership, and success in the working world. Even though I went to great schools and saw great leaders in action, I was an immigrant and did not know the rules of the game. I made a lot of mistakes and hit many dead ends.
And I don't want you to go through the same trials if I can help it. I've already done the legwork for you. I'd rather you focus on understanding yourself and the context you are in so you can create a game where you win.
I've seen the impact of the Liberated Leader toolkit, firsthand. It's changed my life and numerous others', and my only regret is that I did not piece it together earlier.
Therefore, my goal is to get this book into as many hands as possible.
The second reason I'm sharing this book at no cost, for a limited time, is because I know by transforming your life, you may become interested in other things I share and we can go even further together.
That's all.
I know "The Liberated Leader" will get your gears turning, and I can't wait for you to read it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your most asked questions...
How long will it take for the book to arrive?
Your book will be packaged up beautifully, and sent from Taylor, Michigan, USA.
For U.S. customers, you can expect the book to arrive in 7-15 business days (could be a lot sooner).
For International, you can expect the book to arrive in 10-22 business days (could be a lot sooner).
You will receive a tracking number via email immediately after your order.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact support (listed at the footer of this page).
Do you offer refunds?
Yes. We believe in this book so much that if you're unsatisfied (for any reason), you can send the book back within one-year, and get a 100% refund. No questions asked. Just contact me via the support details at the footer of this page. I'll share the return address, and refund every penny.
If you're not happy, we're not happy!
My mission is to serve unconventional leaders and equip them with a new playbook to create a future where we all thrive.
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