Tell us about a time when you messed up, and what you learnt from the experience?
Leading the team that organized the NITK Karavali Marathon, I learned the vitality of teamwork and the strength in numbers. I remember how I was nearly in tears when I heard that the lead vehicle had made a wrong turn in the 10K route, and most participants had run an extra 2K as a result. In retrospect, we realized simple signages along the route would prevent mishaps like this in future editions. Placating all the disgruntled participants was a considerable task for the whole team. I think this single event taught us the importance of simple communication and the havoc that would be wrecked in the absence of it.
Tell us something about yourself that others may be surprised to know about you.
I think my patient and calm demeanour can surprise my friends and family at times. Little do they know that my mind is working overtime in the background! But jokes apart, this trait is something that I've picked up from my father. He's always been the most patient member of the family. He has always been able to think clearly in times of pressure or urgency to decide on the most rational solution. This is probably how the trait rubbed off on me. I remember there was this time when 4 of my college friends and I were vacationing in Gokarna (in Karnataka), and 2 of them met with an accident. It was blazing hot, and we were in the middle of nowhere, and we had to return our vehicles in less than an hour. While the 3rd friend of ours started panicking as well, the 4th friend and I kept our composure and got the whole situation resolved. We were fortunate to have a car come along, and that person agreed to ferry my friends to the local hospital. We sent the 3rd friend with them while the 4th friend and I resolved the vehicle scenario. All in all, I will always recall that day whenever I think of disaster management.
What have been your two biggest successes in life? What did you learn from them?
My first most considerable success was getting admission to NIT, Surathkal, for my B.Tech degree. I say this because it's a terrific engineering college and also because I met my closest friends in life in NITK. Friends who have affected habits and decisions that I've made since then have put me in my current trajectory in life. I cannot thank them enough.My second equally significant success would be the independence and maturity of working for a couple of years post my undergraduate. Those two years gave me clarity about the path that I would like to take in the future. It made me financially independent during my employment. Also, the savings during that time have helped me with my current tuition fees at XLRI and consequently take a smaller education loan. The experience has also primed me for what to expect down the line as well.
Professionally, what is your ideal image of yourself five years from now? Where do you see yourself?
I think five years down the line, I would be in a perfect position in terms of experience and financial capability to start a venture of my own. That would be ideal. But I realize how naive and cliche that sounds. I believe it is prudent to be pragmatic rather than ideal. Hence, I think that five years in the future would put me in a happy marriage with my partner and me constantly working at achieving work-life balance in our lines of work. Professionally, I see myself leading a team/project in a company, which would serve the greater good and have a global impact. This experience would probably lay the foundations for what I would want to venture into later in my life.
What is the one skill or characteristic you possess that you are most proud of, and why?
I think the most important trait that I possess and am very proud of is my determination. When I decide on doing something, I stick to it irrespective of any external factor. As long as it makes sense to me rationally, I can get through it with my determination. I think my transformation from a lethargic idler to a long-distance runner is the biggest testament to my willpower and determination. What arose inwardly as a desire to be fitter and more disciplined in life, coupled with my steadfast mindset, made me a better person altogether. Within six months of picking up Long Distance Running, I was able to do 10k runs consistently within an hour, my academic scores picked up, and it was like I'd found a purpose in my life. All of this wouldn't have been possible if not for my inherent trait to be determined.
In your opinion, what skills or qualities does a successful manager possess?
I think a manager needs a combination of multiple skillsets to be successful. As Peter Drucker says, a manager needs to put the priorities of the enterprise above everything else. One needs to lead by example, by setting the standards one expects, and at the same time must be a servant leader, ready to help anyone in the organization to the best of one's capabilities. A manager needs to understand how to use the resources granted to him optimally, may it be monetary or the employees in the team. Most importantly, a manager must find purpose in one's goals and role in the enterprise. Without purpose, even the most skilled manager and the most eligible team would not deliver.
Tell us about an ethical dilemma that you may have faced, and how you resolved it.
Speaking of ethical dilemmas, I remember during my work experience at ExxonMobil as a Research Technologist, there was this study which I had done which computed the amount of time put in by the individual team members as part of the core job. I had undertaken this study because there was no accountability of the work being done until that point, and some employees were taking advantage of the same. Post that activity, it was evident from the data that some employees were well off the minimum expectation. At this point, I was in a dilemma whether to submit the results of this study to my supervisor or not because if I did, that would put some of my colleagues in trouble. But at the same time, if I didn't submit the results, the team would continue to underperform. At this junction, I realized that the organization's need was crucial, so I decided to present my report.
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 love to be the CEO of Procam International if I had that choice, mainly because they are directly involved with Long Distance Running and because I believe Sports Management as a business will boom in India in the coming years. And when it does, Procam International would have the resources and the reach to capitalize on the opportunity. If I were to become the CEO of this company, then my first action would be to gather my team and plan an event in the sport of Long Distance Running, equivalent to the likes of the Tour de France. With India's hyper diversity and undulating landscape, from the Coastal areas to the Himalayas, this would be a unique experience that only India would offer the world. This would put India and the event right alongside the six World Majors in terms of attractiveness and popularity. It would pin India on the map of Long Distance Runners.
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