Vaidehi Sanadhya from the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow is one of India's Most Promising Incoming MBA Students 2022!
The following is Vaidehi Sanadhya's set of responses to a questionnaire floated amongst incoming MBA graduates to determine the top 50 Most Promising Incoming MBA students of 2022. Amongst the massive number of entries and responses being evaluated, Vaidehi 's story and profile stood out. Here's her story in her words.
I hail from Surat, Gujarat. I am a B.Com fresher and joined IIML in my first attempt at the CAT exam. I am among the 20 youngest students in my batch and have been given the title 'The Marketing Genius' by my peers here at Lucknow. I enjoy writing and can write anything ranging from social media captions for my friends to long-form articles for my LinkedIn or Quora. I also enjoy public speaking and never miss out on a chance to grab the mic and address the crowd.
Tell us more about your extracurricular achievements
I have participated in 10+ national-level competitions during my undergraduation. A few of the most noteworthy out of these participations are:-1. Ranked 3rd/75+ participants in Headcanon Competition (Creative Writing) organized under SRCC, Delhi - 2021.2. Ranked 3rd/275+ participants in Vista Competition (Extempore) organized under IIM Kozhikode - 2021.3. Ranked 2nd/60+ participants in Shipwreck Competition (Debate) organized under SRCC, Delhi - 2021.4. Won 'Best Delegate' out of 20+ delegates in the Lok Sabha Committee at DIACMUN under AIESEC Surat - 2020.5. Won 'High Commendation' out of 20 delegates in the AIPPM Committee at Bharat MUN 2.0 - 2020.I have always enjoyed assuming positions of leadership across my school and college. The three PORs that I've certainly learnt from the most are:-1. Founder & Head Organizer, Global Youth Placitum, 2020: Conceptualized & launched a virtual MUN across 6 nations with a total participation of 150+ delegatesCoordinated designing and marketing of 80+ social media posts resulting in a total of 40k+ impression fostered creation of 3 inter-MUN promotional collaborations receiving sponsorships worth 5k in-kind 2. Head Organizer, Alfaazon ki Udaan, 2019:Led a team of 5 to organize a city-level open mic, Alfaazon ki Udaan, having a total footfall of 150+Negotiated and solicited sponsorships amounting to 15k; supervised end-to-end budgeting & accountingIncreased budget optimization by 25% & net profits by 3x while administering logistical arrangements3. Student Headmistress, Class XII, 2018:Elected in a team of 5 out of 250+ to organize a cultural event for 8k+ students & 500 faculty membersHeaded the 15-member student supervisors committee and steered on-ground implementation on D-DayManaged and planned the 6-hour event comprising 20+ student performances and 5+ speaker sessions
Tell us about a time when you messed up, and what you learnt from the experience?
After my 12th standard, I received admission offers from colleges like NMIMS and Nirma University for their B.Com programs. Despite those offers, my family and I decided to continue my education in Surat itself. Not accepting those offers is a failure for me because if I would've gone there, my process towards my end goal would've become a little easier. Though I am totally satisfied with the point I've reached in life, if I would've chosen to opt for those options, my overall experience might've been better leading to better opportunities here. Though, I learned that it's not the glamour of big college names or cities that take you to your destination, it's only you and your hard work.
Tell us something about yourself that others may be surprised to know about you.
I am a huge believer in the power of optimism. I vehemently follow the law of attraction talked about in the book, 'The Secret', by Rhonda Byrne. I was 15 when I first read this book and since then, there hasn't been a single day when I haven't expressed my gratitude for all that the universe has given me. A fact that surprises most people is that I met my idol, MS Dhoni, by following this same law of attraction. It was back in 2018 that I won a lucky draw and got a chance to meet MS and gift him a book of poetry I had written for him. Post this life experience, my faith in the strength of positivity has increased manifold.
What have been your two biggest successes in life? What did you learn from them?
