LEADERSHIP LAB

BECOMING AN AUTHENTIC LEADER

TRIMESTER 2 | DIVISION A

Prepared under the guidance of Dr. Gowri Joshi

Ashutosh Shanbhag
A016
80511020187

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 Section 1

1. Experiences in my early life that had the greatest impact on me?

I have experienced a number of transformative experiences in various stages of my

life. Some experiences have had profound effects on me, whereas others have led me

to contemplate about certain aspects. Then there were others which seemed mundane

when they occurred, but after I revisited and looked back upon these events, they had

a completely different meaning, something which I hadn’t noticed while experiencing

the event the first time around. I will now elaborate on an experience which changed

me as a person and led to my present being.

a. Experiences that have changed me as an individual and led to my present being?

When I was in school, being an introvert I faced difficulties when it came to giving

presentations in front of a large audience. I would get very nervous during such

instances and tend to fumble while delivering my presentation/speech. I realized that

when speaking to small to moderate sized groups I am able to articulate my thoughts

and ideas with ease. But when it comes to speaking to a very large audience, I get

butterflies in my stomach. I realized that I had to overcome this adversity at the

earliest by facing such situations with determination.

To combat this issue, I motivated myself to participate in as many presentations,

debates and speech competitions as possible. I remember fumbling in the early stages

of this process. Looking at the sheer number of people I was speaking to would make

me nervous. This would cause me to blank out and forget important parts of my

speech/presentations. But instead of giving up, I decided that I would look at these

failures as stepping stones. Many competitions hence, I realized that I had made

strides when it came to overcoming at least part of this adversity. Although I couldn’t

speak with a hundred percent confidence in front of large audiences, I had made

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 improvements when it came to articulating my thoughts and ideas, and controlling my

stage fright.

b. Key learnings and take-aways from these experiences?

The key learnings and take-aways from this experience were that it gave me a sense

of accomplishment since I had played the role of motivating myself to overcome my

deepest fears of public speaking. I realize that I still have a long way to go when it

comes to completely eradicating this fear, but I believe that overcoming any issue is

an iterative process.

Whenever I fail at a particular task, rather than sulking, I look at it as an iterative

process to achieve success. At every iteration, one learns about his/her shortcomings

and looks within oneself in order to iron out these flaws.

2. Tools utilized by me to become self-aware?

Over the course of my life I have experimented with several tools and techniques to

become self aware. In my school days I would attend yoga sessions on every alternate

day. I found that Yoga would rejuvenate my mind and also help me calm my

anxieties. I still perform Yoga at least once a week since it helps me maintain my

calm. I also take psychometric tests which help me to peek into my inner self and

explore various unknown aspects of my personality. A recent psychometric test I took

was The Johari window which helped me to better understand my relationship with

myself and others. It also helped me to discover blind spots in my personality.

I also make it a point to get regular feedback from my friends and peers. I believe

constructive feedback plays a pivotal role in addressing one’s flaws.

Recently, I have also started going on midnight cycling tours with a group of close

friends, since it serves as a stress buster and helps me live the moment.

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a. What is my authentic self?

My authentic self is an honest representation of myself which stands by my passion,

and does not perform a particular task just because society conforms to it. It involves

introspection and looking deep within, whenever I face any sort of dilemma, so that I

can take necessary actions based on my guiding principles of honesty and integrity. I

follow my passion and do not do things to please others. Neither do I blindly follow

the crowd. Being authentic has given me the opportunity to portray the good as well

as bad parts of my personality, which allows for honest relationships and true

acceptance.

This version of me has emerged as a stronger and much more confident version of

what I previously was, since it involves staying true to myself.

b. What are the moments when I say to myself, this is the real me?

Prior to joining NMIMS, I worked as a software engineer at a leading multinational

firm for over 2 years. When I worked there, I realized that the attrition rate of the

Organization was very high. In my team, there would be a lot of individuals who

would leave for either greener pastures, or higher studies. Whenever a new person

would fill in the position of the person who had just left, my team would be

responsible for training that new person.

My entire team had very hectic work schedules with tight deadlines. Now, to add to

that we had the taxing task of continually training new entrants who would be

inducted into our team at the departure of leaving members. After a point, the

situation became so dire that on certain days, the entire team would be tied up with

training the new inductees, which led to impediments in the project deadlines.

I realized that I had to step up to the challenge and take it upon myself to address the

situation before it would spiral out of control. I took the initiative to create a

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 comprehensive knowledge transfer program to effectively transfer skills to the new

entrants. I began by mapping the area of expertise of each of my team member and

created a chart where each individual was assigned one module to be delivered to the

new inductees in an interactive format.

The result of this program was that now, on any given day, only one team member

would be tasked with training the new inductees, during non peak work hours. This

ensured that other team members would not have to deal with the hassles of training

new employees and catching up on tight deadlines simultaneously. I was also lauded

by my manager for creating this rotational knowledge transfer program and other

teams within my project also started implementing this idea. I realized that in the

VUCA world, one has to learn to be as agile as possible. Flexibility is essential in all

aspects of life.

Had I not taken this initiative and hoped for someone else to solve this issue, it would

be akin to deflecting an issue which I have the capability to solve. I also realized that I

must efficiently utilize my strength of being proactive, since it not only helps me, but

also the people around me. Such experiences leave me enlightened because I realize

the joy the real me receives when helping others.

3. What are my most deeply held values?

My most deeply held values are compassion, honesty, integrity and passion. These

values which I stand by play a pivotal role in forming a foundation for a life that

brings me happiness. They give me the ability to evaluate options and guide me

towards making the right choices.

