MILITARY TO MANAGEMENT

Following an extremely successful stint in the Armed Forces, which includes being a part of the prestigious paratrooper brigade, Brig. Vikas Madhok is now proving his mettle in the corporate world. The Vice President and Head Security Strategy, Information Security at Reliance Jio (the largest telecom company) has also made a successful foray into the digital services that comprise of apps such as Jio Money, Jio Mart etc. He shares his journey both as a military man and later, a corporate professional in this tell-all interview. He also gives out some handy tips to the uniformed officers looking to join the corporate bandwagon…

Vikas Madhok with wife, Shailaja Madhok

Corporate Citizen: What inspired you to join the Army?

Vikas Madhok: My grandfather and my dad were both in the Army, so it was a logical step for me to join the organisation as far as my dad was concerned. In fact, being good at studies, I wanted to join the IAS or be a heart surgeon, but on dad’s insistence, I gave the NDA exam and found an excellent and brilliant lot of young boys who had come for the SSB and that’s when I decided that this was where I wanted to go.

CC: How was life in the Armed Forces?

Life in the Army has been a “full life” or “king size”. Each moment has been worth it since it has been a wonderful mixture of professionalism, comraderies, fun, romance and adventure. I remember my first posting in Dehradun and the pranks we used to be up to, however, the young officers were also the pillar of strength of the unit at the same time. The para probation (selection process) is also indelibly etched in my mind, especially our first jump from the aircraft and that great feeling of exhilaration once the parachute opened up after jumping out from the AN-32 aircraft. The route marches, exercises in the deserts or mountains with the fellow soldiers, obstacle training, laying of lines to get communication through, radio exercises are indelibly etched into my memory. Command of a unit was an excellent experience and so was being a Colonel General Staff in Arunachal Pradesh, which was so professionally enriching and challenging. As a Brigadier and Chief Signal Officer of a strike corps, one got an opportunity to conduct a number of communication and surveillance exercises in a network-centric battlefield environment in the deserts. Each and every day has so many good memories associated with it. I have made so many good friends in this journey of mine in the Army, senior, colleagues or juniors and it is great connecting with them even now after having left the Army.

CC: What skills and qualities did you pick up as an officer that helped you make a mark in the corporate?

Leadership, teamwork, working under pressure, decision-making, integrity, putting service before self, innovativeness , being adaptive and having good communication skills are some qualities that immediately come to one’s mind the minute you say the word ‘Officer’. I remember that especially as a Colonel General Staff and Chief Signal Officer, one was always ready to give a brief update of ten minutes or a detailed one-hour presentation on military plans or communication aspects and this has helped one to develop good communication skills. While some of us in the Army are good individual workers, as we go higher, one needs to take the team along. This quality of being able to manage people and teams is very useful in the corporate too. This makes a difference in delivery at senior levels where one may have to manage big teams and team performance would matter more than your individual skills or knowledge. One does have to work under a lot of stress in some high pressure appointments and this helped me cope well in corporate life too. So, the qualities one has imbibed in the Army do come in very handy in the corporate.

CC: You were a part of the technical arm of the Armed Forces yet associated with the elite and prestigious paratroopers brigade. How different was the experience?

The motto of the paras is “Men apart every man an Emperor” and so perfectly epitomizes the spirit of the paratroopers. Life is more adventurous, physically and mentally more challenging and therefore, on joining the parachute brigade one had the best of both the worlds. While I was part of the Corps of Signals which is responsible for leveraging information and communication technologies and delving into the domains of telecom, IT, warfare in the cyber domain-I also volunteered for the Parachute Signal Company (Parachute Brigade) part of the parachute fraternity comprising the elite Special Forces and the parachute battalions. Para jumping in sub-zero temperatures in Alaska from a Hercules, taking part in airborne exercises and parachuting in some very tight DZs in India are some of my memorable experiences.

"While some of us in the Army are good individual workers, as we go higher, one needs to take the team along. This quality of being able to manage people and teams is very useful in the corporate world too"

- Brig. Vikas Madhok

Somewhere on the border areas

CC: You have studied at some of the most prestigious institutes of the Army. How did this influence your career trajectory and prepare you for a corporate job?

Each of these institutes has shaped and contributed to my growth in some way and further prepared me to be placed in a strategic/senior role in a technical field in the corporate. To the National Defence Academy, I would owe the maximum and my squadron-Foxtrot. It made a man out of you and though we missed the part of going to a college, it did make us mentally tough, resilient while helping us make some lifelong friends. As a student officer in Defence Services Staff College we pitch ourselves with the best of the three services and officers from foreign countries in the early part of my career. I was fortunate to also be a Directing Staff in this prestigious College. Indian Institute of Science was again a wonderful experience where you had classmates fresh from engineering institutes and pursuing their Masters in Engineering. You had no option but to slog to keep up with the best engineering and computer brains of the country. I remember Higher Command Course where once again one got the opportunity to interact and exchange experiences with the selected lot from the three services before tenanting the Star Ranks.

