Indira Parikh, the greatest OB prof in India (in my humble opinion) is teaching us a course called Managing Leadership in the context of organizational growth. The course has opened a set of fundamental questions.
I realise external triggers almost always were the genesis of my (major) career decisions be it going to Engineering (because every one considered good did that); or even doing an MBA. Yes, I have personal reasons as well. When I look back I was amazed at the options that were opened with schools like ISB coming up in India way back in 2002. In 2002, some of my most stellar colleagues had left to join ISB which caught my imagination. What was considered a remote possible option was alive again for me. 2007 saw me get there although by then I have broad based my target set (and of course my research led me to choose PGPX over others). On the other hand, I feel I did not do justice to my hidden interest and talent for Carnatic Music. I mean I haven't found time in my busy life to nurture this interest thus far. It is this paradigm of ignoring internal self and acting primarily on external triggers, which was my focus of reflection during MLCOG.
This discussion would be incomplete if I give an impression of undermining the power of looking around to learn and make choices. The point that is being made is, in this perpetual race of doing well, one has forgotten to stop by and ask what do I want to do and where do I want to go. Easy questions but no so easy answers. And certainly, making choices is certainly not easy.
Avnish Bajaj (of Baazi.com fame) lectured us some time back and I am reminded of his four pillars of life - 1. Professional 2. Personal& familial 3. Social 4. Spiritual. To hear it from Avnish esp after what he has achieved (IITK + HBS + GS + McK + Entrepreneur), comes with so much weight. I may be sounding like a bit like a soul after an Osho treatment but I kind of feel the sooner we ask ourselves these questions, the better off we are.
On a more trivial note, it has been a long while since I have come this space. Many things have been keeping me busy. I realise we would be leaving IIMA in another 47 days; can't believe how time has gone by. As I say bye for now, I reminded of Budha's saying: "All that we are today, is a result of what we thought".
I realise external triggers almost always were the genesis of my (major) career decisions be it going to Engineering (because every one considered good did that); or even doing an MBA. Yes, I have personal reasons as well. When I look back I was amazed at the options that were opened with schools like ISB coming up in India way back in 2002. In 2002, some of my most stellar colleagues had left to join ISB which caught my imagination. What was considered a remote possible option was alive again for me. 2007 saw me get there although by then I have broad based my target set (and of course my research led me to choose PGPX over others). On the other hand, I feel I did not do justice to my hidden interest and talent for Carnatic Music. I mean I haven't found time in my busy life to nurture this interest thus far. It is this paradigm of ignoring internal self and acting primarily on external triggers, which was my focus of reflection during MLCOG.
This discussion would be incomplete if I give an impression of undermining the power of looking around to learn and make choices. The point that is being made is, in this perpetual race of doing well, one has forgotten to stop by and ask what do I want to do and where do I want to go. Easy questions but no so easy answers. And certainly, making choices is certainly not easy.
Avnish Bajaj (of Baazi.com fame) lectured us some time back and I am reminded of his four pillars of life - 1. Professional 2. Personal& familial 3. Social 4. Spiritual. To hear it from Avnish esp after what he has achieved (IITK + HBS + GS + McK + Entrepreneur), comes with so much weight. I may be sounding like a bit like a soul after an Osho treatment but I kind of feel the sooner we ask ourselves these questions, the better off we are.
On a more trivial note, it has been a long while since I have come this space. Many things have been keeping me busy. I realise we would be leaving IIMA in another 47 days; can't believe how time has gone by. As I say bye for now, I reminded of Budha's saying: "All that we are today, is a result of what we thought".