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a. Where did they come from?

I have imbibed these values over the course of my life. My parents have played a

pivotal role when it comes to enshrining me with these values since childhood. My

values are a reflection of my upbringing.

b. Have my values changed significantly since childhood?

The core values I learnt in my childhood have kept evolving at every phase of my life.

I have walked out of each phase with my core values being reinforced with additional

learnings and insights. A plethora of incidents and experiences I faced in school,

college and in the workplace have helped me to build upon these values, and also

stand by and consult these values when it comes to taking informed decisions.

c. How do my values inform my actions?

My values play a major role in informing my actions. I will elaborate on how my

values have helped me to make a crucial decision during my life. After graduating

from Engineering College, I worked as a Software Developer in a multinational firm.

However I soon realized that my job wasn’t giving me a sense of fulfillment or

purpose, instead it left me drained. I realized that I had to stop following the crowd

and follow my passion in the field of Finance, rather than limit my prospects to

engineering related jobs just because I was an engineer. I stood by my values and

decided to make the switch to follow my passion. I took the audacious step of leaving

my job and started preparing for MBA entrance examinations, to pursue a career in

Finance. My efforts finally paid off when I got admission at a B-School as prestigious

as SBM, NMIMS Mumbai.

4. What motivates me extrinsically?

Working diligently so that I get gain recognition for the efforts I have put in motivates

me extrinsically. In my previous job as a software developer, the recognition and

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 rewards I would get from my team members and managers would incentivize me to

leave no stone unturned when it came to completing tasks assigned to me.

a. Also, introspect and throw light on your intrinsic motivations?

I perform a number of activities for intrinsic motivation, for the joy and satisfaction it

gives me. I love to go on midnight cycling tours and morning runs, not to lose weight,

but because I enjoy physically challenging my body. I also help in cleaning my house,

not to garner praise from my parents, but because a tidy space generates bliss. I also

take a keen interest in studying certain subjects, not with the intention of scoring the

highest marks and acing the subject, but because I am excited to learn new things, and

also learn the dynamics and nitty –gritty of it.

The internal satisfaction I get from performing these activities is enlightening, since it

creates and reinforces positive emotions within me. They give my life a sense of

purpose and progress. It can be applied to all aspects of life and is an effective way to

improve performance.

b. How do I balance my extrinsic and intrinsic motivations in life?

There should be a suitable balance between one’s extrinsic and intrinsic motivation.

The difficult part is finding that sweet spot which balances the two, so that you aren’t

swayed towards an extreme in either direction. Being a self motivated person, I am

more inclined towards intrinsic motivation since it gives me a sense of happiness and

fulfillment when I achieve my goals. It also rejuvenates my mind. However, having

said that I also make sure that there is a sufficient balance of extrinsic motivation in

order to maximize my potential. To give an example during my previous job, I made

it a habit to strike a suitable balance between my intrinsic and extrinsic motivations.

This ensured that I would be incentivized to work for recognition and reward from my

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team members, in addition to the contentment and peace of mind I would get from

performing my job

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 Section 2

Over the course of various experiences I have encountered in my life, I have realized that the

person who had the greatest impact is my elder cousin, Abhishek. He has been like a

mentor to me, guiding me whenever I have faced any adversity. Determination, empathy,

selflessness, moral integrity, conviction and honesty are only some of the traits he

possesses which make me look up to him as a father figure. I have shared a very jovial

relationship with him since the very beginning. This ensured that I did not hesitate to

approach him whenever I faced any hurdles in life and needed advice.

I will now elaborate on a few incidents in which my cousin Abhishek has demonstrated

authentic leadership, and the values showcased which motivated and inspired me the most.

When I was in school, I had a very hard time trying to learn swimming. No matter how hard I

tried, I couldn’t overcome my fear of swimming, in-spite of joining swimming classes.

Whenever I would venture into the swimming pool, sheer anxiety would cause my body to

freeze, resulting in panic. I tried various pieces of advice which my swimming instructor gave

me, but was unable to control my anxiety. I had all but given up on my aim of learning

swimming.

A while later while I was discussing this issue with my cousin Abhishek, he told me that he

too had encountered the same issue when he was learning swimming and it was a common

occurrence for many. He told me that in the coming summer vacations, he would himself

teach me to overcome the adversities I faced when it came to swimming. I was thrilled to be

coached by the cousin I admired and respected the most. Once the summer vacations started,

we would go to the club every morning for swimming. Keeping the various anxieties I had in

mind, my cousin started teaching me to swim in a gradual and progressive manner, unlike the

instructors which followed a one size fits all approach. He was very patient to ensure that I

was well versed with the basics before moving on to fully fledged swimming. He would also

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keep encouraging me by telling me instances of how he too was once very hesitant to enter

swimming pools and how after conquering his fears and anxieties, swimming has become

second nature to him. This kept motivating me to rise up stronger and vanquish the fears I

had in my mind.

Under his mentorship, I was incentivized to work harder towards achieving my goals. Soon, I

progressed from swimming in the shallow end of the pool with a float, to the deep end of the

pool, without a floatation device. Abhishek also taught me various breathing techniques in

order to control my heartbeat, thereby preventing any apprehensions I had swimming in the

deep end of the pool. He would swim beside me, guiding, motivating and giving me tips on

my swimming technique. As the days passed by, I realized that I had now conquered a large

chunk of my fear of swimming, owing to the determination my cousin had instilled in me.

