Tell us about a time when you messed up, and what you learnt from the experience?
I was leading a team of 3 members in a business summit and it required negotiation and articulation skills. We could not win the competition despite being abundant in the requisite qualifications and it was a moment of retrospection, as what led to this moment of failure. It was when I realized that the biggest trait on display in a competitive environment is understanding the difference between self-belief and overconfidence. One needs to possess the former and refrain from expressing the latter. It was a lesson for me and I imbibed the same in the team in the competition next year and fortunately got favourable results.
Tell us something about yourself that others may be surprised to know about you.
Inspiration, as they say, is a motivating force behind many a visionary. It's a looped event that goes from getting inspired to inspiring others and in the process, developing the society through the minds of such people. I personally look towards nature for inspiration. The physical magnificence and yet the intricate perfection with which it is all sewn together in nature, inspires me to achieve a state as close to overall perfection as possible. From what I gather from nature as inspiration, the one thing that stands out is the fact that nature always makes provisions for a restart, however small, big, violent or different, the ever-grand nature never ceases to evolve and provide. Just as they say about time, nothing stays at one place within nature and it so very efficiently evolves to the changes and patterns of the things that coexist with or within itself. The other aspect of nature which makes me draw inspiration from it is the fact that it is highly accommodating and dynamic. It absorbs and nourishes a wide genre of things and species with different mindsets and believes and yet, never fails to let them sustain. Always one intrigued by creative challenges, I am more often than not, inclined towards assignments outside their traditional purview. I prefer to work on assignments that involve the application and implementation of knowledge or skill; the kind which helps me push my boundaries in an existing domain of knowledge that I possess. Creative case studies, which involve strategizing or providing probable solutions to complex situations are my forte as one requires the involvement of usually more than one skill or knowledge set and hence, requires to work with multiple flows of thoughts from various domains with varying degrees of proficiency in all such domains.
What have been your two biggest successes in life? What did you learn from them?
A leader requires many skills and qualities similar to a business requiring various departments to run smoothly. Through my internships and work experience, I have been exposed to various fields and have always been interested in management. By participating in various competitions and Business Summits, I have developed an interest in acquiring more knowledge in this field. I was exposed to a plethora of ideas in the field of management. By exploring management theoretically and practically, my interest in the field only broadens. Because of my adaptability and interest in various domains I was chosen to go to Singapore and learn about the way their academic structure works and various government institutions. Singapore Immersion was a student exchange program organized between Christ Junior College and Catholic Junior College to give cultural, educational and international dynamics exposure to its students. It gave me the opportunity to exhibit skills like research, team building, creativity, presentation, communication and self-management.
Professionally, what is your ideal image of yourself five years from now? Where do you see yourself?
My aim has ever since been to start a company of my own before I turn 30 and I believe that the guidance I receive through this course will be appropriate for me to develop the necessary entrepreneurial skills to achieve my dream. I also aspire to give back to society and my country by creating more jobs and starting an NGO which works towards the financial inclusion of women and provides them access to sanitation facilities. I would do everything I can to help the community as a whole and put in efforts to make sure that children and adults with disabilities have a healthy and safe place to live and grow in.
What is the one skill or characteristic you possess that you are most proud of, and why?
I am very adaptable and always open to new ideas. I come across as a very humble, fun and kind-hearted person. A major contributor to these qualities of mine is the fact that I have done my schooling in 4 different cities and had to adapt quickly to new environments. My adjusting and humility come from Nagpur, my ability to multitask from Hyderabad, my love for nature comes from living in Chandigarh and finally, my favourite city Bangalore instilled confidence and creativity in me. I am an avid reader which has made me more open to new ideas.
In your opinion, what skills or qualities does a successful manager possess?
Constant learning - I can't imagine a world without a day when learning does not happen. I have lived my life by the principle that every day I need to grow more and learn more from my surroundings. I cannot imagine a day when I do not learn something new or receive constructive feedback from my peers or mentors. I believe living life with this principle will help me gain the necessary skills required to be a good leader and a rational decision-maker
Contribute to social development - "The happiest people I know are those who lose themselves in the service of others" this quote by Gordon B. Hinckley is the quote I can relate to the most. My 30 hours of interning with Seva In Action which is a Non-Governmental Organization were truly the happiest moments of my life. I had taken a keen interest in their Skill Development and Production unit and closely interacted with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I had an enriching experience of interacting with the staff and at the end of the 30 hours, I had a feeling of accomplishment for the betterment of society.
Inspire people - In college I was given the responsibility to direct a play, make a model for an exhibition and volunteer to conduct events for an upcoming fest. As they were in the same week, the whole team believed that we wont be able to meet the deadlines. They suggested that we opt out of two of the competition but this would have had tarnished our batch name. For me giving up was not an option as we had an amazing team and had great chances to win. I with the help of few members of my team planned, divided participants into teams and delegated work accordingly and won two of the events.
Learn to deal with failures - Adversity, as they say, is the best teacher in life. At a very young age, I received a lesson that taught me to be more accepting and learn to take losses and defeats even when you deserved to end up in a better position. In a competition, I was very confident of securing a winning position, but the result of the competition was not as per my expectations. The agony of the loss was way too heavy for me and I realized I wasn't prepared to accept defeats. Since then, I started to be less inclined towards the results and be more involved in experiencing the process.
Tell us about an ethical dilemma that you may have faced, and how you resolved it.
During a class presentation in college, a team member was not able to contribute his portion of the presentation due to a certain emergency at his home. He requested that I cover for him during the preparation and he will present on the final day. I was the team leader and I decided to help him out in this situation. I allocated his portion equally among the rest of us to ensure that the presentation still covers everything that was required so that when the team member arrives for the presentation, he has his portion ready and he does not lose out on any marks. Many members of the group argued that it wasn't our responsibility to cover for him and that we should just inform the faculty about his insufficient contribution but I politely explained my perspective and ensured that everyone willingly agreed to help him out.
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?
I believe that I would like to be the CEO of Nykaa which is a brand for women and by women. Its aim is to bring out the confidence in every woman and help her discover her unique identity and personal style. The first action I would bring about would be shifting the production of products under the Nykaa brand to rural areas and these units would employ only women thus creating employment opportunities for them.
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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.
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