My EMBA journey and Leadership life lessons – This is a story that was decades in the making, not just the past 20 months. I’d like to paint a picture of that story as it’s been a helluva ride! I moved to the United States over 21 years ago and have now spent half my life in this part of the world as I did growing up in India and it’s been a journey with a lot of ups and downs.
My academic path and career took its own twists and turns, at times intentional but mostly adjusting to circumstances in my life and going with what fit best or what was available. It’s a long story but no more tragic or illustrious than the next person out there trying to at times live their best life and other times just survive! I toyed with this idea over the years, to go back to school and get my MBA but failed to articulate, coherently or eloquently enough, in my eyes and those of others’ that asked me as to exactly why I wanted to go back to school.
I was born a precocious little girl with endless energy and curiosity. No, I’m not going to go through every stage of my life but I want to remember who I was, who I am. I loved to listen to stories and tell them, loved the written and spoken words and genuinely reveled in getting to know people and their stories. I envisioned psychology, journalism, medicine anything but what I actually ended up with. Math Physics and Chemistry followed by an Engineering degree in Mechanical Production and Industrial Engineering. There were several reasons for this sharp turn into something so alien to my life’s design – a loved one’s health and terminal illness, the need for security, a lack of courage and a sense of duty during this adversity and settling for what seemed safe, reasonable and sensible at the time. In many ways in the prime of my youth and coming of age, I had to make some choices less to do with what I wanted, something I did not have the luxury to explore. And so there I was out of place in an infinitely logical world, grappling with subjects and topics that were not second nature to me but I persevered and even managed to thrive. I craved to understand the lifecycle of how a business is run, how finance works and how it all comes together. I often felt like I was standing on the periphery peeking in but never quite grasping it all. And life kept happening, with a marriage, two beautiful daughters, multiple moves and in between being a sister, daughter, wife and mother I managed to find some time to slowly explore who I wanted to be. And I kept coming back to this dream I had for a second chance at it. At school, to explore my options, to learn and grow. And so when I hit 40, after pushing through all the stories in my head that told me why this was a bad idea, I chose to take the leap. Even Covid and deferring my enrollment by a year did not dampen my spirit. I knew in my heart this is what I wanted to do.
I did not waste much time to use the momentum to shift my career taking small strategic steps aligning myself to my value system, who I was, and where I wanted to be. I still didn’t know the answers and don’t believe I am there but with every class, every interaction with my classmates and professors and new learning, with every experience I took intentional steps, making choices towards my true path. I shifted my domain from a life spent in the IT services industry to ESG, and AI and ML Ethics in the HR Tech space. This too was gradual, with the first hop to program management and then increasingly working on strategy and product management that shifted my role and focus over the past year. I gravitated towards what gave my life and work meaning, a company whose values and culture I fit in with and a team and mission I felt aligned and passionate about. Today, I thoroughly enjoy what I work on, and where and who I work with. I finally recognize and am the recipient of the mentorship and sponsorship I’ve needed all my career. I’m less concerned with the proverbial ladder though ironically I’ve been moving steadily in that direction.
I’m extremely fortunate to have had this opportunity and am forever grateful to my family and friends who’ve supported me with this adventure of mine. Some of my biggest nuggets of leadership lessons have not been radically different, than what I’ve been exposed to before. But it’s the quality and gravity, a heavier imprint of what would have been fleeting wisdom that have all been sharpened with the in depth coursework and deeper knowledge in a superior environment with an exemplary set of colleagues and teachers in a highly pressurized environment juggling multiple aspects of an adult life. It does something to you.
- I learned to learn again but this time with a strategic lens
- I’ve learned to think on my feet but also learned to pause and dig deeper
- I’ve understood the value of patience and got the lesson of a lifetime with prioritizing
- I did not know there was more to perseverance and a growth mindset and yet here I was challenged to stretch my limits and look beyond what I thought was possible
- Really understanding, adapting and dealing with different people and skill sets via teamwork in high pressure settings
- Learning and knowledge is forever – its never ever too late!
As I’m on the brink of the end of this season of my life I think back to what I’ve gained. Beyond the courses and knowledge, beyond the friendships and new career options I have been blessed with something far more precious and learned far deeper lessons through this rigorous educational journey. The intrinsic nature of the life and leadership lessons have been invaluable to my personal and professional growth. I’ve chronicled some of these experiences, academic concepts and new worlds opened up to me, lessons in time management, inter-personal relationships which led to thriving, and not just managing a purpose driven, satisfying life in an ever changing dynamic world. These have been some of the most precious lessons I take with me. I suspect these EMBA diaries won’t end here with my graduation. This has been the gift that will keep giving back, with insights and growth building upon the foundation I’ve laid for myself by giving myself a chance again. It sounds like an end but it’s really only another beautiful beginning with lessons and friendships to last a lifetime. I got to do this, I did it and it’s been worth its weight in gold for me!