What my previous swimming instructors were unable to do for months, my cousin had

managed to pull off in a matter of few weeks. I realized that no matter how intimidating a

task might be, under the right guidance and motivation, nothing is unachievable. My cousin

was a testament to this fact. I was also encouraged by my cousin to learn the techniques of

diving, now that I had learnt to swim without any hitch. My confidence levels kept

increasing. He first taught me to dive from a diving board which was a few feet above the

pool. I then gradually progressed to diving boards which were several feet above the pool.

My cousin kept guiding me to fine tune my techniques and I was getting better and better at

diving into the pool from great heights. From a time when I could barely venture into the

pool, I had now reached a stage where I was on the verge of mastering the art of diving.

My interest in swimming led me to participate in various swimming competitions in school.

However, I realized that during any swimming race, I would tend to fumble at the start of the

race, thereby costing me the top three positions. I tried very hard to decipher the reason

behind this momentary fumble at the start, but was unable to do so. I once again decided to

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approach my cousin and mentor, Abhishek as I was sure he would figure out a solution to

this. I started participating in mock races at the pool, with my cousin by my side. However, in

these mock races, I wouldn’t face any of the issues which I would during the actual race. My

cousin then told me that he would attend a swimming competition in which I would

participate in school, as a spectator in order to figure out what exactly was the issue I was

facing.

After attending one race, Abhishek was able to zero in on the issue which was costing me the

win. He said that whenever the gunshot would be triggered, indicating the start of the race,

the loud sound would cause me to momentarily flinch. This would disorient me and slow

down my start, thereby causing me to lag behind the rest of the participants in the race. These

few seconds lost at the start of the race would cost me the win. Just as he had helped me in

times of adversity during previous occasions, his ingenuity devised a method to overcome

this issue as well. He would tell me to stand on the diving board, the starting position of a

race. Thereafter he would clap two bricks against one another, mimicking the loud gunshot

sound, indicating the start of the race. He also made sure that he would slam both the brick

against each other while standing in close proximity to the diving board, to acclimatize me to

the loud sound. Initially I would flinch, but owing to the patience, perseverance and

motivation of my cousin, I soon became accustomed to the loud sound before diving into the

water to start the race. I realized that I now no longer flinch at loud sounds prior to the start of

a race and I was able to fully concentrate on my swimming technique. In addition to this he

also taught me to filter out all distractions prior to the start of a race to maintain a calm and

stable mind, oblivious to any sort of distraction which might impede my focus. From him, I

imbibed the quality of becoming self aware and disciplined in order to maintain focus on the

goal at hand.

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The qualities and techniques I had learnt from my cousin were reflected in subsequent

swimming competitions. I no longer flinched during the gunshot sounds at the start. I had

also mastered the art of filtering out distractions to maintain complete focus on reaching the

finish line as quickly as possible while maintaining proper technique and posture for

maximum efficiency. I was now placing in the top three positions in almost every swimming

competition, due to the guidance and leadership of my cousin who had managed to do what

nobody else could.

I will now elaborate on the second such instance involving Abhishek. In my early ears, I

would have trouble articulating my ideas to very large groups of people. I wouldn’t face any

such issues when speaking to small to moderate sized groups, but only large audiences.

Hence, I would be hesitant to participate in debates and elocution competitions. I decided that

the only way to overcome this issue would be to increase the number of such competitions I

would participate in. I resorted to this strategy and realized that the greater the competitions I

participated in, the lower my stage fright got. However, it had reached a point where I felt

that the confidence gain from each such event had plateaued and I needed someone to help

me breach this barrier. I once again turned to my cousin to seek help to overcome this

roadblock which I was facing. Abhishek was a skilled orator and had won many debates and

elocution competitions in his school. He was also the host of his school concert that year.

Despite his busy schedule, he took time out to train me to overcome this issue. He said that

just like me, back in the day, he too would be hesitant to participate in competitions involving

speaking to large audiences. But with the help of the motivation of his professor, he was able

to overcome the various mental hurdles he faced. And now, just as his professor mentored

him to achieve it, he would mentor me to vanquish my fears.

Just like he taught me to master the art of swimming by patiently teaching me to master the

basics, he did the same while teaching me public speaking. His diligence and guidance helped

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me to improve on my drawbacks. He would give me topics to speak on. I would get a few

minutes of preparation time and then speak as if I was delivering a speech in front of a large

audience. He would make notes of my speech and at the end would give me constructive

feedback on areas I could improve. He would also laud me for areas I was already strong at,

thereby motivating me to conquer my weak areas. The feedback I would receive from him

would be articulate. It would help me to introspect and use self-reflection to be aware of

myself and make the necessary changes to fine tune my speech delivery.

Another issue I faced was that while delivering speeches, the large number of people looking

at me would at times cause me to break into a sweat. This would result in me forgetting part

of my lines and fumble, thereby resulting in embarrassing situations. He taught me to

overcome this nervousness by using his experience to teach me breathing and other such

techniques, which would help me maintain my calm. He led me in such an efficient manner

that I was able to identify and fine-tune specific weak spots which were blind to me prior to

his intervention. I then started implementing his techniques in subsequent debates and

elocution competitions and realized that my fear of public speaking, although not completely

eliminated, was progressively declining. I was also able to make efficient use of the breathing

and focus techniques he taught me to filter out anxiety and distractions, and completely focus

on delivering my speech without any hurdles.

These are only two of various such instances which justify why I consider my elder cousin

Abhishek to be my real life-hero, since he has played a monumental role in shaping my

personality and the way in which I perceive and tackle problems. He has had such an impact,

that now whenever I face any roadblock in life, I use the skills I have imbibed from him to

overcome it, knowing that if one has true determination, nothing is impossible in life.

