Experiencing IIM Kolkata – Talking to PGPX students
Yesterday, 29th August 2015, I had an opportunity to be a guest lecturer at IIM Kolkata, one of the most prestigious management institute of global repute. Invited by Professor Sanjiv D Vaidya to talk to 2016 batch of PGPX batch, I was all excited to go there once again after a gap of couple of years. When I visited last, it was for campus selection where I spoke to students about my company, way back in 2012. This time, students were there to listen to me and understand from me the story of my success. It was a big responsibility on me to share the best things I had, in the given 90 minutes.
A night before I sat thinking on what can be the best input I should give to these students. PGPX course in IIM is focused on those students who opt for management course after few years of work experience. Each of them take a leap of faith and risk a significant amount of money on the table that comes in form of the opportunity loss due to their job break for the course and a hefty fee that institute charges for their one year course. It is just not about getting another high paying job but looking at opening the doors for their careers that had not been open for them yet that leads them to the corporate board room eventually.
My experience with most of these students had been significant as my company hired many of them through campus selection from various IIMs. One thing I found missing in them was the basic change in their attitude. Probably the education they got from the institute did little to change their basic attitude but just added to their knowledge on how corporations work by going through case studies and a lot of rigour. Most of them continued to struggle to show signs that would help them elevate themselves to higher levels as it is not the education and the degree, but the basic principles in life that they should have imbibed first.
I thought of taking my time to share those basic principles what made me successful and what I felt would help them become successful too. Going back on these principles I shared with them how they can be successful by knowing that success is not instant, it is only a progressive realization of a worthy idea and a worthy idea is something that they have to be passionate about. I shared with them my experience of meetings with successful people and my realization that each of them was passionate about the work they did and eventually excelled in whatever they did. I took time to explain to them that following six principles in professional life would do them wonders. Networking, being positive, managing negatives in life, believing their inner voice, being mentally and physically healthy and being ethical were the key discussion points and how I adopted each of these principles in my own life to see success.
Students asked me several questions ranging from my brush with my own failures, bad times to how did I find time to write my latest novel ‘Spy from Unaula’. I shared that it was ultimately focused discipline and sustained working towards the goals I set in my professional and personal life that my success rate became higher than others.
I finished my talk by telling them the genesis of my novel being the true story of my own father. They all were highly appreciative when they learned that myself, son of a farmer’s son who had to struggle hard for getting even a basic education and dignity in his life could become a CEO and that they all have capability and qualities become someone better.
It was a great interaction and I look forward to share my experiences and help the young generations become successful.
Sir,
Excellent insight. The Six principles of life has surely a great value and one can use these for being a successful person in Life. Proud to be a part of your mentor ship for so many years. These learning would help me in each step of my corporate and social life. Thank you once again for all the rich experience your had and still sharing.
Regards,
Vijay
Very inspiring story sir. Combination of attitude and hard work makes a person successful in life.