Many leaders spend their careers chasing growth or recognition, often measuring their success by the titles they earn or the numbers they achieve. For Deepak Sharma—AFL CEO—it’s always been more about the people. 

To him, leadership is something built over time—an ongoing investment in one’s team, not a bonus or afterthought. He has guided colleagues through the challenges of global aviation by keeping mentorship at the heart of his leadership approach.

As the founder and CEO of AFL Aircraft Finance Lease Ltd, the London-based company he founded in 2019, Sharma oversees financing solutions for aircraft and engine lessors worldwide. With active teams in both the United States and India, AFL’s work is technically oriented, but its true strength lies in how it empowers its employees. 

“Our role is not to command, but to enable others to thrive,” he explained. 

Across every time zone and title, that idea determines how the company supports its team members and nurtures a culture of ongoing mentorship. 

Guiding Team Members From India to America

What sets mentorship at AFL apart isn’t its frequency, but how naturally it’s built into daily interactions. Regardless of someone’s role or location, learning flows in both directions, creating an environment where growth is shared and mutual.

“We build cross-regional mentorship frameworks not as top-down directives, but as mutual learning spaces,” he said. “Our teams in the Americas and India bring different perspectives, so we focus on shared values, such as curiosity, accountability, and mutual respect.”

This creates space for people to lead and learn simultaneously. Rather than follow a fixed model, teams are encouraged to hold onto common values while adapting their approach to what works best in their own region.

Whether someone is just starting out or leading an entire division, progress happens through collaboration, not hierarchy. At AFL, mentorship is less a formal structure and more an everyday habit that strengthens teams across both distance and experience.

Problem-Solving to People-Guiding

Early in his career, Deepak Sharma leveraged his technical and operational expertise to support those around him. Back then, mentorship meant providing specific answers and proven methods to help others succeed in the task at hand.

As he stepped into more senior leadership roles, he began to see mentorship in a new light. It became less about providing direction and more about creating space for others to develop and lead with confidence.

“In the early days, I focused on mentoring through technical and operational support,” he recalled. “As I grew into broader leadership, mentoring became more about unlocking potential and guiding people through ambiguity.”

Sharma began to notice the less visible challenges faced by his employees—uncertainty, self-doubt, and the weight of responsibility. In response, he began to focus more on being present, asking honest questions, and encouraging others to rely on their own judgment. 

“I’ve learned that sometimes, the most impactful thing you can offer is belief, quietly held, consistently shown,” he shared. “Today, I focus more on presence than prescription.”

For him, coaching his employees has become less about correction and more about empowerment. 

Remaining Teachable at Every Stage

One reason Sharma places such value on mentorship is that it continues to teach him, too. Some of his most meaningful lessons—on patience, perspective, and communication—have come from conversations with colleagues who are working through their own life obstacles. 

“Mentoring has softened me where I needed it and strengthened me where I lacked confidence,” he said. “It has broadened my cultural understanding and kept me grounded in realities outside the boardroom.”

Whether speaking with a mentee in Bangalore or a team lead in Bogotá, Sharma doesn’t see himself as the one with all the answers. He views each of those moments as an opportunity to listen, learn, and understand leadership from someone else’s perspective.

At AFL, mentorship isn’t something that’s assigned, but encouraged. Employees are invited to share what they know, stay curious about what they don’t, and learn from one another through an open and ongoing exchange of knowledge and perspectives.

Early Signs of a Strong Future

When looking for future leaders, Sharma pays attention to qualities that often go unnoticed in large meetings or fast-paced discussions. He looks for people who ask thoughtful questions, hold themselves accountable even when it’s challenging, and remain consistent despite setbacks.

“I look for curiosity, not credentials,” he explained.

When he finds someone with that early spark, he steps in to support their growth, offering stretch roles, pairing them with experienced mentors, and encouraging them to think beyond their current responsibilities toward their long-term goals.

At AFL, leadership is viewed as a form of stewardship, and Sharma is intentional about nurturing it from the outset. What motivates him isn’t just professional development, but the personal reward of watching people step into their potential. He’s especially inspired by the moments when someone takes initiative, not because they were asked to, but because they’ve finally discovered their purpose and feel ready to lead. 

 “There’s something deeply fulfilling about watching a former mentee confidently handle a crisis, mentor someone else, or challenge the status quo with clarity and grace,” he said. 

Moments like those remind him why the work he does matters.

Building Leaders With Lessons From the Past

Deepak Sharma, an aviation industry professional, wouldn’t be the leader he is today without the people who believed in him early in his career. The lessons they shared continue to influence how he leads, even as his responsibilities have grown in complexity and scope. While time and distance have made it harder to stay in touch, he still makes the effort to reconnect, listen to their advice, and keep those relationships alive.

One mentor in particular, a senior colleague from his early engineering days, left a lasting impression by teaching him that listening often matters more than speaking. 

Another piece of advice that still comes to mind during board meetings, negotiations, and difficult decisions is: “Don’t just ask yourself what’s profitable; ask what’s sustainable, what’s fair, and can you live with it if this were the last decision you were making?”

That question remains central to how Sharma mentors others, encouraging them to think beyond immediate outcomes. He creates space for judgment-free reflection, offers support through challenges, and shares guidance rooted in real-world experience.

Equally important, he stays open to feedback himself, believing that growth should never be one-sided. To him, mentorship is a reciprocal, reflective, and lasting experience. The best mentors, he believes, become part of your inner compass, shaping how you lead long after the conversation ends.

“I view these relationships as living ecosystems. They require time, honest communication, and care,” he shared.

Whether he’s guiding someone new or learning from those who came before him, he views mentorship not as a task, but as a relationship worth nurturing.

“The philosophies that have stayed with me are simple yet powerful: integrity over expedience, clarity in complexity, and servant leadership,” he explained.

Sharma’s Professional Journey in Aviation

Before founding AFL, Sharma spent more than two decades working in the aviation industry. He began his career at British Aerospace and Brymon Airways Engineering, then part of British Airways, where he gained hands-on experience in technical operations.

As Engineering Director at UK International Airlines, he launched the company’s operations and built its engineering team from the ground up. His work was formally recognized for outstanding contributions.

From there, Sharma took on the role of Chief Technical Officer at AJW Group, where he led large-scale projects and oversaw significant organizational changes. Eventually, he became President of Integrated Solutions at a global aviation services firm, where he helped expand both the company’s capabilities and its international reach.

Throughout his career, Sharma has developed deep expertise in engineering, commercial strategy, asset management, and aviation support services. He holds a degree in Aircraft Engineering, maintains an EASA license in multiple categories, and has completed additional training in aviation, contract law, and business administration. His contributions have earned him the title of Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. 

Leading With Values That Endure

Since founding AFL, Deepak Sharma has led with the same values that have guided him in his career—integrity, mutual respect, and a commitment to long-term growth through people. Within the company, these values shape how teams are supported, how decisions are made, and how leaders are developed across borders. Even as the aviation industry evolves, AFL holds tight to those principles, showing what’s possible when people are trusted and given the freedom to lead. 

A single role or achievement won’t define Sharma’s legacy. Instead, it lives on in the leaders he’s helped create—those who will go on to invest in others with the same care he's shown to them. As they pass those values on, the culture he has helped build will continue to grow wider in reach and deeper in impact.