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 Section 3

5. What kind of support team do you have?

I have learnt that no matter how confident an individual is, he/she does require a support

team to provide guidance and perspective to ensure that he/she is on the right track. My

support team includes my two elder cousins, Abhishek and Akshaya. They have always

been by my side whenever I require their support. They have guided me during periods of

uncertainty and motivated me to rise above my adversities. The honest feedback I have

received from them has helped me to introspect and emerge a better version of myself.

a. How can your support team make you a more authentic leader?

Whenever I face any kind of adversity, I approach my support team and speak to them

about the issue I am facing. Because of the good rapport I have developed with them, I

am seamlessly able to articulate my feelings. They patiently listen to me and provide me

with constructive feedback and a perspective to the issue which helps me to get back on

the right track towards achieving my goal. My support team will accept me

unconditionally for the person I am. They will not hold back any truths, and the close

bonds developed will help me to identify and address any issues which hitherto were

oblivious to me. This mutually beneficial relationship has developed and bloomed over

time to such a point that I now do not even hesitate a bit to share any personal or

professional concerns I have with my support team, to get advice.

b. How should you diversify your team to broaden your perspective?

Diversification of your support team is a pivotal aspect to getting the most out of your

support team. A multifaceted support team ensures that there are new perspectives of

perceiving issues at hand. A diverse set of individuals perceive scenarios in different

manners, thereby providing you with a diverse outlook which helps you expand your

horizons. To make use of this, I plan on including my close friend from my previous job,

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 and my school friend, in addition to the team of my two family members. I believe that

since I also share a great rapport with my colleague from my previous job, and school

friend, including them in my support team will ensure that I will have a fortified support

team to help me wade through any storm.

6. Is your life integrated?

I believe my life is integrated to a certain extent; however, I need to make more efforts to

ensure that the degree of integration is enhanced in order to lead a grounded, integrated

life. This will guarantee to at least a certain extent to combine the various facets of my

professional and personal life which comprises family, friends, and community and work

so that I can be the same individual in all circumstances. I am also aware that integrating

my professional and personal life is one of the greatest feats I will ever encounter, and

one which I will have to work towards on a continuous basis.

a. Are you able to be the same person in all aspects of your life – personal, work,

family and community?

To a certain extent, I am the same person in all aspects of my life. However, when studied

minutely I have noticed that I behave in slightly different manners in each of the aspects –

personal, community, work and family.

b. If not, what is holding you back?

When I was working as a software engineer, I would tend to have a very busy schedule on

a daily basis. My entire day would revolve around a plethora of activities working

towards interacting with multiple teams, working on intensive project documentation and

ensuring quality deliverables to meet tight deadlines. I was so caught up in work that I

that I didn’t have time for personal and community life. I realized that my life had

reached such a point that the only thing I would tend to focus on was my professional life.

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 It had started to intrude into weekends as well. I was not able to give my whole self in the

moment and this had taken a huge toll.

To restore balance, I realized that I had to integrate the various aspects of my life and

devote time to each without hampering any one of them. I had to prevent my professional

life from overshadowing the other facets of my life if I wanted to maintain an integrated

self. This would entail bringing my entire self to work every day. I worked on becoming

more and more self-aware in order to unlock and utilize my fullest potential. I also

consulted my support team to help me with this issue and I was enlightened with their

advice, and given tips to help me on my path towards achieving an integrated life.

7. What does being authentic mean in your life?

To me, being authentic means embracing who I truly am, and conforming to my beliefs

and principles, without the fear of being judged by my family, peers and society. Being

authentic refers to knowing my genuine self, which includes my morals and values, and

the boundaries which I demarcate around my behavior, and the manner in which I allow

the actions of others to affect me.

a. Are you more effective as a leader when you behave authentically?

Yes, I do believe that I am more effective as a leader when I behave in an authentic

manner. Being authentic makes me true to myself. This translates into the people around

me being at ease since they will not doubt my integrity and my behavior will not be

unpredictable. In my opinion behaving authentically is essential to build, nurture and

foster healthy relationships, and identify and interact with likeminded individuals. Being

open minded is another important trait of behaving authentically since it exposes you to

new perspectives and ideas. Even if you do not agree with the viewpoint of the person

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 you are listening to, patiently listening to what he or she has to say in a manner free of

bias is essential to foster open mindedness.

b. Have you ever paid a price for your authenticity as a leader? Was it worth it?

Yes, I have paid the price for my authenticity as a leader. I will elaborate on an incident

which occurred when I was in junior college. In junior college, I was part of the treasury

department of a student committee. On one occasion, we had collected contributions from

the rest of our committee members to organize a field trip. Owing to our efficient

planning, we managed the trip with far less funds than were originally required. We had a

considerable amount left to spare. The rest of the members in the treasury department said

that since we had saved all this money, we should use it and organize a party restricted to

only the treasury department of a student committee, without informing the rest of the

members.

However, I was against this since it was unfair to use additional funds which everyone

had contributed to organize a party only for a select few, by keeping the rest of the

members in the dark. The rest of the treasury members disapproved of my denial to go

ahead with the party. However, I stood by my values and principles and calmly and

politely explained to them why resorting to such an act would be unethical, and the bad

precedent it would set for our juniors. There was a lot of heated discussion in which the

remaining members tried persuading me to change my stance. But I stood my ground and

in the end was able to solve the issue amicably. In the end we decided to include all the

members of the entire committee and organize a pizza party with the surplus funds.

Although some members of the treasury committee were indeed angry at me for not

permitting them to tread down that path particular path, I was proud of myself, for I had

refused to budge to the peer pressure and be complicit in an unethical act, which was

against my beliefs.

