Deepinder Goyal, founder of Eternal (formerly Zomato), used the announcement of Aditya Mangla as CEO of Eternal’s food delivery business to offer a rare and candid insight into his vision of leadership — one that moves beyond titles and into the heart of what companies need to endure.
In a note to employees, Goyal acknowledged that leadership today is not just about decisive action but about cultivating the ability to see — to look beyond immediate wins and consider the longer-term ripple effects of every choice.
“Leadership is not just about knowing what to do. It’s about learning how to see,” Goyal wrote, urging his team to embrace humility, thoughtfulness, and courage amid complexity.
At a time when India’s startup ecosystem is recalibrating — balancing speed with sustainability — Goyal’s message reflects a growing sentiment that leadership should be as much about culture as it is about execution.
He called for leaders who can act decisively without arrogance, adapt when needed, and carry the moral courage to do the right thing even when it’s inconvenient. Listening “not to reply, but to understand” and treating feedback as a tool for growth rather than criticism, he said, are hallmarks of this philosophy.
Goyal also praised Mangla for his willingness to disagree — a quality he sees as essential to building a resilient culture. “We don’t need more people who agree with everything,” he wrote, signaling his encouragement of healthy debate and dissent.
Crucially, he underscored that leadership must prioritize people as much as business outcomes. “We need leaders who care. Not just about the business, but about the people. About what we’re building. About doing the right thing, even when it’s hard or inconvenient,” he added.
Goyal’s words also served as a nod to the broader evolution of India’s high-growth companies, which are beginning to value durability and culture alongside scale and speed.
In thanking outgoing CEO Rakesh Ranjan for steadying the business during a critical period, he reminded the team that leadership success depends on the strength of the system — a collective effort rather than lone heroics.
For Eternal, and perhaps for the Indian startup scene at large, Goyal’s note reads less like an internal memo and more like a manifesto: in the next chapter, leaders will need the humility to learn, the instinct to act, and — most importantly — the courage to care.