What is success in today’s age? Success today is about doing a bit of a side hustle, not just the job you do, but something on the side. S V Nathan, CEO & Co-Founder, Visara Human Capital Consulting, delivered the keynote address at the 23rd MMA All-India Management Students’ Convention 2024.
What is success in today’s age? Success today is about doing a bit of a side hustle, not just the job you do, but something on the side. In today’s world of social media, another indicator of success is how many hits you get on your Instagram or LinkedIn posts.
To me, success is having a friend. Success is also about relationships and how long you can maintain them. Success is a good night’s sleep after a good day’s work. Success is when you’re a much sought-after person. When somebody seeks you out, then you’re successful. Success is also about finding joy in small matters, small things, being very curious about things, and discovering new things. Success is also having a quiet cup of coffee.
A Dream to Ride
Here’s the story of a grandmother. She had only one leg and lived in a very small one-room house. The privacy curtain was made of jute bags that were opened up and then sewn together. She recounted a lot of stories. A lot of young boys used to gather around that place, wanting to listen to her stories. As she recounted her stories of mythology, people sat in rapt attention, listening to her captivating tales.
One day, when she was telling a story, a boy got distracted when he saw a car pass by. He asked her, “Grandma, can I ever sit in a car?” The grandmother looked at the boy and said, “Of course you can sit in a car. If you’re going to sit in a car, make sure you sit in the back and have a driver. The car must be yours, and you must be paying the driver. If you think and dream, you can get it. But you have to work hard for it.”
Well, many years later, when I was sitting in a car, I remembered the grandmother and her stories because the grandmother was my grandmother, and the boy was me. One of the big ingredients of success is dreaming. If you wish for something, you will certainly get it. That is the power of Ichha or desire.
The School of Attitude
The second story. I was a young general manager working in a company called Sterling Holiday Resorts in Chennai, then called Madras. It was my first week in that office. I was there working at 10 o’clock at night. In a very large hall at the far end, I saw a light burning. A gentleman was listening to some music on a transistor and working. When I asked him what he was doing, he replied that he was a payroll clerk preparing payroll slips, as if he was doing some rocket science out there.
The next day, I asked him to meet me in my room. As he spoke, I understood that he had just a B.A. in History and had passed with just 35%. But he sounded full of enthusiasm. Just then, Mr. Sanjay Bhaduri from my head office called me and asked me to suggest someone for the role of a Regional HR Manager (West). I said, “I have a person, but you have to take good care of him.” I suggested Mahi, who was sitting just opposite me. Years later, Mahi became the HR Director of a large multinational. It does not matter which school of management you come from as long as you come from the school of attitude. It’s about what you do with the education you get.
A Helping Hand
I participated in a running race in Hyderabad around the Hussain Sagar lake. The race was at 5:30 in the morning. I was prepared and pumped up for the race, but it got delayed because the chief guest did not arrive on time. He arrived late and the race had started. Unfortunately, I had cooled down by then. When I started to run, I got a cramp in my legs and could not run. I sat on the sides. Somebody came up to me, extended a hand, and asked me to get up and walk, if not run. I held his shoulders and started walking with him. We moved from the next green flag to the red flag, the black and yellow, and soon I was running the race. I got a medal for being in the top 10. I was in tears. The person who helped me was nowhere in sight. I will never forget Anupam Lal, who extended that helping hand to me. In our moments of success, there is always somebody who lends a helping hand. Find opportunities to help somebody.
An Idea Can Change Your Life
Here are a few tips for students as you prepare to face interviews and take up careers. When you go for interviews, smile. When you meet anybody, give them a firm handshake. Network. Stay connected. I have several top bankers in the country who were my classmates. Learn as much as you can, but more importantly, apply what you learn. Have a goal and a dream. If you wish for something, it will happen. Never give up. ‘Water cuts rock’ is my personal credo. You may have setbacks in life. Not everybody will like you. It doesn’t matter. Be persistent and resilient.
Let me close with the story of a potter who was making a hookah with clay. His wife suggested that he make a pot so people can store water and be thankful. He started to knead the clay to make a pot. The clay asked him, “Why are you now making a pot instead of a hookah?” The potter replied, “My wife’s idea changed my mind.” The clay said, “An idea changed your mind. And that idea changed my life too.” Yes. An idea can indeed change your life.