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8. What steps can you take today, tomorrow, and over the next year to develop your

authentic leadership? (use Annexure II, as enclosed)

Based on the various insightful learnings I have imbibed over this course I have decided

to incorporate a diverse set of steps to develop my authentic leadership model.

a. What do you need to do to become more effective as an authentic leader?

First and foremost, I need to become more self-aware. I need to know every aspect of

myself by incorporating self-awareness to mould myself into the best version of myself.

Adhering to my morals, beliefs and principles which will lead me to follow the ethically

right path will aid me in my quest to become a much more effective leader. I want to be

able to comprehend the impact that I have on people.

b. How do you plan to bridge this gap; describe your plan of action

I have charted out a plan of action to bridge this gap. One of the aspects that are of

principal importance on this path is that of continually requesting feedback from not only

my peers, but also family members and close friends. This is essential to identify and iron

out weaknesses, most of which might be oblivious to me. Formal as well as informal

feedback can do wonders to help me introspect and work on my drawbacks. I also plan to

improve on balancing my intrinsic and extrinsic motivations to maintain a fine balance

between the two. Improved interactions with my support team of cousins and close

friends will also help me to stay focused, owing to the continuous motivation and

constructive feedback I get from them. Moreover, gaining deeper insights into what I’m

passionate about will help me to channelize my energy into my passion, thereby

enhancing my leadership skills. I believe that a fortified foundation of my beliefs and

values system will enable me to hone the principles which I can utilize when it comes to

leading others.

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Sub-section A: Vision of self as a leader (upto 250 words):

My vision of self as a true leader is embracing who I truly am, and conforming to my

beliefs and principles, without the fear of being judged by my family, peers and society.

Knowing my genuine self, which include my morals and values, and the boundaries which

we demarcate around our behavior, and the manner in which we allow the actions of others

to affect us. This translates into the people around me being at ease since they will not

doubt my integrity and my behavior will not be unpredictable. Being open minded is

another important trait of behaving as a true leader, since it exposes you to new

perspectives and ideas. Even if you do not agree with the viewpoint of the person you are

listening to, patiently listening to what he or she has to say in a manner free of bias is

essential to foster open mindedness. My vision also includes combining the various facets

of my professional and personal life which comprises family, friends, and community and

work, so that I can be the same individual in all circumstances. I am also aware that

integrating my professional and personal life is one of the greatest feats I will ever

encounter, and one which I will have to work towards on a continuous basis.

Sub-section B: Objectives

I (Academic / Professional)
1. Get a Summer Internship at an equity research company
2. Complete Finance Certifications such as NCFM
3. Complete an Academic Project

II (Non-academic / Personal)
1. Climb Mount Kilimanjaro
2. Go for a midnight cycling tour with my colleagues, once the Covid crisis ends
3. Learn spear fishing

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Sub-section C: Plan of action:
Action Outcome By When Milestones
Today Tomorrow Over the So what will
(1 Month) (2 – 4 year be done to
months) (Rest of the start the
year) action?
Enhancing my Be By the end Increase the Take part in Volunteer Addressing
public confident of next frequency public to host large
speaking skills while year of class speaking events groups of
speaking to participation competitions which people to
large involve eliminate
audiences public stage fright
speaking
Enhancing my Ensure that Continual Working on Reading Analysing Being
authentic self I stick to basis constructive informative the benefits more self
on a my morals, feedback books, so of my aware and
continuous values and received that I can actions mindful of
basis beliefs self reflect my actions

Sub-section D: Constraints:
Constraints Strengths
Time Good listener
Mental blocks Diligent
Anxieties Open minded and receptive to diverse opinions
Empathy

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 Annexure

The following are a few of my journal entries:

What according to me is leadership? Where have I witnessed it being showcased?

Leadership is the ability of an individual to guide and motivate his team to achieve a vision.

There exists no clear cut profile of an ideal leader. You can learn from the experiences of

great leaders, but must never try to imitate them. One does not need to be born with certain

traits to be a leader. Discovering authentic leadership requires great commitment towards

developing oneself. Experiences of your life play a pivotal role in this discovery. When faced

with challenging situations such as personal illness or the untimely death of a loved one,

rather than think of themselves as victims, authentic leaders use these formative experiences

to rise above challenges. E.g Daniel Vassela of Novartis. There should also exist a balance

between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation.

I have seen it being displayed at every stage of my life. School, college, first job and even my

project group in NMIMS.

An ideal servant leader is

 Nurture talent and help in developing budding leaders in their team

 They listen to diverse opinions. They might not agree with a contrarian viewpoint, but

have the patience to listen to it.

 Consistently practice what they preach. Use self discipline to get results

 Create an inclusive environment of trust which enables every member to share his/her

ideas

 Solve disputes amicably

 Value constructive feedback and take efforts to redress them

21 | P a g e
  Never show signs of complacency

Establish long term meaningful relationships

Events that have molded my life. Challenges encountered which enhanced me

In school and college, certain subjects required us to create presentations on certain topics, in

groups. On the day of my first presentation, I was slightly nervous since it involved speaking

to a very large audience. Since it was my first time, while speaking I fumbled and even there

were moments where I blanked out due to sheer anxiety.

After this incident I realized that when I’m speaking to small groups I'm able to articulate my

ideas with ease, but when I'm asked to present to a large group of people, I tend to get

butterflies in my stomach.

I realized that this was an issue I had to get over. Thus I made it a point to take part/volunteer

for presentations and other such public speaking activities in order to conquer the fear of

public speaking. Soon after giving a handful of presentations on various occasions I realized

that although I had not completely overcome my fear, I had made great strides to reduce it.

