Leadership in the early days of any venture is not for the faint of heart. It is a period of feverish intensity, where the line between triumph and catastrophe is thinner than one would ever like to admit. As I reflect on my experience of launching OurBus —transforming an idea into a tangible operation of ten buses within a mere 62 days—I find myself drawn to the dichotomy of leadership styles that shaped the journey.
In these formative stages, the interplay between ‘wartime’ and ‘peacetime’ leadership, a concept popularised by Ben Horowitz, proved pivotal. These two paradigms of leadership, seemingly oppositional, are in fact complementary. Like the dual blades of scissors, they work together to cut through the complexity of establishing an organisation from scratch. To lead successfully during this tumultuous period is to embrace the fluidity of these roles, deftly alternating between the decisive vigour of wartime and the measured wisdom of peacetime.
This essay unpacks the art of balancing these leadership modes, weaving in lessons from my own experience scaling OurBus in India—a story of challenges, resource constraints, and ultimately, relentless determination.
Wartime Leadership: The Crucible of Beginnings
To start something entirely new is, in essence, to declare war. You are waging a battle against obscurity, against scepticism, and often against the inertia of established systems. In those early days, you are not just a leader—you are the general, the strategist, and the foot soldier, all rolled into one. This is the domain of wartime leadership, where survival hangs in the balance and every decision feels like it could make or break the venture.
1. Decisive Action: Fortune Favours the Bold
In the chaos of building OurBus , one lesson rang clear: indecision is the enemy of progress. The embryonic phase of an organisation is an unforgiving battlefield where opportunities appear and vanish with equal haste. There was no time to labour over perfecting the pitch or agonising over market data.
For example, we had to decide on routes swiftly—relying on a mix of intuition, quick market observations, and an ability to sense demand where others saw none. Some choices were, admittedly, shots in the dark. Yet the lesson here is simple: hesitation can cost more than an imperfect decision.
In wartime leadership, momentum is king. Once, while exploring routes in smaller towns, we realised that a competitor was about to launch a similar service. Waiting for complete data would have allowed them to cement their foothold. Instead, we acted immediately, engaging local operators and launching ahead of schedule. Imperfect action often outpaces perfect inaction.
2. Centralised Command: Unity in Purpose
During the launch phase, the clamour of competing priorities can drown even the most well-laid plans. In these moments, centralised leadership—the ability to unify all decision-making under a singular vision—becomes indispensable.
The first 62 days of OurBus were a whirlwind. Every operator I met, every partner I negotiated with, and every customer touchpoint reflected a unified strategy: prove the viability of this model at all costs. Delegation had its place, but I knew that at this stage, my clarity of purpose and ability to steer every significant decision were the glue holding the operation together.
Centralisation also enables coherence during critical junctures. When setbacks arose—whether it was a key operator reconsidering their commitment or unforeseen operational hurdles—I made it a point to lead from the front. Not because I distrusted my team, but because, in wartime, unity of command can mean the difference between adapting quickly and succumbing to chaos.
3. The Resourcefulness of Frugality
Start-ups rarely have the luxury of excess. When financial and operational constraints loom large, wartime leaders must embrace a scrappy, resourceful mindset. In my case, this meant personally knocking on doors to pitch our vision to bus operators and crafting the simplest, most efficient solutions to complex logistical challenges.
Frugality isn’t merely about saving money—it’s about maximising value. Instead of hiring expensive consultants to map out our service areas, we walked the streets ourselves, talking to potential riders and local vendors to understand commuter patterns. This ground-up approach saved resources and gave us authentic, actionable insights.
4. Resilience: Turning Setbacks into Stepping Stones
No wartime effort is without its losses. Operators backed out, early routes underperformed in the early days, and the spectre of doubt lurked at every corner. Yet, failure—when viewed through the lens of resilience—is not a barrier but a staircase.
Resilience is not about blind optimism; it’s about problem-solving with an unshakeable belief in the mission. When a critical operator withdrew just days before a route launch, we didn’t just adapt—we ensured resilience through meticulous planning and fallback strategies. By creating multiple contingency options, we stayed on track despite the setback. While launching the first two buses, we identified areas for design improvement and swiftly implemented these learnings from the third bus onward. Simultaneously, we activated an offline sales network to bolster demand on days when online bookings were low. These moments exemplify how adaptability and foresight transform potential crises into opportunities for growth and innovation.
Peacetime Leadership: Scaling Beyond Survival
If wartime is about survival, peacetime is about prosperity. As OurBus stabilised, the focus shifted from fighting fires to building an enduring foundation. This required a pivot in leadership style—from the direct, often urgent mode of wartime to the collaborative and visionary approach of peacetime.
1. Empowerment Through Co-Creation and Hands-On Leadership
With the initial infrastructure in place, the question shifted from simply managing operations to ensuring that the team could scale our vision beyond its immediate scope. However, delegation during this stage wasn’t about stepping back and relinquishing control—it was about actively involving myself in every facet of the organisation while simultaneously sharing the vision and inspiring the team to take ownership.
