Chart your path of growth

Managers are the backbone of any organisation, who help the organisations achieve success. One of the most well-known HR leaders in the country, SV Nathan, cofounder and chairman, Visara Human Capital, recently shared invaluable insights and inspiring advice to the newly inducted MBA Batch for the academic year 2024-26, at Sri Balaji University, Pune (SBUP), on how to chart their path of growth and success. Former partner and chief talent officer, Deloitte India, Nathan has over 30 years of professional experience in Human Resource management. His expertise and real-life examples provided practical advice to the MBA aspirants on how to take charge and shape their own career narrative. Corporate Citizen brings you excerpts from his keynote address

Istudied in XLRI in Jamshedpur where we did not have fancy campuses then. But, now 30 years later, you have a vast campus. Universities grow not through infrastructure but through people, through all of you-each one of you is a gem.

When I was studying Mathematics in Vivekananda College (Chennai), I would to ask myself what will I do in my life? What’s my future like? Coming from a very modest background, the greatest thought in my mind was, what will I do? A professor teaching something about differentials, came in the class and addressed us. Just before he left the class, he said something which is indelible, and is still in my mind today. He said, “If you are from Vivekananda College then you will do exceedingly well in your life.” After I finished my B.Sc (Mathematics), it still rang true, and I kept telling myself, “My teacher had said this so I am sure, I will do well in my life.”

Be curious

All of us start with self-doubt. Will I be able to do something in my life? I want to share a secret—be curious. Another secret is, be good friends and make friends, because today life is about networking.

To be a good friend...

To be a good friend you have to be with another person through thick and thin. In the times of difficulties, you must be around. Not in times, where everybody was succeeding and you were there just to have a good time with them. Walk across and find out what’s on a person’s mind, if you see a person with a slightly drooping face—it may be a very gentle act of caring.

Sometimes you have to do nothing, you have to just listen—listening is an art. Today is a world of skills—you will grow up in your life because you have skills.

Importance of communication

Communication is not about English or Hindi or your Lingua Franca. Communication is finding common ground. English word ‘Common’ comes from the Latin word ‘communis’ which means common. So, find ways to connect with people, to connect with one another, share your thoughts. The single most important thing that depraves us when we are very lonely is our lack of communication. So communicate and enjoy your day.

In my student years, some of us understood what was taught in the class while some of us were clueless. I would spend evening hours after college explaining a little bit of what I learned to my classmates, who did not understand the teaching in the class. So the first thing you have to do is find ways to learn from each other.

"There is so much to learn. There are tough times but, tough times don’t last. You must believe that and every day becomes a fantastic day"

- SV Nathan

Be observant

The single most important thing in your life is, be observant. Find out what is happening around? Find patterns. Recently, I met a very smart girl who bought shares when the market fell hugely after the recent general election, and she has earned good money in a short time as the shares have performed exceedingly well. It indicates, how nice it is for somebody to be observant. Because, when you observe, you are able to take advantage of the opportunities around you.

Better yourself everyday

The one task that I want every single person sitting here to do is, be a little bit better than what you were yesterday. Can we do that? Is it easy? Let me caution you, it’s very difficult. I have not said that you have to double it. Doubling is very difficult. You just have to be a little better than what you were yesterday.

Build English fluency

One of the challenges, I faced while growing up was that I could not speak English fluently. My grandmother, a very wise woman, said, “Beta. You have to do nothing. You have to just learn one new word a day. That’s all.”

In those good old days, we had Reader’s Digest, a general-interest family magazine, which had a popular column called “Word Power” which had 20 new words in every edition. After learning one new word daily over a short period, I found that I was making good progress. So all you need to do is, be better a little bit.

Positive attitude leads to success

After a week of working in a new organisation, one day I was working late at night in my cabin. Around 10pm, outside the cabin, I met a confident and happy payroll clerk, printing pay slips. Impressed by his positive attitude, I called him to meet me the next day. During the meeting, I received a call from my friend who was hunting a suitable candidate for the post of regional manager, human resources, in his organisation. I recommended his name, after which he joined there and later went onto become director of human resources for a very large multinational in the country. You need to have a positive attitude to succeed in life.

Importance of grit

It’s important for each one of us to have something called grit-never give up. Why is it important? Sometimes life throws a lot at you and you could buckle. Sometimes it is financial problems or relationship problems or career issues. But if you have the single quality called grit, you will never give up.

Believe in yourself

I spent 18 years in Hyderabad. On my first visit there, I visited the famous Salar Jung Museum. I was asked to look for the very precious yellow diamonds. I found yellow pebbles there and asked the curator whether these are the yellow diamonds. He replied, “A trained jeweller will know that these are the most precious diamonds in the world.”