Things I do to increase mindfulness?

Over my life, I have performed a variety of tasks to be mindful. These include meditation,

physical exercise, garnering feedback from peers and family members, forming support

teams. I also go on midnight cycling rides with my friends since it helps me to rejuvenate my

mind.

22 | P a g e
Learnings from my failures? How does it aid me in my growth?

My failures help me to introspect as they provide me to peek within. This gives me the ability

to address and fix my flaws in an iterative manner. Rather than feel sorry about my failures, I

look at them as learning experiences which give me a pathway to mould myself to achieve

my aim. Great leaders use challenges to mould themselves, rather than look at themselves as

the victim. The various examples discussed in class (Novartis Chairman Daniel Vasella,

Xerox Chairman and CEO Anne Mulcahy) had a profound impact on me as I was able to

connect with it.

A few of my limiting beliefs. What I do/have done to break these limiting beliefs

In my early years, I believed I could never overcome my fear of public speaking. I thought it

was something which was innate and I had to live with. However, I motivated myself to

overcome this issue by volunteering in presentations and also participating in debates and

elocution competitions. Although I have not overcome this issue, I believe I have made

progress in limiting the fears and anxieties I have regarding public speaking.

Who do I consider my support system?

I consider my two elder cousins as my support system. They have always been by my side

whenever I required their support. They have guided me during periods of uncertainty. The

constructive feedback received has helped me to iron out my flaws. My support team will

accept me unconditionally for the person I am. This mutually beneficial relationship has

developed over time to such a point that I now do not hesitate to speak to them about my

concerns, whenever I require help.

23 | P a g e
 Results of Johari Window Model

Solicits Feedback
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
5
Willingness to self-disclose/Gives

10 Open blind
15
20
feedback

25
30
35
40
45 hidden unknown
50

24 | P a g e
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Over the course of various experiences I have encountered in my life, I have realized that the person who had the
greatest impact is my elder cousin, Abhishek. He has been like a mentor to me, guiding me whenever I have faced any
adversity. Determination, empathy, selflessness, moral integrity, conviction and honesty are only some of the traits he
possesses which make me look up to him as a father figure. I have shared a very jovial relationship with him since the
very beginning. This ensured that I did not hesitate to approach him whenever I faced any hurdles in life and needed
advice.
I will now elaborate on a few incidents in which my cousin Abhishek has demonstrated authentic leadership, and the
values showcased which motivated and inspired me the most. When I was in school, I had a very hard time trying to
learn swimming. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t overcome my fear of swimming, in-spite of joining swimming
classes. Whenever I would venture into the swimming pool, sheer anxiety would cause my body to freeze, resulting in
panic. I tried various pieces of advice which my swimming instructor gave me, but was unable to control my anxiety. I
had all but given up on my aim of learning swimming.
A while later while I was discussing this issue with my cousin Abhishek, he told me that he too had encountered the
same issue when he was learning swimming and it was a common occurrence for many. He told me that in the coming
summer vacations, he would himself teach me to overcome the adversities I faced when it came to swimming. I was
thrilled to be coached by the cousin I admired and respected the most. Once the summer vacations started, we would
go to the club every morning for swimming. Keeping the various anxieties I had in mind, my cousin started teaching me
to swim in a gradual and progressive manner, unlike the instructors which followed a one size fits all approach. He was
very patient to ensure that I was well versed with the basics before moving on to fully fledged swimming. He would also
keep encouraging me by telling me instances of how he too was once very hesitant to enter swimming pools and how
after conquering his fears and anxieties, swimming has become second nature to him. This kept motivating me to rise
up stronger and vanquish the fears I had in my mind.
Under his mentorship, I was incentivized to work harder towards achieving my goals. Soon, I progressed from
swimming in the shallow end of the pool with a float, to the deep end of the pool, without a floatation device. Abhishek
also taught me various breathing techniques in order to control my heartbeat, thereby preventing any apprehensions I
had swimming in the deep end of the pool. He would swim beside me, guiding, motivating and giving me tips on my
swimming technique. As the days passed by, I realized that I had now conquered a large chunk of my fear of
swimming, owing to the determination my cousin had instilled in me.
What my previous swimming instructors were unable to do for months, my cousin had managed to pull off in a matter of
few weeks. I realized that no matter how intimidating a task might be, under the right guidance and motivation, nothing
is unachievable. My cousin was a testament to this fact. I was also encouraged by my cousin to learn the techniques of
diving, now that I had learnt to swim without any hitch. My confidence levels kept increasing. He first taught me to dive
from a diving board which was a few feet above the pool. I then gradually progressed to diving boards which were
several feet above the pool. My cousin kept guiding me to fine tune my techniques and I was getting better and better
at diving into the pool from great heights. From a time when I could barely venture into the pool, I had now reached a
stage where I was on the verge of mastering the art of diving.
My interest in swimming led me to participate in various swimming competitions in school. However, I realized that
during any swimming race, I would tend to fumble at the start of the race, thereby costing me the top three positions. I
tried very hard to decipher the reason behind this momentary fumble at the start, but was unable to do so. I once again
decided to approach my cousin and mentor, Abhishek as I was sure he would figure out a solution to this. I started Page
participating in mock races at the pool, with my cousin by my side. However, in these mock races, I wouldn’t face any of
the issues which I would during the actual race. My cousin then told me that he would attend a swimming competition in
which I would participate in school, as a spectator in order to figure out what exactly was the issue I was facing.
After attending one race, Abhishek was able to zero in on the issue which was costing me the win. He said that
whenever the gunshot would be triggered, indicating the start of the race, the loud sound would cause me to
momentarily flinch. This would disorient me and slow down my start, thereby causing me to lag behind the rest of the
participants in the race. These few seconds lost at the start of the race would cost me the win. Just as he had helped
me in times of adversity during previous occasions, his ingenuity devised a method to overcome this issue as well. He
would tell me to stand on the diving board, the starting position of a race. Thereafter he would clap two bricks against
one another, mimicking the loud gunshot sound, indicating the start of the race.

