He explains why calmness is not the absence of action but the presence of clarity, and how patience, discipline, and emotional composure can be an investor’s greatest edge.
Through his reflections on walking, mindful routines, and market psychology, Iyengar reveals that the secret to long-term success often lies not in chasing every opportunity, but in mastering one’s temperament. Edited Excerpts –
Q) You emphasize that clarity emerges in stillness. Can you walk us through your ritual of pausing for a deep breath before important decisions? How does this help you navigate market volatility?
A) Clarity, in my experience, is rarely found in the noise. It arrives in the pause between thoughts; that small, intentional space where you stop reacting and start perceiving.
Before any meaningful decision, whether about an investment or an important meeting, I pause for a deep breath. It sounds simple, even ordinary, but it’s become a quiet ritual of recalibration. Those few seconds slow the world down just enough to separate signal from sentiment.Markets, by nature, test your composure. There will always be a headline, a data point, or a price movement tugging at your instinct to act.The practice of pausing doesn’t change the market’s volatility; it changes your relationship with it. It helps you shift from emotional immediacy to thoughtful intent.
In those moments, you remember that not every move deserves a counter-move. Sometimes, doing nothing is an act of immense conviction. Stillness, then, isn’t the absence of action; it’s the presence of clarity.
Q) How do you train yourself to respond to market noise rather than react impulsively?
A) Market noise, to a large extent, is rhetoric that attracts attention but rarely produces lasting outcomes or major disruptions.
When macro fundamentals and central bank support remain solid, I try not to react, because not every movement deserves a response. The discipline lies in remembering that markets often move faster than truth.
I stay anchored to process over prediction. If fundamentals hold, we stay the course; if they change, we act with conviction. As Morgan Housel aptly notes, “Having no FOMO might be the most important investing skill.”
Wealth isn’t made by chasing every opportunity, but by knowing which opportunities deserve attention, and which don’t. FOMO, the fear of missing out, drives impulsive decisions, often at the exact moment patience would have rewarded us.
This essentially means, resisting the urge to act on every headline, and giving time the chance to work its compounding magic. It’s about understanding that your most valuable moves are often the ones you don’t make—the trades avoided, the trends ignored, the noise set aside.
Viewed through the lens of long-term investing, the slow rhythm of disciplined capital often matters more than the noise of short-term market movements.
Patience is the friend of compounding, as it turns routine savings into remarkable outcomes. So, the real training here is psychological: to stay curious but not restless, informed but not swayed. Responding well to noise is about mastering your temperament more than timing the market.
Q) You compare walking to the rhythm of compounding in investments. How has the simple act of walking shaped your approach to leadership and portfolio management?
A) For me, walking is more than movement, it’s a form of thinking, a way to let complexity breathe and settle. Long walks, often in quiet or on familiar routes, create a mental rhythm that allows ideas to surface naturally.
They reveal patterns, untangle problems, and illuminate perspectives that are rarely visible in meetings or spreadsheets.
I often reflect on how this rhythm mirrors compounding in investments. Both require patience, consistency, and an appreciation for incremental progress.
One measured step, or one thoughtful investment decision may seem small in isolation, but repeated steadily over time, the impact is exponential.
This philosophy shapes my approach to leadership as well. Whether guiding a portfolio or mentoring a team, I’ve learned that progress is rarely dramatic; it’s deliberate. Small, consistent actions taken with discipline and reflection ultimately achieve more than occasional bursts of intensity.
Walking reminds me that thoughtful momentum, rather than haste or force, is what truly builds lasting value.
Q) Can you share an instance where a long walk helped you untangle a complex problem, professionally or personally?
A) Long walks give me the space to reflect and see the bigger picture. I remember walking while considering joining 360 ONE. It gave me the clarity to see the opportunity not just as a career move, but as a chance to do much of what I valued before, now on a larger canvas, with more impact.
At the same time, I recognized that the alternatives industry is at a stage reminiscent of where the mutual fund industry once stood; a moment of growth and possibility. I felt drawn to contribute and make a tangible impact at this pivotal juncture.
Q) Early stock experiences taught you humility. How do you instill restraint and patience in your professional life today?
A) Early experiences in the stock market were humbling; they reminded me that success is never guaranteed, and that luck often masquerades as skill. Those lessons shaped a deep respect for patience and the value of disciplined decision-making.
Today, I try to instill that same restraint in my professional life. It’s not about avoiding risk, but about calibrating it thoughtfully and knowing when to act, when to wait, and when to let compounding do its work.
Small daily practices reinforce this mindset: deliberate reflection before decisions, questioning assumptions, and occasionally resisting the allure of quick wins.
Patience is best built through small, consistent acts. Much like SIPs, where each monthly contribution feels ordinary. However, discipline in behaviour compounds quietly into resilience and conviction.
I also view patience as a leadership tool. Encouraging teams to think long-term, persist through uncertainty, and maintain steady, thoughtful progress helps create a culture where measured judgment and timely action go hand in hand.
In investing, as in life, humility and patience are quietly powerful. They shape choices that compound into meaningful, lasting outcomes.
Q) Practices like smile yoga and facial yoga emphasize lightness. How do such small rituals help you maintain calm in high-stress market environments?
A) Markets are inherently unpredictable, and stress is a constant companion for anyone making investment or leadership decisions. Practices like smile yoga or facial yoga may seem minor, even playful, but they serve as deliberate reminders that composure matters as much as analysis.
These rituals help reset perspective, slow the mind, and create a small but meaningful space to respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively.
Emotional discipline compounds just as steadily as capital. By consciously cultivating calm, we can reduce the risk of hasty decisions driven by fear or noise.
Small habits that anchor your mindset – whether a deep breath, a smile, or a reflective pause, can have outsized impact on long-term outcomes. In essence, maintaining equilibrium is not a luxury; it’s an edge.
Calmness in leadership translates into clarity in decision-making, and clarity drives better investment choices over time.
(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views, and opinions given by experts are their own. These do not represent the views of the Economic Times)