By: Unstoppable Branding Agency
In today’s fast-paced world, many of us find ourselves compartmentalizing our identities, balancing multiple roles—career professional, parent, partner—while rarely feeling like our true selves in any of them. Reena Merchant knows this struggle all too well. As a leader in the tech industry with over 20 years of experience, Reena has built a remarkable career in User Experience (UX), managing teams at Google, YouTube, Sony PlayStation, Citrix, and BlackBerry. But beyond her corporate success, she’s also the founder of OurVoice, a community organization that empowers individuals to discover and express their authentic selves. For years, Reena felt fragmented, as if her professional achievements and personal mission existed in separate worlds. Now, through her Leadership from Within framework, she’s discovered how to bring those worlds together—and is changing the conversation around what it means to be a holistic leader.
Breaking Free from Fragmentation
The question of identity has always been central to Reena’s journey. Though she grew up primarily in Toronto, Canada, Reena spent part of her high school years in India. Through multiple cultural shifts, she asked herself: “What does it mean to be me, beyond the labels of nationality or culture?” This inquiry into her true self resurfaced later in life as she navigated her career and personal passions.
Many of us can relate to this sense of compartmentalization. We’re often taught to show up as different versions of ourselves depending on our roles—whether in our careers, as partners, parents, or friends. But society rarely encourages us to dig deeper and create a unified identity across all areas of life. That’s where Reena’s holistic leadership approach offers a breakthrough.
“The truth is, the essence of who we are isn’t defined by external achievements,” Reena says. “It stems from who we are at the core. And when we develop a deep, intimate understanding of self, we access true power in our leadership – across all areas of life.”
Authenticity as a Path to Power and Impact
Reena realized that showing up as her authentic self in one area made her more powerful in all areas. It wasn’t just about being true to herself in her career or personal life separately—her authenticity became the force that aligned everything she did.
But this transformation didn’t happen overnight. Early in her career, she felt pressured to conform to traditional leadership expectations—be more aggressive, speak louder, and fit the mold. Over time, she learned true leadership wasn’t about meeting external expectations. It was about leading authentically and staying confident in her values. “Once I stopped trying to fit into a box, I found my own power,” she reflects. This shift transformed her career at prominent tech companies and her passion-driven mission at OurVoice.
For Reena, authenticity is where true impact begins. When we’re authentic, we’re driven by values, not external pressures. This alignment allows us to move beyond personal success into thought leadership, where our values can inspire others. In this way, our impact becomes exponential, creating a ripple effect of positive change in our lives and in the world.
Today, Reena sees how her work with OurVoice—her community empowering people to raise self-esteem and connect with their authenticity—complements her role as a tech leader. These breakthroughs form the foundation of Leadership From Within, Reena’s leadership framework, which has strengthened her ability to lead authentically and inspire others in both tech and personal growth.
Leadership From Within: A Framework for Authentic Leadership
Leadership From Within is a three-step framework designed to help individuals connect with their authentic selves and lead more effectively in all areas of life. Grounded in self-awareness, courage, and authenticity, the framework guides people to discover who they are, express that identity confidently, and lead with values that inspire lasting impact. The three key steps—self-investigation, courage, and leading with authenticity and values—form its foundation.
Step 1: Discovering Your Identity
The first step is discovering who you are at your core. Self-investigation helps you explore your gifts, strengths, and values and forms the foundation of authentic leadership. For Reena, this meant deep self-reflection, asking fundamental questions about her identity, passions, and beliefs.
Self discovery is a lifelong journey, and at times it can feel challenging to know where to begin. Reena offers useful resources through OurVoice that can help you explore your values, align with your purpose, and learn to trust yourself.
Step 2: Courage to Express Yourself
Once you’ve gained clarity about your identity, the next step is finding the courage to express it externally. This requires overcoming societal pressures and limiting beliefs. Fear of judgment often holds people back, but courageous self-expression involves showing up authentically, even when it challenges others’ expectations.
“You have to trust that your way of leading is enough,” Reena explains. By rejecting the need to conform, you strengthen your commitment to your authentic self, which ultimately leads to greater success and alignment in every area of life.
Step 3: Leading with Authenticity
With a strong sense of self and the courage to express it, leadership naturally follows. Authentic leadership means practicing boundaries, rejecting misaligned roles, and making decisions based on your inner truth.
True leadership has an exponential impact because it’s grounded in the values that drive one’s actions. People are inspired not by external achievements but by the authenticity they feel from one’s leadership.
Conclusion: A New Kind of Leadership
Reena’s philosophy of Leadership From Within goes beyond achieving professional success—it’s about integrating every part of who you are into a unified, authentic whole. Her journey shows that the qualities that define you at your core are the key to thriving, not just in your career but in every aspect of life.
Through self-investigation, courageous self-expression, and authentic leadership, Reena has developed a powerful framework that others can use to unlock their own potential. Her message is simple but profound: “When you embrace who you are and lead from within, you open the door to real, lasting impact—not just in your work but in all areas of your life.”
Published by: Holy Minoza