CC: When did you first decide to go the corporate way?

Deep down inside I wanted to join the corporate from very early in the service but really having no close family members as reference points dissuaded me from taking the plunge. Most of our family members were or are in government jobs. I did make some halfhearted attempts but would postpone it after getting a moral lecture from well-meaning seniors. As the years went by, one had many known friends in the corporate and the decision to take this recourse was a lot easier.

CC: What were your apprehensions and reservations about making the big switch? Did the thought of it intimidate you at any point?

Yes, honestly, it is not an easy decision to make. You are so cocooned and secure in the uniform and so cut off. You stay in cantonments with army officers as neighbours, their wives as your wife’s friends, their children as your kids’ friends, so your world is very different than what is outside the perimeter of the cantonments. Everything other than your job is more or less taken care of. This is not only for the officers but also true for the soldiers. So, definitely, for some of us thinking of making the switch is like that trip to the moon or the M. Night Shyamalan movie ‘The Village’. However, it never really intimidated me as one was confident about oneself. There was so much happening in one’s own life, a fresh challenge, adventure, new friends, places to see every two years that the decision-making always kept getting postponed.

CC: What was your family’s response to the decision of quitting the Army in the favour of the corporate?

It is very important for your wife too, to be supportive of your decision as she bears the maximum brunt once the support system is not available. She, therefore, too was looking forward to my decision to quit as she too could pursue her interests and stay together. For the parents on the both sides, the response was dismal as they wanted to see their son/son-in-law as a “General”. Seeing us happy outside is a great relief for them.

"Corporates are always on the lookout for talent and good guys who will bring value to the company in terms of improving productivity and contribute to systems improvements. They have realised that Defence is also a resource pool for getting talented and qualified persons"

(L-R) Dr Shailaja Madhok, Aryamaan Madhok and
Brig. Vikas Madhok

CC: How big a change was the transition from the Armed Forces into the corporate world?

Coming to think of it, the change is not very drastic. The environment is quite different, however, one can say that it is similar to a tenure in the Army Headquarters in Delhi where you are staying in civil accommodation. The main difference is the absence of job security or the economic and social security which comes from joining the military. I was pleasantly surprised when it had been only a few months into my job in the corporate and an employee was given the termination notice as there was zero tolerance to the misdemeanour/impropriety committed by the employee. In the Army, he would have been punished but still retained his job and this is what many bad hats in the army take undue advantage of. The second big difference is the clear demarcation between personal and professional life in the corporate whereas in the Army it is fuzzy.

CC: How do the two worlds of military and corporate differ in terms of remuneration, hierarchy, work cultures, work-life balance, growth prospects and social life?

The remuneration is definitely better in the corporate, undoubtedly. In the Army, you have default perks and privileges, however, in the corporate you have the liquidity to maintain an equally high standard of living. In the Army, your relationships extend to personal life; in the corporate, it is not the case and the interactions are restricted to the workspace. You can build upon them but is not the norm. The work culture in the corporate is very good with great importance is given to employee work-life balance. Quite a few corporate houses follow a strict five-day week routine so that you can unwind over the weekend. I have been fortunate to join an excellent company with great work ethics and it also pays a lot of importance to employee growth. The growth prospects are also many as one can switch jobs if you don’t like your boss or the role. Even lateral opportunities are available within a company to provide growth.

CC: Do you miss donning the uniform at times?

Yes, I do miss the uniform but one day we all have to hang our uniforms. However, on a lighter note, I take solace in wearing business suits and smart casuals to work.

CC: Do you miss the adventure and the thrill that life in the Army offered?

Sure, that is one aspect which I do miss a lot but adventure and thrill is something that you do more in your early career and I have the satisfaction of enjoying my Army life to the fullest. I got an opportunity to take part in a sailing expedition in Andamans in whaler boats which was quite an experience. I was also the Master of Fox Hounds, Ooty Hunt Club and we took part along with the family in various hack rides. Me and my wife even rode to the hounds over the frequently drizzly Ooty Downs in probably one of the world’s fastest hunts. That love for adventure, the thrill is what made us (a complete family) take a Europe trip last year and a trek in Nepal a month back.

CC: What are the values that the Army can learn from the corporate world and vice versa?

