India, April 29 -- An IIT and ISB alumnus is gaining traction online for his candid reflections on the steep learning curve of leadership. Despite his elite education, he admits that his early management style led to the loss of three talented team members. In a viral post, he breaks down how he mistook silence for recognition and defensive behaviour for authority.

"Nobody teaches you how to be a manager. IIT trains you to solve problems. ISB trains you to build strategy. Your first management role? That trains you by letting you fail," Siddharth Maheshwari wrote and recalled how three "good people" left his team in the early stages of his career.

The 34-year-old explained that they didn't leave because he was cruel or didn't care; they...