Tell us about a time when you messed up, and what you learnt from the experience?
During the pre-final year of B.Tech., I got involved in several activities on campus and spent the rest of my time chilling with my friends; hence I took my studies lightly and didnt prepare well for my exams. The result was, I got the lowest CGPA in that semester out of the 8 semesters and a D grade in one of the core subjects which was the lowest grade Id ever scored. I certainly didnt perform up to my expectations or my teachers or parents. I felt dejected and decided to turn things around. From next semester onwards I decided to keep some time aside for my studies every day and created a subject-wise plan by reducing the time I spent on leisure activities, while being involved in on-campus activities and was able to increase my GPA in the next semester. I followed this till the end of my graduation and was able to score a GPA of 9.09 in my last semester. I also realized that, if I'm at college for a purpose i.e. my B. Tech Degree and I don't perform well in that aspect, then neither would my purpose be fulfilled nor other activities would hold any meaning or give me any sense of achievement. This was one of my greatest learnings, I learned that I should always be clear with my purpose & goals and focus on them by keeping them a priority. The rest of my endeavors would hold meaning only when I'm able to achieve my major goal and fulfil it.
Tell us something about yourself that others may be surprised to know about you.
Few things about me that might surprise others:1) I am an ambivert. As much as I find it easy to gel with people, I feel the need to recharge myself by spending some quality me-time. People often find this surprising when they get to know that I love spending time alone by reading a book or by painting/sketching. This is because oftentimes due to my candid nature they perceive me to be an extrovert. I feel spending some quality time alone helps me to recharge and streamline my thoughts.2) Almost everyone who knows me is aware that I am a huge Harry Potter Fan, but very few know that I have actually inculcated a lot of values in my life that I've learned from it. I learned the value of true friendship, being empathetic, kind, and considerate, the value of integrity & loyalty, standing up to bullies, and for what is ethically correct, and many more. Every character and every situation in the series sends across a deeper message and teaches some values that are very relevant in the real life. Few quotes from the series that I live by are: It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities"- Albus DumbledoreWeve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we truly are Sirius Black"If you want to know what a mans like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." - Sirius Black
What have been your two biggest successes in life? What did you learn from them?
Two of my most significant achievements are:1) As a child I was very shy and got affected by the slightest of criticism directed towards me. I became a recluse and started being aloof. A few years passed, and this really affected my confidence and personality as a whole. I didn't feel so good about myself and that's when I decided to change for the better. I decided I would build my self-confidence step by step and develop myself as a strong individual. I started getting involved with various activities happening around me. I began participating in dance events, drawing and extempore competitions, etc. This helped me meet new people and interact with them. Next, whenever I was criticized, I actively reached out to the concerned person and discussed it with them, this is something I focussed quite extensively during my teenage years and it helped me realize that all criticism is not negative and I needn't be offended at all, a lot of it is constructive criticism as well. This has helped me throughout my college and professional life. Since then, I have pro-actively reached out to my seniors, peers, and juniors to get honest feedback whenever I needed it in any area or aspect of my life. This has really helped me grow a lot as a person and helped me motivate myself to achieve my goals. It has also helped me resolve conflicts easily. My journey from being someone shy and under-confident to being a confident person who proactively seeks criticism and someone who led large teams in college at national events is one of my most significant achievements in life.2) During the second year of my college, the NGO that I was volunteering for, wanted to enroll few well-performing children in a school, but the issue was, we were short of funds, we needed at least INR 15,000 for their yearlong enrolment and other expenses. So, faced with this challenge, I conceptualized a fund-raising event on 15th August at a mall in Bhopal, where we organized a cultural event with dance and singing performances and a photo booth. Alongside organizing this event, I also choreographed and performed a dance performance with the children from the NGO. We were able to raise INR 25,000, overshooting our aim by INR 10,000, which was used towards the education of the children. Being able to contribute to the education of these children gave me a great sense of happiness.
Professionally, what is your ideal image of yourself five years from now? Where do you see yourself?
In the immediate next 2 years, while I pursue MBA from IIM Lucknow I hope to get the best out of my time here. As I will be taught by the esteemed faculty of IIM Lucknow, there isn't any doubt about the quality and clarity of my understanding of the academic concepts that come into play when facing challenges while running a business or an organization. But, I do plan to explore and implement my learning in the real world. I plan to seek opportunities through live & research projects, and case competitions that would provide me with the platform to apply those concepts and bring about a tangible impact. Being a part of the IIM L community, I would surely be able to enrich my learning as I would be a part of the brightest minds of the country hailing from diverse backgrounds. This would help me gain invaluable experience and knowledge of several domains much before I actually become a part of the corporate world again. Post-MBA, I want to work as a management consultant at a global consulting firm. Working at ZS, I got a peek into the development and implementation of a strategy and how it helps transform businesses. I want to work in consulting, as here, I'd get the flexibility to work on projects spanning across several domains and I'll be able to do what I like, i.e. solving problems to deliver actionable insights to people of high stature and in the process being able to learn from them as well. As consulting is a career that squeezes a lot of knowledge into a power-packed career trajectory, I wish to grow in my role and work in the position of a greater responsibility while gaining expertise in the area of my interest. Apart from this, I also wish to mentor CAT Aspirants and give back to the community from which I was able to learn a great deal.
What is the one skill or characteristic you possess that you are most proud of, and why?
