Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Birds of a feather... MUST NOT flock together!

Modeled on and in partnership with the famous TED conference, the INK conference brings a very eclectic group of people associated with varied walks of life like art & culture, non-profits, education etc and provides them with a terrific platform to tell their stories. Last month I had the opportunity to attend and present at the INK conference in Jaipur and meet with a fascinating bunch of people across three days… I was amazed at the richness of their stories… the amazing work they’ve done… and the ability they had to tell their stories in such an interesting manner.

One of the stories that stayed with me was of Aisha Chaudhary, a 15-year-old girl who was diagnosed with an incurable immune deficiency disorder at the age of six months, following which she underwent bone marrow transplant. In her incredibly simple and touching way, Aisha took us through her early days when she was wheelchair ridden and destined to inhale oxygen with the help of a tube clipped to her nose. Her story drew thunderous applause and a standing ovation as she told us about the 5 lessons she has learnt during this phase; 'Believe in miracles', 'Live in the moment', 'Opportunity in difficulties', 'Dare to dream' and 'Pets are the best medicines'!!

In 5 minutes one could learn much more from a brave young girl than what many would go through an entire lifetime and probably miss altogether! That really got me thinking how most of us tend to stick to and interact with people who are similar to us… do the same kind of work… and even think the same way.. limiting the potential of expanding one’s mind.

But when you walk into an event like this, not only are you faced with a bunch of issues that you probably never thought about but you also get to know people who have dealt with these issues in a very different and inspiring way. What excites and motivates them is very different from what motivates most of us. So it really makes you stop and think and walk out side your comfort zone. It makes you forget your regular problems and the standard approach one tends to take to deal with those problems.

What’s interesting is that one doesn’t attend such events with the objective of doing a business deal… but rather to pick up experiences and ways of thinking that one can bring into one’s own situations. That’s the real benefit.

During the conference, I also got the opportunity to talk about the birth, growth and evolution of Gurgaon and the human stories behind its growth that has changed millions of lives. It's a story of hope for the future for a country like India, provided we can replicate all the good things that have happened and find solutions for the problems that still exist. The only way it can happen is if the partnership between citizens, their employers and the local government further strengthens and takes it forward.

But being an optimist, I am convinced it will happen - we will find incredible ways to drive inclusive growth!!

14 comments:

  1. Well said but what as an individual we do to foster all the above said is more important. There are people who can think, some who can do, some who can talk, some who just listen, some who do not have any idea and some who ignore but all of us unite under one idea when we can find a point that makes any type of person think for a while and then lead to a convergent point of action and in order to find that one single mode an action based approach towards humanism is required.

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  2. Inspiring blog sir. Its important to open up to diverse groups if one really intends to learn new things.

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  3. Nice blog, I agree with Ramesses. As leaders, it is very important to meet with all levels, not just management or executives in your team. Think about the possibilities that are waiting to happend IF only given the opportunity to shine. I understand Genpact has thousands of employees and hence the reasons why it should invest more time on its entry level associates.. this is the new key to successful growth. Technology today has made it easyer for associates to jump from job to job and branch out and become a competitor to company such as Genpact.

    prospect23@gmail.com

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  4. It is wonderful to see a man reach out to women like you are doing. If you ever visit New York, and would like to address global Indian women, I'd like to set that up. There are so many organizations here with Indian women who could benefit greatly from your expertise. Indian women have come a long way, while many forge ahead, there are numerous who need guidance in navigating their growth and development. I can be reached at 347-569-2036. I am a writer, and food product developer. I also have a food blog, and a website. Hope you grace us with your presence one day Sir. Thanks for all you do. Here's my other info: Blog:http://www.guyanastastyexotic.blogspot.com
    Website: http://www.guyanastastyexotic.com
    emil:deborahgtebook@yahoo.com

    Best regards,
    Deborah

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  5. An optimist leader gives me hope!
    you must watch Sunitha Krishnan's TED talk and I'd love to connect with you on how to share the story and inspiration. Abhik

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    1. Dear Sir, Great insights. I have heard very good things about GENPACT; i am senior level executive working in the BPO space and looking for association with GENPACT. I am very interested in being part of the organization. You can reach me at sahana2003@yahoo.com

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  6. This is a beautiful commentary on how we need to develop leaders of the future - I particularly like the interplay between business society, community and government - we should all be working together to make the world a better place for everyone. Sometimes we think only of our immediate business need and deal.

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  7. Reading this blog already started feeling the high rise of Genpact which will take Genpact to a new level altogether. Inspired and hungry, thats when it is most dangerous TIGER....

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  8. I am a first time reader of your blog and really liked your story telling skills and more than that your thoughts. In this article i am very much aligned and practicing the thought of interacting with people from different walks of life...

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