About
Deve Persad
Leadership today often feels complicated, weighed down by trends, jargon, and quick-fix strategies. Yet, some voices cut through the noise with a refreshing simplicity. One of those voices belongs to Deve Persad, author of Down to Earth Leadership. Recently featured on the PublishU Podcast, Deve shared his remarkable story—one shaped by heritage, faith, and decades of experience in guiding people with integrity.
Deve Persad’s story begins far from the Canadian soil he now calls home. Born in Trinidad and raised in Canada, he grew up straddling two cultures. While most of his life has been in Ontario, his Trinidadian roots remain a defining part of his identity.
“I think as I’ve grown older,” Deve reflected, “it gives me more appreciation for life here in the West, and a different perspective on what matters.”
This dual perspective—an island-born heritage and a Canadian upbringing—infuses his approach to leadership with humility and adaptability. He learned early on that identity is not static; it is layered, complex, and enriched by history.
Deve’s family background in Hinduism and his later embrace of Christianity provided another dimension to his journey. Faith, he explained, has been both an anchor and a compass. It shaped how he sees people, conflict, and growth.
For Deve, leadership is not about authority or dominance but about service. His belief system has instilled in him a profound sense of responsibility: leaders exist to lift others, not themselves.
So what led Deve to write Down to Earth Leadership? At its core, the book was born out of a desire to simplify what leadership really means. Over years of mentoring, teaching, and leading teams, he noticed a pattern: people often complicate leadership, chasing after trends rather than focusing on what truly works.
His book is a counterbalance. It strips away the unnecessary and reminds readers of timeless principles—integrity, empathy, listening, and consistency. Leadership, as he writes, is not about lofty theories but about grounding yourself in humility and common sense.
One of the central ideas Deve shared in the podcast is that leadership is first and foremost about people. It is relational. Without trust, respect, and genuine care for those you lead, strategies and structures fall apart.
He emphasized that leaders must be approachable, transparent, and willing to admit mistakes. These qualities, though simple, are often the hardest to embody in practice.
“Down to earth” leadership, as he puts it, is not flashy—it’s steady. It’s the kind of leadership that earns loyalty because it is rooted in authenticity.
Like many leaders, Deve’s journey has not been without challenges. Balancing cultural expectations, navigating organizational politics, and wrestling with personal doubts have all tested his resilience.
But rather than seeing these as obstacles, he views them as opportunities for growth. Challenges, he explained, refine character. They force leaders to clarify their values and re-commit to the principles that matter most.
This perspective shines through in his book, which is filled with real-life examples and reflections rather than abstract theories. His leadership philosophy was forged not in classrooms but in lived experiences.
So what can readers expect from Down to Earth Leadership? Deve’s writing offers practical, actionable wisdom:
These principles may sound simple, but in a world obsessed with quick results and self-promotion, they are radical.
As workplaces and communities become more diverse and complex, the temptation is to overcomplicate leadership. Deve Persad’s message is a reminder that we already know what good leadership looks like—it is humble, honest, and human.
In a time when trust in leaders is often low, Down to Earth Leadership offers a much-needed return to basics. It reassures us that the most effective leaders are not the loudest or the most charismatic, but the ones who consistently serve and inspire others.
The journey of Deve Persad is one of heritage, faith, and a deep commitment to people. His book is more than a leadership manual; it is a reflection of a life lived with integrity and service.
Leadership, as he reminds us, is not about chasing trends but about grounding ourselves in what has always mattered—empathy, humility, and consistency.
In the end, Down to Earth Leadership is both a challenge and an encouragement: a challenge to strip away the unnecessary, and an encouragement that anyone, regardless of position, can lead with authenticity.
For anyone longing to rediscover the heart of leadership, Deve Persad’s story is an invitation to return to the basics and to lead in a way that is truly down to earth.
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