Adaptability is one characteristic that I possess and I am most proud of. In the process of transforming from a shy and under-confident kid to someone who pro-actively seeks feedback and is confident enough to stand up for himself, I inculcated the characteristic of being adaptable to any situation. I can gel with anyone and everyone. After I finished school and went to NIT, Bhopal for my undergrad, it was the first time I was going to live alone, without the physical presence of my parents or anyone I had known till now, around me. I remember, my parents being extremely worried about the same. But within few days in the hostel, one of my new friends complimented me. He told me that it didn't seem like I was living away from the comforts of my house the first time, in fact, he appreciated how well I had adapted to the hostel life. During my undergrad, I was a part of multiple student bodies where I got the chance to interact with people from all walks of life. From organizing Guest Lectures of nationally & internationally acclaimed personalities and interacting with them personally to dealing with potential sponsors from education/ food & beverage/ merchandise sectors during fests, I could easily switch to whichever role I needed to. I was also a part of a fundraiser for the underprivileged children of Bhopal, where I gave a dance performance in an event held at a famous mall in Bhopal with those children and thoroughly enjoyed interacting with them and raising funds to help them receive a proper education. At ZS Associates as well, where I worked for ~ 2 years, 8 months into the firm and I was already working in the third therapy area of a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical giant in the USA. I had to constantly unlearn and learn while adapting to the fast pace at which the projects ran. I also received appreciation from my seniors for my ability to quickly adapt, learn and take ownership of my work. Even at IIM Lucknow, within a month I've found some really great friendships, and as I'm about to begin one of the most rigorous MBA programs in India, I look forward to adapting to the hectic schedule and learn a great deal from the program.
In your opinion, what skills or qualities does a successful manager possess?
In my opinion, a successful manager should possess the following qualities/skills:1. Adaptability & Flexibility- A manager has to deal with large teams across a gamut of projects and would need to change roles according to the particular requirements. Since large teams are involved, they need to be flexible with how they deal with each and every team member to bring out maximum results.2. Empathy & Humility- The need for these qualities have been highlighted more so during COVID times than ever. A manager needs to be empathetic towards the hardships their teammates might be facing and help them accordingly. A manager should be aware of themselves, be ready to admit their shortcomings and not only lead but also learn from the team. This would make the teammates look up to the manager as a leader and a partner in their growth rather than someone who they only work for.3. Decision-Making Skills- Whenever at cross-roads or when some tough decisions are to be taken, everyone from the rest of the teammates to clients would look up to the manager, and the manager would have to ensure that the decision that they make is an informed one and for the benefit of the larger group.4. Communication Skills- A manager is someone who has to constantly communicate project details, deliver insights & results and put up a pitch as to why their solution is the best, understand and alleviate the issues being faced by the team and ensure that all their messages are delivered effectively and reach the right audience, hence communication skills are extremely important.5. Problem Solving & Structured Thinking- The manager is everybody's go-to person for any problem day in and day out. To ensure that they deliver the most efficient solution it becomes quite necessary for the manager to have a knack for problem-solving and lay out a structure or strategy every time they tackle a challenge.6. Passionate - A manager should be passionate about what they do, they should be up to date with the relevant knowledge so as to ensure the best solution. Their passion would also serve as an inspiration for others to strive for the best.7. Motivation - To begin with, a manager should be self-motivated to achieve the desired aim, then only they would be able to motivate the team as well, even in times of adversities to ensure the spirits of the team remain high to achieve common goals.8. Honesty, Integrity & Ownership - A manager might find themselves in situations of ethical dilemmas, in such cases, these qualities become more important than ever. A manager should always stay accountable for all and any decisions that they make. They should be courageous enough to stand up for what is right and align towards the best interest of the team and the project/firm. 9. Collaborative - Working across cross-functional and with large teams, I've realized that it's crucial for a manager to be open to collaboration and develop a culture of collaboration to maximise efficiency & learning, and also foster team bonding.10. Consistent - A manager should strive to consistently deliver the best results, this would add to their credibility.
Tell us about an ethical dilemma that you may have faced, and how you resolved it.
During my last job, one of the new team members who had recently joined the team was not quite efficient & the quality of their work remained low for few months. This started affecting the accuracy rate of the tasks delivered by the team and also the team's morale. Initially, I thought that, since they were new, it might take some time for them to pick up but it didn't happen. At first, I was a bit unsure of the idea of flagging it out to the senior management team. Hence, I reached out to the team member personally as I knew if the senior management takes notice of this; it might have a negative impact at the dawn of their professional career. But when I didn't receive a proper response, I found it unethical that someone isn't fulfilling the responsibilities & duties they signed up for and not doing the right thing, which was one of our employer's visions. Therefore, I proceeded to alert the senior management team, and we found out that, they were occupied elsewhere during the work hours and not focussing on their job. They were ultimately given a warning as the firm had introduced a policy of not laying off employees keeping in mind the COVID scenario and were being closely monitored by the senior management.
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?
Having worked at ZS for ~2 years, I would choose to be the CEO of ZS.Following actions would be my first priority:1.) 0.5 FTE Hours strictly mandatory family/personal time for all employees of the firms once in 2 weeks, especially during the work from home situation where the line between personal and professional time has become blurred.One could argue that employees already have weekends, but when I interacted with my teammates, almost all of them said that their Saturdays were being utilised for the work that they were earlier able to do throughout the week and half of the Sunday goes in preparing for the next week. While the availability of employees is necessary for the firm's growth, it becomes the company's imperative to take care of its employees too. Hence by doing this, I would be able to live up to ZSs vision to Treat People Right.2.) With the help of the Women Leaders Initiative Team of ZS, I will chart out a plan to work towards the empowerment of the underprivileged women and the safety of women. This is one of the major issues that India has been facing and its threat is ever-increasing, according to the NCRB stats, cases registered under crime against women grew by 7% in 2019 as compared to 2018, and this has only accelerated during the pandemic. Even the female workforce participation was only ~19% till 2019; this shows India has a long way to grow in terms of women empowerment. With a strong Women Leader Initiatives Team backed by ZS, I will be able to bring about a significant change in the lives of a large number of women.
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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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