Some of the most experiential incidents occur when you are least expecting them. Given my recent spate of illness, I had nearly left without adequate information about what the Global Leadership Program participants had to share. But am I glad I stayed.
Very rarely in life do you get the opportunity to sit across a table with three global leaders, one each from Brazil, France and the US, this early in life and have a conversation you will remember for a long time to come.
This is what happened for me on the evening of 14th September. We at the School of Inspired Leadership (SOIL) hosted 26 global leaders from all over the world who had come here as a part of the international course called “Global Leadership Program” which is adopted by organizations like Ingersoll-Rand, Mahindra & Mahindra, GDF Suez, UTi, Polaris Software, Kohler Co. and Schneider Electric. These organizations identify and nominate high potential senior managers who are likely to take up leadership roles and send them for a 3 week intensive course spread over 8 months to cities in 3 different continents of the world.
Context aside, let me come straight to the point. We were asked to sit at various tables accompanying 2-3 leaders per table. I had the good fortune of sitting with Chris, from UTi in the US, Xavier from France and William from Brazil. Firstly, it was very exciting to have 3 people from different continents and parts of the world. It was amazing to see all 3 of them and we speak 4 different versions and styles of the same language!
Soon after the brief introductions, we were left to discuss at our individual tables anything we wanted to ask them and all they wanted to know about India and SOIL. There began a conversation that was so lively, insightful and stimulating. We started with getting to know more about GLP and how their experience had been. We realized that they had spent a week each at Paris and then Los Angeles and Delhi was the destination for the last week of the program. Chris told us about their “development plans” that they were required to work on. Xavier threw light on how they were assigned to “coaches” who were helping them with this process. William gave us insights into how the program was three pronged- personal development, professional growth and cultural orientation.
And this is where the circle was completed for me. I began to realize the uncanny similarities between GLP and our program at SOIL. We at SOIL, also have Individual Learning Plans that get taken very seriously that take both out strengths and development areas into consideration. We have also been assigned mentors that work with us during the entire year to help us with all aspects of growth. This is when Chris mentioned that the similarities throw up the quintessential matter: that you never really stop learning. At their age with over 2 decades of work experience behind them, questions that bother them are whether and how should they contribute to society, what their purpose in life is or if they should start their own company. On the contrary, we at such nascent stages of our careers are worried about getting the right jobs, carving a niche for ourselves and finding our passions in life. But the irony is we both have questions- different kinds, with different connotations and with different consequences but fundamental questions none the less.
Through an interesting story, William told us about how this man went sailing and was very happy that he was going with the wind even without really having to learn how to sail. But he soon realized that it was important to know how to sail when he was going back, against the wind. That’s where technique and skills become relevant. What that meant for us was that you can always go with the direction life takes you, but if you don’t have a destination in mind, you will only go where the wind takes you which may not necessarily be where you want to be.
Another interesting insight, that had the maximum impact on me, was when Chris told us that there really is no “there”. Every single time you get somewhere in life, where you want to be changes and thus what is left in life is you chasing a mirage and never really getting “there”. That is why, it is pertinent that you enjoy and learn at every stage in life because while looking at your next milestone, you may miss out the learning and gratification this stage could give you.
One other profound thought that William shared with us was through the example of an assembly line worker who had been doing the same work for 40 years in a company in Brazil. So when the worker was asked what his secret was, he promptly answered that he has not had a job in 40 years, there was always “work to be done” and “work that he know how to do”. This was his secret to do the same thing for 40 years and still enjoy it. Thus, don’t ever settle for a job, because sooner than later, you will be dissatisfied and looking out for the next thing. Always try and find work that you do well and enjoy doing so you will always be happy to go get it done.
And lastly, Xavier left us with some food for thought with a very fascinating question. He asked us to decipher what we, as young Indian leaders, bring to the table in the context of global organizations today? Food for thought?
Pooja Bhalla, BLP 2011