As we grew the team, I realised that it wasn’t enough to assign responsibilities and let people run with them. True empowerment required me to win people over to the mission, ensuring they were aligned with our goals and motivated to succeed. This meant sharing the “why” behind every decision, clarifying how their contributions fit into the larger picture, and giving them the support and resources they needed to excel in their roles.
While I entrusted the team to execute, I remained hands-on—co-creating solutions, guiding strategy, and staying deeply involved. Delegation, in this sense, was never about distancing myself from the day-to-day; it was about building trust and collaboration while ensuring I could step in immediately when things went awry. When unexpected challenges arose, I took charge without hesitation, offering the decisive leadership needed to correct course swiftly.
This approach allowed me to provide not only direction but also mentorship, fostering a culture of shared accountability. By staying connected to every aspect of the organisation, I ensured that no opportunity was lost, no setback lingered unresolved, and every individual felt supported in pursuing the collective vision. Empowerment, for me, has always been about partnership—not detachment—and this philosophy has been instrumental in driving both personal and organisational growth.
2. Building a Vision Beyond the Present
In wartime, you’re looking at the next hill to climb. In peacetime, you lift your gaze to the horizon. As the buses started running smoothly, my role as a leader evolved into that of a strategist. Questions of long-term relevance began to take centre stage:
- How do we make this a household name in intercity travel?
- What will the next 50 routes look like?
- How can we build a tech-enabled platform to simplify operations and improve customer experience?
- How can we establish an effective and accountable feedback loop that seamlessly integrates bus design, operational policies, and customer experience?
Vision-setting isn’t just about ambition; it’s about clarity. I ensured that every member of the team understood not just what we were doing, but why. This shared purpose became a powerful motivator, inspiring us all to aim higher.
3. Refining Processes for Scalability
Peacetime leadership is about creating systems that outlast the individuals who put them in place. For OurBus , this meant establishing operational frameworks—standard operating procedures, automated ticketing systems, and clear performance metrics for routes.
Process refinement may not always steal the spotlight, but it is the foundation of true transformation. By integrating machine learning and adopting an AI-first approach within our workflows, we move beyond enhancing efficiency to developing intelligent, self-improving systems that adapt and scale seamlessly. These systems enable robust, data-driven decision-making, reduce redundancy, and uncover actionable insights, driving sustainable growth. For example, transitioning to an AI-first GDS not only elevates the customer experience but also empowers our teams to shift from rigid workflow-based operations to dynamic, data model-driven strategies, enabling high-impact, strategic initiatives. This is how the synergy of innovation and intelligence becomes the cornerstone of organisational excellence.
4. Culture as a Strategic Asset
Culture, I have found, is the ultimate competitive advantage. While wartime leadership often necessitates transactional relationships—focused on results and survival—peacetime leadership must cultivate deeper connections.
At OurBus , we began to actively nurture a culture of collaboration, transparency, and innovation. Celebrating wins, recognising individual contributions, and creating an environment where feedback was encouraged all contributed to a workplace that people wanted to be part of. In the long run, culture is what attracts top talent, retains loyal employees, and ensures that the organisation is not just a business but a community.
The Art of Dynamic Leadership
The true mark of a great leader lies not in their adherence to one style of leadership, but in their ability to fluidly navigate between them. Leadership is a spectrum, and the most effective leaders are those who can pivot seamlessly, responding to the demands of the moment without losing sight of the broader mission.
1. Contextual Awareness
The transition from wartime to peacetime—and occasionally back again—requires acute awareness of both internal and external contexts. Leaders must be attuned to market shifts, team dynamics, and emerging opportunities. Regularly engaging with the ground realities of your organisation ensures that you don’t become detached from the very foundation you’ve built.
2. Emotional Intelligence: The Glue of Leadership
One cannot overstate the importance of emotional intelligence. Leading a team through wartime requires resilience, but leading them through peacetime demands empathy. People are not cogs in a machine; they are individuals with aspirations, fears, and unique contributions. Recognising and addressing these nuances makes a leader not just respected but truly admired.
A Legacy of Balance
Reflecting on the journey of launching OurBus , I am reminded of the delicate interplay between these two styles of leadership. The wartime leader in me fought tooth and nail to establish a foothold, while the peacetime leader built the foundation for growth and sustainability. Together, these approaches created a synergy that allowed the venture to thrive.
For anyone embarking on the journey from zero to one, let me leave you with this: leadership is not a fixed state but an evolving art. It is about being decisive when the moment calls for courage and contemplative when the moment calls for vision. It is about embracing the chaos of creation and the calm of consolidation. And above all, it is about never losing sight of the people and purpose that make the journey worthwhile.
From ten buses to a growing network, from a fleeting idea to a tangible reality—the journey is far from over. But with the lessons of wartime and peacetime leadership as my guide, I am confident that the best is yet to come.