Ranjay Gulati : How to Lead When Fear and Uncertainty Hit

Oct 22, 2025

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In this episode of the ScaleX™ Insider podcast, Brendan McGurgan sits down with Ranjay Gulati — Harvard Business School professor, leadership and organisational growth expert, and author of seven books including Deep Purpose: The Heart and Soul of High-Performance Companies.

Ranjay joins the show to explore what it truly means to scale with purpose, how leaders can cultivate courage in themselves and others, and the principles that allow businesses to grow rapidly while retaining culture, innovation, and impact.

We dive deep into:

What scaling with purpose really means in 2025
How identity, mindset, and self-narratives determine whether a business can thrive
The role of courage and confidence in leading through uncertainty
Lessons from top-performing companies on balancing growth, culture, and long-term vision
How leaders can build resilient organisations while activating purpose-driven teams
Why ambition alone isn't enough — and how ideals fuel sustainable growth

Ranjay also shares his insights from decades of research, his interviews with entrepreneurs, and practical examples from business, sports, and real-life courageous acts to illustrate how leaders can navigate fear and uncertainty while driving transformation.

👉 Tune in to hear how purpose and courage can become the twin engines for scaling your business with impact.

📌 Connect with Ranjay Gulati: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranjay-gulati/

Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B001ITX0NG

About Simple Scaling & ScaleX™ Insider Podcast

🧭 About Simple Scaling & ScaleX™ Insider Podcast: ScaleX™ helps SME leaders scale with purpose using the proven ScaleX™ Framework. Hosted by Brendan McGurgan, the ScaleX™ Insider Podcast shares insights from top entrepreneurs and business thinkers.

If you're an SME leader looking for a proven plan to scale, here are two ways to work with us:

👉 Join the Northern Ireland ScaleX Accelerator Programme (2026) For CEOs, founders & MDs of SMEs (£2m–30m revenue) ready to scale leadership, teams, and value. Join the waitlist: https://scalexaccelerator.simplescaling.com/

👉 Join ScaleX Elevate (£750k–2m businesses) A digital learning community with weekly training, support, and expert sessions — designed to give you a roadmap to 2x your revenue and talent within 2 years. Register your interest: https://scalexinsights.simplescaling.com/elevate

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