So, each one of you is like a yellow diamond. And if there is not a good jeweller looking at you then it is their problem. It’s not your problem. So start believing in yourself. Think of yourself as a yellow diamond. Just because somebody has not picked you up, never mind, it is their problem, not yours.

Respect everyone

When I say respect, it’s not like you got to stand up. Respect also means that you will have to listen to them. Listening to somebody is respect. In the Indian culture, we all think that falling at somebody’s feet is respect, that’s only one sign of respect. A sign of respect going further is, if you bring somebody a glass of water as soon as they enter your house from outside—that’s a sign of respect. Do you do this only for people who are senior to you? No. You do it to anybody who comes to your house—offering a glass of water or a seat is a sign of respect. These are very simple things.

During my recruitment visit to a college, I found a student stammering to a point that he could not even respond while I was interviewing him. I gave him some time to relax and later he could speak one and half sentence and stammer again. My colleague was hesitant about recruiting him but I recruited him in the marketing field. He did reasonably well and later quit the organisation as he wanted to be an entrepreneur. After many years, on being invited by his secretary, I visited his startup office and met him. Later while returning home in my car, I realised that this was the same person who stammered a lot during his campus interview many years’ back.

So, life is about respect. If you find something good in somebody, make sure that you mention it to them.

"Don’t chase money. Money will chase you, if you are good. So, find an opportunity for money to chase you"

Complement people

Complement people on what they are doing right. Find something good in somebody once a day. Respect everyone. Remember to find a way to complement others.

Play to your strengths

You are not good in everything, but in somethings you could be fantastic. Make sure that others know about this particular skill in you. If somebody says that you are not good in Excel—Ok, I am not good in Excel and PowerPoint, but I can do something that none of you can do. And, talk about what you can do?

Don’t chase money

Don’t chase money. Money will chase you, if you are good. So, find an opportunity for money to chase you.

Help someone each day

I remember an incidence when a student had missed his Jammu flight, and asked for help from me and my friend, at Delhi airport. On my friend’s insistence, we spoke to him and found that he was a genuine student who needed help. We sought the help of the airport manager and he revalidated the ticket due to which the student went to Jammu by next flight. If you really want to be happy, help someone.

Asking the right question

Find what you are good at. That what you are good at, will get you a lot in your life. My father was an athlete, a sprinter, so I wanted to be an athlete, a sprinter. So, I met a coach on my mother’s advice and asked him, “Sir, can I be a sprinter?” He said, “Show me how you run?” So, I ran. He looked at me and rudely said, “You cannot be a sprinter. Go away.”

I went home and was very upset, and weeping. My mother enquired, “What happened?” I replied, “I can be never a runner in my life because this coach said that I cannot run.” She questioned, “What did you ask him?” I told her, “I asked him, can I ever be a sprinter? Later he asked me to run but I failed.” She said, “Wrong question. Go ask the coach - Tell me what I am good at?”

The next day, I met the coach. He said, “Hey you are back. Yesterday I asked you not to come back again.” I replied, “Atleast give me one more chance. Tell me what I could be good at?” He said, “Ok. Start running.”

It was a 400-meter track and I started running. After eight rounds, he stopped me and said, “Hey come here. You can be a good middle and long distance runner.” I was very happy and asked, “Will you coach me?” He replied, “Yes.” Many things happened after that. Fast forward, I went on to be the athletic captain of my college. I do not look like one now but I was then an athlete. All because of my mother. So, you need to seek feedback.

When you are getting into your career, your class, you are learning many different subjects. You may not be good in all of them. It does not matter. But, you have to learn all of them. It is good for you. There could be some where you are exceptional at. Find out what you are exceptional at. Seek feedback.

"The single most important thing in your life, is be observant. Because, when you observe, you are able to take advantage of the opportunities around you"

Tough times don’t last

One of the most trying times is when you have your campus placements. I remember, it was one of those days when the placement was very bad. It was 2008, one of the toughest years for XLRI, where I had studied. Few of us were called to XLRI, to spend time with the students and tell them that there will be a better day and the Sun will again shine back. And, we also offered that we could hire them not on the same salary but perhaps a depressed salary and we will make good of the loss in subsequent years. This was said by a gentleman who is very caring, one of the finest leaders you will find in the country today. And, everybody liked the idea. Soon the word spread and we were prepared to take students.

Fast forward, every one of the selected students did well. Of course they will, they came from one of the toughest times in the history. What I remember the most, was the speech of one gentleman who came up and said to the students, “I want to help you. I don’t have lot of resources with me. But if you can moderate your expectations then I will be able to help you.” That person is currently one of the living legends in the banking industry.

Summing up

There is so much to learn. There are tough times but, tough times don’t last. You must believe that and every day becomes a fantastic day.