Business Book Awards 2026 Shortlisted in Leadership category

As leaders, we navigate a multitude of lines – reporting lines, dotted lines, bottom lines, deadlines. Yet amidst this web, there is one line that defines our leadership journey: our through line.

What is a through line? Your through line is the psychological core of your leadership story, the golden thread that connects who you are with how you lead. It links your decisions with what matters to you. As you face forward, understanding it provides an anchor in the face of uncertainty. As you uncover it, you discover that understanding who you are is instrumental in unlocking the impact of how you lead.

Discover a three-part framework – reach in, reset, reach out – designed to uncover your through line. Through practical exercises, you’ll identify the essence of your leadership. Through case studies and scientific research you’ll understand why this matters. Armed with this clarity, you’ll navigate change with confidence, lead with intention and inspire those around you. Because intentional leadership begins with clarity, purpose, and the courage to lead from within.

‘This book is a great guide to rediscover, renew and celebrate the genuine.’ – Ruth Dearnley OBE, President and Founder, STOP THE TRAFFIK

‘If you want to connect who you are with how you lead, this book offers the clarity and heart to get you there.’ HÉLÈNE BIANDUDI HOFER, Journalist

Archana Mohan, a dynamic Chief Operations and Technology Officer, blends her multicultural upbringing with a decade in teaching and 20 years in finance to drive collaboration and innovation. Recognized for her insights, Archana holds academic qualifications from Brown, Columbia, and Yale.

‘The beauty of this book lies in how Archana invites us to pause and reexamine ourselves, our principles, values, and goals. She challenges us to consider new insights, adapt to the current environment, and reach out as true leaders who lead with care, inspiration, and purpose’ – Amazon 5*

‘The practical framework of the book…provides a structure that is easy to follow and gets you thinking every step of the way. Its more than just a narrative of what to do and not to do, its human and real. The reflective exercises really help you questions the kind of leader you want to be and then how to get the most from your team. Finally, a leadership book that connects your own values and who you are to your way of leadership!’ – Amazon 5*

I’ve led a bunch of companies, written a couple of leadership books, given countless speeches on leadership and taught leadership to MBA’s in over a dozen countries. This is the first leadership book I’ve given to my children – all of whom are a way through their own diverse careers in talent recruitment/advice, digital marketing, mental wellness connectivity, teaching and homecare.

Why? Because it’s written for all of them (and for me too). So reach in, reset and reach out. You may find it’s for you too. – Kevin Roberts, Founder Red Rose Consulting, Former Chairman and CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide.

Archana Mohan’s The Through Line is like a conversation with a mentor or coach who calls you out—but in the best way. She brings warmth, wit, and wisdom to the table, reminding us that true leadership – the kind that moves, strengthens, and genuinely cares for others – is about knowing ourselves and listening closely to and challenging the inner narratives that guide us. If you want to connect who you are with how you lead, this book offers the clarity and heart to get you there. – Hélène Biandudi Hofer, Journalist & Co-Founder of Good Conflict

Archana has done an extremely rare thing of writing a book about leadership that challenges your preconceptions and allows you the space and a framework to think expansively about what kind of leader you want to be. Archana fully embraces nuance and complexity but uses empiricism and compelling storytelling to make sense of the through line. A must read for anyone looking to be the best they can be in all aspects of their life. – Emily Bushby, Deputy CEO, NESTA

When I met Archana I knew I touched “genuine”. You can’t miss it. Her book is a great guide to rediscover, renew and celebrate the genuine. Can we be servant leaders for this moment in history? Read this book and love life and leadership. Be thoroughly you, through and through. – Ruth Dearnley OBE, President and Founder, STOP THE TRAFFIK

Archana shares a deeply personal and gripping journey of self-discovery on her path to leadership. Leadership success is often measured by outward success. Title. Influence. Wealth. Yet this story, beautifully written, shows that the real power to lead comes from within. By identifying your through line – you unlock your true potential. Be inspired and prepare to inspire. – Caroline Stokell CEO, investment management

Profoundly inspiring and deeply through-provoking. A book that will stay with you for a long time. – Musidora Jorgensen

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Dedication
• About the author
• Introduction
  • Why read this book?
  • Finding a through line
  • Uncertainty is the system
  • If you don’t, who will?
  • To lose your way is to learn the way
  • Let’s begin
• Chapter 1: Crossing lines
  • In a nutshell
  • Hidden in plain sight
  • See it to name it
  • Use it
  • Caring to notice
  • Hope in uncertainty
  • True colours
  • Unearthing a truth
  • Your turn
• Chapter 2: The through line: a blueprint for leadership
  • In a nutshell
  • All the world’s a stage
  • Avoid flat packing
  • Leadership structures and categories
  • Know yourself
  • Be consistent
  • Storytelling with intent
  • Integrate the stories
  • Complicate the narrative: experience is not a prerequisite for impact
  • One person, one story, six words
  • Your turn
• Chapter 3: A line to understand: reach in
  • In a nutshell
  • Daring to feel
  • Some questions to ask
  • Decision-making in uncertainty
  • An inside job
  • How to tune out the static
  • Excavate your lines
  • Inner mastery
  • Outer impact
  • Your turn
• Chapter 4: A line to change: reset
  • In a nutshell
  • Sick and tired
  • Surrender as a reset
  • Change leadership
  • Free solo
  • Ease or discomfort
  • The courage to keep revising
  • Generative conversations
  • A blank sheet of paper
  • Your turn
• Chapter 5: A line to care: reach out
  • In a nutshell
  • A duty to care
  • Company means connection
  • An outside job
  • Deep care
  • The empty chair
  • Caring innovation
  • Design thinking
  • Complicate the narrative: not every caring encounter is a resounding success
  • Leadership is reaching out
  • Your turn
• Chapter 6: A line to inspire: if you don’t, who will?
  • In a nutshell
  • What is inspiration?
  • If you don’t inspire, who will?
  • Training and development
  • Mastery over success
  • The Queasy Eagle
  • From through line to inspiration
  • Inspiration to change the world
  • Your turn
• Chapter 7: A line to go further: what is next?
  • Rewilding
  • What is next?
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Acknowledgements
• Index

FORMAT / ISBN / PUBLICATION DATE / RRP

Paperback / 9781788606837 / April 15, 2025 / £14.99

Hardback / 9781788606820 / April 15, 2025 / £24.99

Ebook / 9781788606851 / April 14, 2025 / £7.99

Paperback and eBook Bundle / £16.99

Archana Mohan

Archana Mohan is a dynamic, multilingual Chief Operations and Technology Officer within the finance sector, with a passion for unlocking human potential. Growing up in a multicultural environment, Archana witnessed first-hand how strong leadership could build relationships, bridge cultural divides, and foster collaboration. She brings a unique perspective to her work, drawing on her experiences as both a teacher and a leader to drive innovation.

Archana’s leadership expertise stems from her decade-long experience of teaching students with learning differences. She has adapted and enhanced this knowledge over the past 20 years in the financial services sector, where she has been able to improve collaboration and innovation within her teams. Her insights have been widely recognised, and she is frequently invited to speak at industry conferences and events.

Archana’s academic qualifications include a BA in French Literature from Brown University, an MA in Education from Columbia University, and an MBA in Finance from Yale University.