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He also made sure that he would slam both the brick against each other while standing in close proximity to the diving
board, to acclimatize me to the loud sound. Initially I would flinch, but owing to the patience, perseverance and
motivation of my cousin, I soon became accustomed to the loud sound before diving into the water to start the race. I
realized that I now no longer flinch at loud sounds prior to the start of a race and I was able to fully concentrate on my
swimming technique. In addition to this he also taught me to filter out all distractions prior to the start of a race to
maintain a calm and stable mind, oblivious to any sort of distraction which might impede my focus. From him, I imbibed
the quality of becoming self aware and disciplined in order to maintain focus on the goal at hand.
The qualities and techniques I had learnt from my cousin were reflected in subsequent swimming competitions. I no
longer flinched during the gunshot sounds at the start. I had also mastered the art of filtering out distractions to maintain
complete focus on reaching the finish line as quickly as possible while maintaining proper technique and posture for
maximum efficiency. I was now placing in the top three positions in almost every swimming competition, due to the
guidance and leadership of my cousin who had managed to do what nobody else could.
I will now elaborate on the second such instance involving Abhishek. In my early ears, I would have trouble articulating
my ideas to very large groups of people. I wouldn’t face any such issues when speaking to small to moderate sized
groups, but only large audiences. Hence, I would be hesitant to participate in debates and elocution competitions. I
decided that the only way to overcome this issue would be to increase the number of such competitions I would
participate in. I resorted to this strategy and realized that the greater the competitions I participated in, the lower my
stage fright got. However, it had reached a point where I felt that the confidence gain from each such event had
plateaued and I needed someone to help me breach this barrier. I once again turned to my cousin to seek help to
overcome this roadblock which I was facing. Abhishek was a skilled orator and had won many debates and elocution
competitions in his school. He was also the host of his school concert that year. Despite his busy schedule, he took
time out to train me to overcome this issue. He said that just like me, back in the day, he too would be hesitant to
participate in competitions involving speaking to large audiences. But with the help of the motivation of his professor, he
was able to overcome the various mental hurdles he faced. And now, just as his professor mentored him to achieve it,
he would mentor me to vanquish my fears.
Just like he taught me to master the art of swimming by patiently teaching me to master the basics, he did the same
while teaching me public speaking. His diligence and guidance helped me to improve on my drawbacks. He would give
me topics to speak on. I would get a few minutes of preparation time and then speak as if I was delivering a speech in
front of a large audience. He would make notes of my speech and at the end would give me constructive feedback on
areas I could improve. He would also laud me for areas I was already strong at, thereby motivating me to conquer my
weak areas. The feedback I would receive from him would be articulate. It would help me to introspect and use self-
reflection to be aware of myself and make the necessary changes to fine tune my speech delivery.
Another issue I faced was that while delivering speeches, the large number of people looking at me would at times
cause me to break into a sweat. This would result in me forgetting part of my lines and fumble, thereby resulting in
embarrassing situations. He taught me to overcome this nervousness by using his experience to teach me breathing
and other such techniques, which would help me maintain my calm. He led me in such an efficient manner that I was
able to identify and fine-tune specific weak spots which were blind to me prior to his intervention. I then started
implementing his techniques in subsequent debates and elocution competitions and realized that my fear of public
speaking, although not completely eliminated, was progressively declining. I was also able to make efficient use of the
 Page 2
breathing and focus techniques he taught me to filter out anxiety and distractions, and completely focus on delivering
my speech without any hurdles.
These are only two of various such instances which justify why I consider my elder cousin Abhishek to be my real life-
hero, since he has played a monumental role in shaping my personality and the way in which I perceive and tackle
problems. He has had such an impact, that now whenever I face any roadblock in life, I use the skills I have imbibed
from him to overcome it, knowing that if one has true determination, nothing is impossible in life.

