We often speak of “diversity” in terms of the visible: gender, race, age. But the kind of diversity that has shaped my project the most this summer is less obvious, but perhaps more crucial. It is a diversity of temperament and leadership style. This beauty emerged as a result of the collaboration of two women whose different life experiences have shaped not only their perspectives, but the way their hearts approach life’s challenges.

When I arrived in Majuli on July 7th, I had not yet met in person my future roommate and partner for the next two months, Ms. Bhagya Lakshmi Nair. Though we had just spoken several times online, even through a screen I could sense her warmth. She possessed a contagious and gravitating type of humility that immediately put me at ease in what might otherwise have felt like a daunting partnership, where the project lead (myself) was younger and, at least on paper, less qualified than my counterpart. What I did not realize then was that this “match” would become one of the most formative elements of my entire project.

At twenty years old, arriving alone in a new country with a project I had designed from the ground up, I found myself in a constant state of fight-or-flight. My instinct was to maintain a strong, polished exterior. A front of unwavering competence, especially in tense situations like the financial and logistical disputes of our first week. Bhagya, in contrast, approached the same challenges with empathy and a conscious attention to others’ perspectives. At first, I feared her gentleness might weaken the authority we needed to project. However, I soon came to see that it was precisely this contrast that made us effective as a team. My instinct for assertiveness found its balance in her instinct for compassion. 

As we began our work, we slowly and almost unconsciously started adjusting to each other’s styles. I have become more considerate in my interactions, slowing down just enough to weigh how my words or decisions might land on others, and allowing space for perspectives I might once have overlooked. Being so far from home, surrounded by unfamiliar languages and customs, I found myself gradually more willing to be vulnerable. It wasn’t a dramatic change, but rather a gentle loosening of the armor I had instinctively worn upon arrival. In turn, I noticed her voice growing steadier in moments that required firm communication in Hindi, showing that compassion and authority can coexist without one diminishing the other. 

What Bhagya has taught me is that leadership is not defined solely by initiative or the ability to command a room. True leadership lies equally in the willingness to care for those you lead and those you work alongside. In my own life, I had placed greater weight on drive and execution. She has shown me that a leader’s heart matters just as much.

In one of my earlier posts, I wrote that trust precedes learning. I now believe trust also precedes leadership. And trust in a leader is grown not solely by skill and success, but through the courage to lead with both strength and compassion, ensuring every team member feels heard and valued. Bhagya has given me the tools to remain my “hard-boiled egg” self. I can still be resilient and determined, while allowing my warmth beneath my shell to be seen and felt. Compassion, I have learned from Ms. Bhagya Lakshmi Nair, is not a liability to leadership. It is leadership.