Happy Mother’s Day.

As CEOs of fast-growing tech scaleups, we’re used to thinking about leadership in the context of founders, executives, investors, or even coaches. But long before any of those titles entered our lives, we had someone who laid the foundation for how we lead today: our mothers.

In this special episode of CarTalk with Kartik, I take a moment to reflect on the original leadership coach many of us had — someone who didn’t need a title to influence us profoundly.

She onboarded you to life

Before your first product launch or team stand-up, she taught you how to navigate the world. She showed you patience when you struggled, resilience when life got hard, and clarity when you were uncertain.

She gave you real-time feedback

No sugarcoating. No weekly 1:1s. Just straight talk — often unsolicited, always unfiltered.

She modeled leadership without ever calling it that

She led by example. She managed chaos without complaint. She mentored, she coached, and she celebrated your wins more than her own.

Whether it was your mom, a mentor, a partner, or a colleague balancing business and motherhood — these women shaped who you are as a leader.

So what’s the takeaway?

In the rush of board meetings, product sprints, and scaling decisions, don’t lose sight of personal gratitude. Leadership isn’t just about vision and execution. It’s also about humility and appreciation.

Take a moment today to say thank you — to your mother, to a mother figure, or to someone on your team doing the quiet, hard work of leadership every day.

Because great leaders build companies.
Grateful leaders build legacies.

CarTalk with Kartik is brought to you by Caribou Strategic, helping tech scaleups stand out and succeed.

📈 If you’re a CEO who refuses to plateau, join a Caribou Strategic Mastermind.