Tell us about a time when you messed up, and what you learnt from the experience?
In 8th grade, I got tremendous stage fright in a city-level personality-based competition, called Horlicks Whiz Kids, and I made a fool out of myself on a stage in front of 2000+ people in an auditorium. This episode haunted me for many years, until I decided to face my fears and, in 12th grade, I participated in that competition again, and this time, even though I didn't win, I went all-in with confidence, and sang a song, even though I'm terrible at singing. My confidence was particularly commended by the judges, and I consider this a seminal experience in my life, which has helped me grow a lot.
Tell us something about yourself that others may be surprised to know about you.
I have co-authored a case study, which has been published by Ivey Publishing, which will be used by B-schools to teach case solving.
What have been your two biggest successes in life? What did you learn from them?
1) Converting all colleges whose interview I gave even though I got only a moderately good percentile, including SPJIMR, IIM Indore, Shillong, SJMSOM(IITB), IIFT Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, and all CAP colleges, and then finally getting into my dream college, XLRI Jamshedpur. I worked really hard, and these results mean a lot to me.2) Learning to play the Ukelele. Even though this might not mean much to most people, I am really terrible at music, not musically gifted at all, so this was really tough for me, and I was really happy to finally succeed.I learnt perseverance, and the virtue of not giving up from these successes.
Professionally, what is your ideal image of yourself five years from now? Where do you see yourself?
Ideally, I would like to be working in product management in new and exciting technology areas, in a role that allows me to travel as well.
What is the one skill or characteristic you possess that you are most proud of, and why?
Resilience. When I was six years old, my parents, both doctors, were involved in a car accident. My mother was hospitalized for many months, but she survived. My father didn't. After this incident, I mourned for a long time, mentally distraught and angry at the world, and generally, I made everyone around me miserable. However, with time came acceptance, especially as I saw that my mother and sister were going through an even tougher time, and they were keeping a brave face on. I became more accepting of life and learned perspective. I have seen truly dark times, and this has given me the strength to handle life's biggest challenges as and when they come.
In your opinion, what skills or qualities does a successful manager possess?
A successful manager should have interpersonal skills, intrapersonal skills and core competency skills. But that is the technical answer. In qualitative terms, I believe a manager should be innovative, compassionate and loyal, above all else, because these will cover all aspects to get success in the job life.
Tell us about an ethical dilemma that you may have faced, and how you resolved it.
At work, a senior colleague of mine once asked me to share data with him which, even though not sensitive, was confidential in nature. I withstood the pressure, and did not accept his request, because sharing data in a service company is a strict no-no, even if the data was harmless. This was later appreciated by my manager, when the news got to him.
If you were the CEO of any company of your choosing, which company would you choose and what would your first action be as CEO?
The company would be Exxon Mobil. Even though this is a great and innovative company, however, I believe that there is great scope to transform it towards a better future, integrating the traditional energy sources with cutting edge and renewable sources. My first decision would be to invest the sizeable profits of Exxon Mobil into renewable energy, so that Exxon Mobil is prepared to ride the wave of renewable energy when it truly hits, instead of getting submerged by it.
***
Check The List Of InsideIIM’s 50 Most Promising Incoming Students 2021 Here!
For the Class Of 2022, we are back with the 8th season of InsideIIM's Best 50 - India's Most Employable MBA Graduates - Class Of 2022! If you're graduating from a B-School in 2022, you're eligible to take part in this competition! Grab the chance to bring out your best side and impress your recruiters and peers. Take the opportunity to show the world why you are special, on your own terms.
If you're using a web browser (Mozilla or Google Chrome), then you can take part through this link. Otherwise, please download the Kampus App (Android | iOS), and head over to Competitions.
Chat
Comments