December 22, 2025 - As year-end conversations across business media focus on productivity, recovery, and “finishing strong,” leadership platform Paper Napkin Wisdom has released a timely and resonant long-form essay and companion podcast episode titled “Presence > Presents: The Ultimate Gift You Can Give Yourself This Holiday.”
Created by Govindh Jayaraman, bestselling author, executive coach, and founder of Paper Napkin Wisdom, the piece explores a lesser-spoken truth among entrepreneurs and senior leaders: while the holidays are culturally framed as a time to slow down, many high performers experience the opposite—an internal urgency that feels out of step with the world around them.
Rather than offering another productivity framework or end-of-year checklist, Jayaraman’s reflection invites leaders to examine the deeper emotional and energetic misalignment that can surface during the holiday season—and to reconsider what “success” actually looks like when time, family, and presence are placed at the center.
“For years, the holidays quietly became a scorecard for me,” says Jayaraman. “I would review what didn’t get done, what didn’t land, and what still needed fixing—at the exact moment the rest of the world was pausing. This piece reflects a shift I believe many leaders are ready for: realizing that presence isn’t something you earn later. It’s something you choose now.”
A Counter-Narrative for Modern Leadership
At the heart of the release is a simple, hand-drawn paper napkin sketch—Presence > Presents—a visual shorthand for a broader leadership insight: that time, attention, and emotional availability are often the most meaningful gifts leaders can offer themselves and those around them.
Drawing on personal storytelling, timeless parables often associated with leadership classics, and what Jayaraman calls an Edge of the Napkin model, the article reframes the holidays not as a pause from ambition, but as an opportunity for alignment. The accompanying episode walks listeners through a simple, repeatable process for reconnecting with a personal vision for the future—and practicing small moments of that future in the present.
The message arrives amid growing dialogue around burnout, over-optimization, and the hidden costs of constant performance. Rather than rejecting ambition, Paper Napkin Wisdom’s approach emphasizes intentional growth—grounded in clarity, vision, and human connection.
About Paper Napkin Wisdom
Founded by Govindh Jayaraman, Paper Napkin Wisdom is a globally recognized leadership platform built on the idea that the most powerful insights are often the simplest ones—big ideas, small enough to fit on a napkin. Through its long-running podcast, essays, keynote talks, and executive coaching work, the brand reaches entrepreneurs, CEOs, and leadership teams seeking sustainable success without sacrificing what matters most.
The Paper Napkin Wisdom podcast features in-depth conversations with business leaders, authors, and change-makers, alongside Jayaraman’s popular solo series, Edge of the Napkin, which explores leadership identity, mindset, and intentional living beyond traditional metrics and KPIs.
Where to Listen and Read
The “Presence Over Presents” episode is now available on all major podcast platforms:
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/paper-napkin-wisdom-podcast-for-entrepreneurs-and-leaders/id735345903
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ejOegCltch4RZsqCRKUm3?si=3ea2b8a2113c4d9c
- And everywhere Podcasts are found
A Quiet Invitation to Go Deeper
Paper Napkin Wisdom continues to explore themes of leadership, presence, and intentional growth through its podcast, essays, and executive coaching work—offering leaders space to reflect, realign, and move forward with greater clarity and purpose.
About Govindh Jayaraman
Govindh Jayaraman is a bestselling author, executive coach, and the founder of Paper Napkin Wisdom. Known for his ability to distill complex leadership ideas into simple, human truths, Govindh works with CEOs, founders, and leadership teams worldwide to help them focus, align, and act with intention—on their terms, and in service of the lives they want to build. The Paper Napkin Wisdom podcast has featured conversations with globally recognized thinkers and leaders including James Clear, Tom Bilyeu, Brian Scudamore, and hundreds of entrepreneurs, CEOs, and change-makers from around the world.
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