That is a very ironic question as there was a time that the corporate used to imbibe the SOPs from the Army. War rooms, boots to the ground, SNAFU are some of the military terms which are a part of the business lexicon in addition to many problem-solving and inventory keeping methodologies. The Army needs to transform to keep pace with the changing times. Corporates have some very well-developed HR frameworks and appraisal systems which can be referred to by the Army. The corporate can also assist in a big way in helping the Army being leaner and mean and there are a lot of initiatives which are already underway. Support functions to some extent being performed by the services in the Army can be outsourced to the corporate in a phased manner so that the Army can concentrate on the core functions of fighting the war and training for it.

"To the National Defence Academy, I would owe the maximum and my squadron-Foxtrot. It made a man out of you and though we missed the part of going to a college, it did make us mentally tough, resilient while helping us make some life-long friends"

CC: Would you say that the corporate sector is always on the lookout for military personnel? What, as per you, are some roles in the corporate that military personnel can play to a tee?

Yes in a way. Corporates are always on the lookout for talent and good people who will bring value to the company in terms of improving productivity and contribute to systems improvements. They have realised that defence is also a resource pool for getting talented and qualified persons and are therefore, quite open to looking at military personnel to hire. Interpersonal skills, managing teams, leadership qualities come naturally to the military personnel.

I think a military man can play any role to the tee. He has the basic qualities of working in a team, adapt, learn new technologies, lead, motivate, inspire and deliver. Coupled with knowledge of corporate working, requirements of the job and latest skills he makes an excellent fit in any role. I would even go to the extent of advising with conviction that an ex-Army person would even do very well as an event manager too. As you are leaving a secure job behind, then one should only do to pursue one’s dream or passion.

CC: Do your colleagues from the corporate look at you differently because of your military background?

There is a lot of respect for the Army in the civil world and they do look up to you with some baseline expectations of integrity, honesty and selflessness.

CC: Please tell us about your family.

One additional thing I owe to the Army is being able to find my soulmate. Shailaja always wanted to marry a man in uniform and so my being a uniformed person did help to woo and win her over. She is a dental surgeon but she had sacrificed her career to be beside me throughout my journey as a soldier after our marriage. It is a full-time job for an Army wife, specially at senior ranks and I thank her for her support as she definitely took a major weight off my shoulders, tending to the issues of the soldiers’ families and other social calls while keeping her career and aspirations on the backburner despite being brilliant herself and capable of being an independent professional. Heading an administration department of a well-known hospital, heading training division of a Medico/IT company were some interim jobs which she picked up, but then gave up as staying together as a family was more important for us and these would have involved her staying in some metro while I moved around. However, after I have left the Army, she has taken to image consultancy and is a certified image consultant and soft skills trainer. My son wanted to pursue a career very different from what me or my wife are in and is a budding chef. He is pursuing a Bachelors degree in Culinary Arts (honours).

"The Army needs to transform to keep pace with the changing times. Corporates have some very well-developed HR frameworks and appraisal systems which can be referred to by the Army. The corporate can also assist in a big way in helping the Army"

CC: What are three pieces of advice you would like to give an officer looking to make a transition into the corporate sector?

The earlier you make the transition, the better it is, either after a 5-10 year stint or after completing twenty years so that you get the pensionary benefits of the risk-filled career you had chosen.

Start early and think through: All domains like HR, logistics and supply chain are very specialised and require one to use high-end tools and skillsets. You will need to start thinking and planning early on the career path the field you would like to join.

Acquire skillsets: Do interact with people in the field you want to join and acquire related skills and certifications. You could join some courses on Udemy or Coursera which would give you a greater insight. Getting an MBA degree will also help. Approaching a career counsellor may also be a good idea. While the military man being interviewed will matter, these degrees will certainly help to give you a slight head start over the next man and ease you into the corporate way of working. An officer from Signals could probably do a CISA or CISSP certification if he was interested in a career in Cyber Security.

Build a network: Do nurture your contacts in the corporate. Referrals work better than job portals, especially as we go higher. Today, there are quite a few military persons in the corporate, so a feedback is also available for all military candidates looking out. This also helps in making a positive impact on your prospects in being shortlisted.

CC: How has your experience been so far working in the corporate world? Are you content at the end of the day? How does this compare with your experience in the Armed Forces?

My experience has been very satisfying and gratifying. I have no regrets at all other than I could have come earlier to have an equal army and corporate career time span. Today, as per me, Army need not be a full-time career. It would be a good option to explore a second career if one is looking for a change and stability after having served in the Army in the prime of one’s life.

While I have made good friends in the corporate, my best friends still remain those I made at school, NDA, IMA and later in the Army. I am still in touch with them and they remain forever part of my support system.

Military Skills for Organisational Success