Local author’s leadership book added to National Library’s collection

Guyanese leadership coach and corporate trainer, Kamladevi Sharma has added another milestone to her literary journey, with her debut book, How to Succeed Without Sacrificing Yourself, being accepted into the permanent collection of the National Library of Guyana. The book’s inclusion preserves a locally authored work exploring leadership, sustainable success and workforce wellbeing at a time when these conversations are becoming increasingly relevant in Guyana’s rapidly changing economy. Drawing on more than a decade of coaching leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs and organisations, Shifting From Hustle introduces Sharma’s MESS Alignment Framework -Mindset, Energy, Strategy, and Soulful Outcomes—a practical model designed to help people build meaningful success without sacrificing their health, relationships or sense of self.

The book asks a different question: How can people pursue ambition without losing themselves in the process? Across 13 chapters, readers are guided through practical reflection and behavioural exercises that encourage sustainable performance, intentional leadership and personal alignment. The book’s inclusion comes as workplace wellbeing receives increasing national and international attention.

Speaking at Guyana’s Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Symposium on April 28, 2026, Labour and Manpower Planning Minister, Keoma Griffith described the country’s rising workplace incidents as “deeply troubling”, reporting 13 workplace fatalities and 64 non-fatal incidents during the first four months of the year. He emphasised that psychosocial risks—including stress, burnout, excessive workloads, harassment, job insecurity, and unhealthy organisational cultures—are “just as real and just as dangerous” as physical workplace hazards, calling for a stronger focus on prevention. Globally, the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that psychosocial workplace risks contribute to more than 840,000 deaths annually, while depression and anxiety result in approximately 12 billion working days being lost each year, costing the global economy an estimated US$12.1 trillion in lost productivity.

Rather than approaching these issues through policy alone, Shifting From Hustle explores them through the lived experiences of professionals navigating ambition, responsibility, and wellbeing in today’s workplace. Since its release on April 29, 2026, more than 175 copies have reached readers across Guyana, including Ministers, senior public officials, educators, entrepreneurs, business leaders, professionals and working parents. The book is available through retailers in Demerara, Berbice, and Essequibo, as well as internationally on Amazon in paperback, hardcover and Kindle editions. “Guyana’s growth has created extraordinary opportunities,” Sharma said. “But opportunity without inner sustainability comes at a cost. I wrote this book for capable, hardworking people who appear successful on the outside while quietly carrying exhaustion, disconnection, or overwhelm, because success should expand your life, not consume it.”

Reflecting on the book’s inclusion in the National Library’s permanent collection, Sharma added: “Every country preserves the ideas that help tell its story. To know that Shifting From Hustle will become part of Guyana’s permanent literary record is deeply meaningful. I hope it continues encouraging conversations about leadership, wellbeing, and building success in ways that strengthen both individuals and the organisations they serve.” Rather than asking readers to lower their ambitions, Shifting From Hustle challenges them to rethink how sustainable success is built.

Through the MESS Alignment Framework, the book explores themes including: sustainable leadership and performance; behavioural patterns that contribute to burnout; identity beyond achievement; emotional wellbeing in professional life; and practical strategies for long-term personal and organisational success. As Guyana continues its economic transformation, conversations about leadership, organisational culture and workforce wellbeing are becoming increasingly important.
Drawing on more than a decade of coaching and corporate training, Shifting From Hustle contributes a distinctly Guyanese perspective to these conversations while adding to the country’s growing body of locally authored work.

“Thought-provoking, practical, simple, yet deeply insightful. The author beautifully weaves together insights from business, psychology, personal growth, and everyday life to explain not only why we are who we are, but how we can become better—without sacrificing ourselves or those around us in the process.”