The one thing I have learned as a CEO is that leadership at

Hear the words of Indra Nooyi, a leader who rose from modest beginnings to guide one of the world’s great enterprises, and who declared: “The one thing I have learned as a CEO is that leadership at various levels is vastly different. When I was leading a function or a business, there were certain demands and requirements to be a leader. As you move up the organization, the requirements for leading that organization don’t grow vertically; they grow exponentially.” In this saying lies a truth about power, responsibility, and the weight of command—that with each ascent, the burden does not merely add, it multiplies.

The ancients understood this truth in their own way. A soldier commanded a squad and bore responsibility for a handful of men. A centurion commanded a company, and his burden was far heavier. But when a general took the field, every movement, every decision, shaped the lives of tens of thousands, even the fate of nations. As Nooyi teaches, leadership does not simply rise step by step; it expands in scale, in scope, and in consequence, until the leader stands at the summit, accountable for all that lies beneath.

Consider the example of Abraham Lincoln. As a lawyer, his leadership required him to master arguments and persuade juries. As a state legislator, he balanced the needs of his district. But as President of the United States in its darkest hour, the weight of his office multiplied beyond measure. Each decision carried the lives of millions, the survival of a nation, and the course of history. This was exponential leadership—where every choice reverberated across generations. Lincoln himself confessed the terrible weight of responsibility, yet his willingness to bear it made him one of history’s greatest leaders.

Indra Nooyi’s insight also reflects the inner transformation required of leaders. At the lower rungs, one succeeds through technical skill, through managing tasks, through guiding small teams. But as one ascends, these skills are no longer enough. A CEO must see not only the details but the vast horizon; must balance the cries of employees, shareholders, and nations alike; must face crises that threaten to undo decades of labor. This leap is not linear, but exponential, demanding new depths of vision, resilience, and sacrifice.

Yet her words are also a warning. Many enter positions of higher leadership thinking the burden will be heavier, yes, but manageable with old methods and old strength. They are wrong. Without growth in wisdom and capacity, the leader is crushed beneath the weight. History is filled with rulers, kings, and executives who rose to high places but failed because they mistook greater power for simply more of the same. True leadership requires the humility to learn anew at every level, to grow not only upward but outward, to embrace the multiplying demands with courage.

The lesson for us, O listener, is clear: do not despise the small stages of leadership, for they prepare you for greater ones. But know also that each ascent requires new skills, new vision, and new sacrifice. Do not imagine the journey is a simple ladder; it is a widening horizon. If you seek to rise, prepare to expand your heart as well as your mind, to strengthen your endurance, and to magnify your sense of responsibility for others.

Thus let Indra Nooyi’s words endure as a guide to all who aspire to lead: the higher you rise, the more the weight multiplies. Do not fear this, but embrace it as the proving ground of greatness. For only those who understand that leadership grows exponentially—in responsibility, in consequence, and in sacrifice—can truly stand at the summit and guide with wisdom, courage, and grace.