Last week,
I was invited as a speaker at the inaugural session of the MBA/MCA division of
Aurora PG College. Though I love interacting with students and every such
occasion is memorable, this event got firmly etched in my mind and I am sure it
will remain for a long while. Every encounter with academicians and students is
a learning experience and this one was no exception.
I was
completely mesmerized by the students that day. The first pleasant shock was
the colourful ambience and the vibrant energy. In the days of the westernized
influence, it was heartening to see the rangolis and the colourful traditional
attire of the seniors. My co-guests included two senior professors, one from
Osmania University and another from Institute of Public Enterprise. Prof. M.L.
Sai kumar, from IPE was a very experienced intellectual. He put the mike aside,
got down from the podium and walked into the midst of the audience. He was very
comfortable talking to them at close quarters and immediately put the crowd at
ease. With his Sanskrit slokas and a very simple approach of how to study, he
won the hearts of the students. At the end of his speech he asked for two
volunteers – one girl and one boy. A boy immediately walked up and the girl
needed a little prompting. The two students were asked to wait on the stage
while I completed my speech.
I had fun
talking to them about the need for a goal in life, dreaming about it and then
working towards it. I also spoke about the qualities needed for a good manager
and how they can develop these qualities. At the end of my speech, Prof. Sai
kumar asked the two students to summarize the speeches of the three speakers. I
thought these students are in trouble and must have been cursing themselves for
volunteering. The girl spoke first and succinctly summarized the contents of
the three speakers. It was amazing to hear her recollecting the words(mind you
she did not have any notes in her hand) and as we were getting over the shock,
the boy started speaking. He had so much energy that the entire hall
reverberated with his words. Not only did he present the voice of the new
batch, but he also shared a few quotes along with recollecting our speeches and
the takeaways. Prof Sai kumar was so impressed that he spontaneously gave both
of them cash awards. If this is voice of the current batch, then I am sure that
they are well charged up to imbibe all the knowledge that will be imparted over
the next two-three years and they will be successful in their careers.
This
incident reminded me of the words of my mentors “Responsibility is never given,
it is taken” and “It is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission”. Risks
need to be taken in life, and it is only those who can take risks and learn
from the mistakes, who will be successful.