My first biggest success has been getting a score of 99.42 percentile in CAT 2021. It's not the outcome that makes me consider this event to be a success, it's rather the circumstances under which I achieved it. Just a couple of months before the CAT exam, both of my grandparents were diagnosed with cancer and we had to start chemotherapy for my grandfather soon after that. When you live in the same house, it becomes very difficult to see someone else struggle so much. Even you start feeling that pain they're going through. The dejected atmosphere in my home resulted in me getting really low scores in the mocks. But, I then realized that right now, it's important for me to be a source of strength for my family and that is exactly what I did. I made sure that when my grandfather comes home after his chemotherapy, he feels only love and positivity around him. I made sure that when my father comes home at night after a stressful day in the office and in the hospital, he doesn't have to go through any more worries or stress. As soon as I started seeing my family happy, I began to feel stronger and happier. And, I can say that I emerged victorious in the end because I managed to get a pretty decent score in the examination. My greatest learning from this has been to face any adversity with a strong heart and a calm mind.My second most significant achievement in life has been my selection into the HUL Changemakers program. The selection was done after an initial profile-based shortlist and an online interview where I was competing with applicants who were selected for some of the most esteemed b-schools for their flagship MBA programs. Thus, to get selected in the top 50 candidates out of such 1000+ applicants is something that I am very proud of. This experience helped me learn that it is important to always have faith in one's capabilities and grab the right opportunity as and when it comes.
Professionally, what is your ideal image of yourself five years from now? Where do you see yourself?
Five years from now, I want to mobilize the skills and knowledge I've acquired in life to work in the corporate world, preferably in the marketing sector in an FMCG company, with a role that would excite me and help me learn new things every day. Throughout all of this, I want to continue the process of developing skills that will be necessary for me to ultimately move toward my long-term goals. In the long term, I want to see myself working in a top leadership position in a multinational corporation. I am also not averse to the idea of entrepreneurship. I would love to explore that side of mine too if given a chance. My ultimate goal in life is to become a person of value, and when I say this I mean that I want to be a person who has made a significant impact in whatever theyve done in their life.
What is the one skill or characteristic you possess that you are most proud of, and why?
There are some qualities that are extremely important in a successful manager, and empathy is the most important among them all. It is imperative for a good leader to be a person with compassion for their employees. They should be a good listener who values diverse opinions. They should possess a calm and reposed attitude that radiates positivity in the workplace. They should not be afraid to raise their voice against situations that demand such a response. A person possessing these qualities will definitely make a good leader.
In your opinion, what skills or qualities does a successful manager possess?
There are some qualities that are extremely important in a successful manager, and empathy is the most important among them all. It is imperative for a good leader to be a person with compassion for their employees. They should be a good listener who values diverse opinions. They should possess a calm and reposed attitude that radiates positivity in the workplace. They should not be afraid to raise their voice against situations that demand such a response. A person possessing these qualities will definitely make a good leader.
Tell us about an ethical dilemma that you may have faced, and how you resolved it.
While organizing a virtual, international event, there came a point where we were not getting enough registrations. This was when I had to choose between two options. I could use the participant databases available with our team members from their previously organized events and use that information to make cold calls and emails. This would have given us a few extra registrations, but we would have done so by using the participant's information without their approval. The other alternative was to show some patience and indulge in and trust only the organic marketing techniques. Though my entire time tried to persuade me to go with the former option as it would be easier and more beneficial, I knew that the ethical course of action would give me maximum satisfaction in the end. Thus, I decided to stick with the latter option. It was a very difficult task to convince the other team members and bring them to a consensus, but I was ultimately successful in doing so by talking to them about the morality of our choice. Hence, we ended up having an extremely successful event.
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 would choose to be the CEO of Hindustan Unilever mainly because I have been following the company for quite a while now and being a part of the HUL Changemakers program has only brought me closer to it. My first action as the CEO would be to increase the number of campus activities with the top b-schools in the country in order to facilitate better connection development and an influx of new ideas in all the diverse fields of business operations.
Any Other Comments Or Factors You Would Like To Highlight About Yourself?
Being a fresher, I have an abundance of fresh perspectives on various topics. This trait makes me highly enthusiastic and passionate about my life at IIML. I have had a really amazing time on campus in the past 1 month and I'm eagerly waiting for all the experiences that await me in the 2 years ahead.