Mine came during a pricing discussion at Walmart. I understood the product, the pricing logic and the operational mechanics behind the system. But as the conversation shifted from execution to broader business strategy, I realised I wasn’t contributing with the same confidence.

That moment became a turning point. It wasn’t about lacking expertise. It was about recognising that the next stage of leadership required a different way of thinking.

Today, I lead pricing initiatives across global markets at Walmart. Over the years, I have worked across banking, insurance and retail, building expertise in product management, pricing, strategy and execution. As my responsibilities expanded, so did the complexity of the decisions I was expected to influence. The questions were no longer limited to product delivery. They involved customers, profitability, competitive positioning and long-term business outcomes.

I realised functional excellence had taken me far, but it wouldn’t take me all the way.

When Technical Expertise Stops Being Enough

Early in my career, most decisions revolved around execution. Could we build it? Would customers adopt it? Could we automate the process? Would it improve speed or efficiency?

As I worked on international pricing initiatives at Walmart and earlier enabled Sodexo’s global expansion at Zeta, those questions gradually evolved. The conversations became less about what could be built and more about whether it was the right business decision.

Profitability, customer behaviour, strategic trade-offs and sustainable value creation increasingly shaped every discussion. While I could explain the technology with confidence, I wanted to participate equally confidently in conversations around business strategy.

That gap made me realise that depth in one function had to be complemented by breadth across the business.

Choosing a Leadership Programme That Matched My Aspirations

When I decided to invest in structured learning, I explored leadership programmes and leadership courses offered by leading Indian and global institutions.

What ultimately drew me to ISB's Executive Programme in Business Management (EPBM) was its emphasis on live learning, interactive discussions and faculty who connected academic frameworks with real business challenges. I wasn’t looking for recorded lectures or passive learning. I wanted an engaging leadership course where classroom discussions mirrored the complexity of executive decision-making.

I entered the programme hoping to strengthen my business acumen. I left with something much bigger: a more holistic perspective on leadership, a stronger professional network and greater confidence in my ability to contribute beyond my functional expertise.

Learning to Think Like a Business Leader

Among the many subjects we explored, Behavioural Economics and Economic Value Creation fundamentally changed how I approach decision-making. Earlier, I assumed that if a product created value, customers would naturally recognise it.

The programme challenged that assumption. I began understanding how psychology shapes customer decisions and how businesses must create value that customers are willing to pay for while also capturing that value sustainably. Today, I don’t evaluate pricing decisions solely through automation or operational efficiency. I ask different questions.

How will customers perceive this decision? What behaviour will it influence? What value are we creating? What value are we capturing?

That shift has fundamentally changed how I collaborate with business stakeholders. The biggest shift wasn’t learning new concepts. It was moving from asking, ‘Is this the right product decision?’ to asking, ‘Is this the right business decision?’

Applying General Management Thinking at Work

One of the most meaningful changes has been in the quality of my leadership conversations.

While working on pricing initiatives across Walmart’s international markets, I found myself naturally expanding discussions beyond implementation. Instead of focusing only on execution feasibility, I started considering customer perception, business objectives, competitive positioning and long-term profitability.

The conversations became richer because they were no longer simply product discussions. They became business discussions. I also noticed a change in how I participated during cross-functional meetings. Rather than limiting myself to product perspectives, I became more comfortable discussing finance, economics, organisational priorities and strategic trade-offs.

Perhaps more importantly, I became more confident in asking better questions.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

One of the greatest strengths of the programme was the cohort itself. Meaningful learning extended well beyond scheduled sessions, into WhatsApp conversations, late-night discussions and collaborative projects with professionals from entirely different industries.

For our capstone project, my team included IT professionals, a doctor and a chef. Each person viewed business problems through a different lens, forcing me to challenge assumptions I hadn’t even realised I held.

That diversity of thought made me a more thoughtful leader. Equally impactful was the faculty’s ability to bridge theory and practice. Whether discussing artificial intelligence, innovation or strategy, every concept was anchored in real business situations, making it immediately applicable.

Becoming Comfortable Outside My Comfort Zone

One of my biggest personal transformations came from engaging with subjects that initially intimidated me. Coming from a product background, finance, statistics and economics didn’t feel like familiar territory. Initially, I hesitated to contribute unless I felt certain.

Gradually, I became comfortable embracing uncertainty. I learned that leadership isn’t about always having the right answers. It’s about asking thoughtful questions, listening actively and making better decisions with diverse perspectives. That mindset has stayed with me long after completing the programme.

Leadership is not about being the smartest person in the room. It’s about creating better decisions through better questions.

Looking Ahead

Today, I no longer see my career through the narrow lens of product management. I want to work at the intersection of product, strategy, artificial intelligence and business transformation, where technology enables meaningful business outcomes.

Broader leadership roles involving greater P&L ownership and cross-functional mandates now feel genuinely within reach because I possess not only deeper expertise but also the vocabulary and frameworks to engage confidently across finance, strategy and economics. The programme didn’t change my ambition. It expanded what I believed I was capable of leading.

Advice for Future Leaders

If you are performing well within your function but increasingly feel that technical excellence alone won’t take you where you want to go, pay attention to that instinct. Growth isn’t always about acquiring more functional expertise. Sometimes it’s about learning to connect your expertise to the broader business.

Approach the programme with curiosity, humility and an openness to learn from both faculty and peers. Some of your most valuable lessons will come from conversations outside the classroom. The next stage of leadership often begins when you stop thinking only about your function and start thinking about the entire business.

If you’re sensing a ceiling in your career, it may not require more depth. It may require greater breadth.

Synopsis

As a Senior Product Manager at Walmart, Tushar had mastered product execution but realised that larger leadership roles demanded a broader understanding of business. Through ISB’s Executive Programme in Business Management (EPBM), he developed the confidence to think beyond technology and products, embracing strategy, finance, customer behaviour and value creation, transforming the way he leads and makes decisions.