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I have learnt that no matter how confident an individual is, he/she does require a support team to provide guidance and
perspective to ensure that he/she is on the right track. My support team includes my two elder cousins, Abhishek and
Akshaya. They have always been by my side whenever I require their support. They have guided me during periods of
uncertainty and motivated me to rise above my adversities. The honest feedback I have received from them has helped
me to introspect and emerge a better version of myself.
a. How can your support team make you a more authentic leader?
Whenever I face any kind of adversity, I approach my support team and speak to them about the issue I am facing.
Because of the good rapport I have developed with them, I am seamlessly able to articulate my feelings. They patiently
listen to me and provide me with constructive feedback and a perspective to the issue which helps me to get back on
the right track towards achieving my goal. My support team will accept me unconditionally for the person I am. They will
not hold back any truths, and the close bonds developed will help me to identify and address any issues which hitherto
were oblivious to me. This mutually beneficial relationship has developed and bloomed over time to such a point that I
now do not even hesitate a bit to share any personal or professional concerns I have with my support team, to get
advice.
b. How should you diversify your team to broaden your perspective?
Diversification of your support team is a pivotal aspect to getting the most out of your support team. A multifaceted
support team ensures that there are new perspectives of perceiving issues at hand. A diverse set of individuals
perceive scenarios in different manners, thereby providing you with a diverse outlook which helps you expand your
horizons. To make use of this, I plan on including my close friend from my previous job, and my school friend, in
addition to the team of my two family members. I believe that since I also share a great rapport with my colleague from
my previous job, and school friend, including them in my support team will ensure that I will have a fortified support
team to help me wade through any storm.
6. Is your life integrated?
I believe my life is integrated to a certain extent; however, I need to make more efforts to ensure that the degree of
integration is enhanced in order to lead a grounded, integrated life. This will guarantee to at least a certain extent to
combine the various facets of my professional and personal life which comprises family, friends, and community and
work so that I can be the same individual in all circumstances. I am also aware that integrating my professional and
personal life is one of the greatest feats I will ever encounter, and one which I will have to work towards on a continuous
basis.
a. Are you able to be the same person in all aspects of your life – personal, work, family and community?
To a certain extent, I am the same person in all aspects of my life. However, when studied minutely I have noticed that I
behave in slightly different manners in each of the aspects – personal, community, work and family.
b. If not, what is holding you back?
When I was working as a software engineer, I would tend to have a very busy schedule on a daily basis. My entire day
would revolve around a plethora of activities working towards interacting with multiple teams, working on intensive
project documentation and ensuring quality deliverables to meet tight deadlines. I was so caught up in work that I that I
didn’t have time for personal and community life. I realized that my life had reached such a point that the only thing I
would tend to focus on was my professional life. It had started to intrude into weekends as well. I was not able to give
my whole self in the moment and this had taken a huge toll.
To restore balance, I realized that I had to integrate the various aspects of my life and devote time to each without Page 2
hampering any one of them. I had to prevent my professional life from overshadowing the other facets of my life if I
wanted to maintain an integrated self. This would entail bringing my entire self to work every day. I worked on becoming
more and more self-aware in order to unlock and utilize my fullest potential. I also consulted my support team to help
me with this issue and I was enlightened with their advice, and given tips to help me on my path towards achieving an
integrated life.
To me, being authentic means embracing who I truly am, and conforming to my beliefs and principles, without the fear
of being judged by my family, peers and society. Being authentic refers to knowing my genuine self, which includes my
morals and values, and the boundaries which I demarcate around my behavior, and the manner in which I allow the
actions of others to affect me.
a. Are you more effective as a leader when you behave authentically?
Yes, I do believe that I am more effective as a leader when I behave in an authentic manner. Being authentic makes me
true to myself. This translates into the people around me being at ease since they will not doubt my integrity and my
behavior will not be unpredictable. In my opinion behaving authentically is essential to build, nurture and foster healthy
relationships, and identify and interact with likeminded individuals. Being open minded is another important trait of
behaving authentically since it exposes you to new perspectives and ideas.

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Even if you do not agree with the viewpoint of the person you are listening to, patiently listening to what he or she has
to say in a manner free of bias is essential to foster open mindedness.
b. Have you ever paid a price for your authenticity as a leader? Was it worth it?
Yes, I have paid the price for my authenticity as a leader. I will elaborate on an incident which occurred when I was in
junior college. In junior college, I was part of the treasury department of a student committee. On one occasion, we had
collected contributions from the rest of our committee members to organize a field trip. Owing to our efficient planning,
we managed the trip with far less funds than were originally required. We had a considerable amount left to spare. The
rest of the members in the treasury department said that since we had saved all this money, we should use it and
organize a party restricted to only the treasury department of a student committee, without informing the rest of the
members.
However, I was against this since it was unfair to use additional funds which everyone had contributed to organize a
party only for a select few, by keeping the rest of the members in the dark. The rest of the treasury members
disapproved of my denial to go ahead with the party. However, I stood by my values and principles and calmly and
politely explained to them why resorting to such an act would be unethical, and the bad precedent it would set for our
juniors. There was a lot of heated discussion in which the remaining members tried persuading me to change my
stance. But I stood my ground and in the end was able to solve the issue amicably. In the end we decided to include all
the members of the entire committee and organize a pizza party with the surplus funds. Although some members of the
treasury committee were indeed angry at me for not permitting them to tread down that path particular path, I was
proud of myself, for I had refused to budge to the peer pressure and be complicit in an unethical act, which was against
my beliefs.
8. What are the steps you can take up today, tomorrow, and over the next year to develop your authentic leadership?
Based on the various insightful learnings I have imbibed over this course I have decided to incorporate a diverse set of
steps to develop my authentic leadership model.
a. What do you need to do to become more effective as an authentic leader?
First and foremost, I need to become more self-aware. I need to know every aspect of myself by incorporating self-
awareness to mould myself into the best version of myself. Adhering to my morals, beliefs and principles which will lead
me to follow the ethically right path will aid me in my quest to become a much more effective leader. I want to be able to
comprehend the impact that I have on people.
b. How do you plan to bridge this gap; describe your plan of action
I have charted out a plan of action to bridge this gap. One of the aspects that are of principal importance on this path is
that of continually requesting feedback from not only my peers, but also family members and close friends. This is
essential to identify and iron out weaknesses, most of which might be oblivious to me. Formal as well as informal
feedback can do wonders to help me introspect and work on my drawbacks. I also plan to improve on balancing my
intrinsic and extrinsic motivations to maintain a fine balance between the two. Improved interactions with my support
team of cousins and close friends will also help me to stay focused, owing to the continuous motivation and
constructive feedback I get from them. Moreover, gaining deeper insights into what I’m passionate about will help me to
channelize my energy into my passion, thereby enhancing my leadership skills. I believe that a fortified foundation of
my beliefs and values system will enable me to hone the principles which I can utilize when it comes to leading others.
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