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I am currently a final year student and have been the Vice President of the Commerce Society, Kirori Mal College for this year (2019-2020). At the Commerce Society, we’ve always endured to work towards delivering value to the people we interact with whether it be through the seminars/workshops we conduct, the competitions we ideate and design, or the information we share.
As the Vice-President, I have been responsible for ensuring the coordination between all the departments in our society and to keep a check on whether we were moving forward to accomplishing the goals that we’ve set whether (it be preparing for an event or imparting knowledge).
As the Vice-President, I have been responsible for ensuring the coordination between all the departments in our society and to keep a check on whether we were moving forward to accomplishing the goals that we’ve set whether (it be preparing for an event or imparting knowledge).
One, important responsibility that comes with this position is stakeholder management i.e. acting as a point communicating with all concerned stakeholders of the society (teachers, administration, members, students, participants, speakers, etc.). Another important role I’d like to emphasize on, as I believe it is important for any leader, was to build and cultivate both formal and informal relations in the organization, and keep a proper balance between. It is only then that we can work more effectively and harmoniously as a team.
2. How can we encourage more young students such as yourself to take up a leadership role?
As students, the one thing that all of us yearn for is to grow and become a better version of ourselves. While being a part of an organization or to working upon a project (academic or otherwise) has its benefits and learnings; working towards achieving a leadership role and then taking it up and working on it has a completely different learning curve and one which is equally important.
Every person is unique and has a different perspective, vision, and working style. When you achieve a leadership role after significant efforts or when you are leading a cause, it provides you the platform to work towards bringing your vision to life, while aligning it with the objectives of the organization/cause that you are a part of. It gives you the platform to experiment, but also teaches you about managing the risk and to be prepared for any circumstance.
The learning curve of a leadership role (which can be even leading a small team to carry out a one-time task/an academic assignment) is endless. It helps broaden your horizon and makes you aware of the big picture. It pushes you to juggle between doing your work and also handling the work of the team you are leading. It teaches you the importance of coordination and maintaining harmonious relations. It pushes you to become more open-minded, more receptive, which is perhaps one of the best traits one should possess to 'grow'. Most importantly, it teaches you to adapt and understand about the power of articulation.
Every person is unique and has a different perspective, vision, and working style. When you achieve a leadership role after significant efforts or when you are leading a cause, it provides you the platform to work towards bringing your vision to life, while aligning it with the objectives of the organization/cause that you are a part of. It gives you the platform to experiment, but also teaches you about managing the risk and to be prepared for any circumstance.
The learning curve of a leadership role (which can be even leading a small team to carry out a one-time task/an academic assignment) is endless. It helps broaden your horizon and makes you aware of the big picture. It pushes you to juggle between doing your work and also handling the work of the team you are leading. It teaches you the importance of coordination and maintaining harmonious relations. It pushes you to become more open-minded, more receptive, which is perhaps one of the best traits one should possess to 'grow'. Most importantly, it teaches you to adapt and understand about the power of articulation.
3. What have been your biggest challenges and learning from what you do?
During my tenure at the society, there are several hurdles that I’ve come across, and finding a way to overcome them has only helped me to grow. In terms of my role, a major challenge that I have, or perhaps any leader faces is it to make decisions, while keeping in mind the organization's objective, but also trying to incorporate the views of the others (who are directly concerned with the decision) on board. I’ve always found that the best way to reach a good decision is to have a discourse on the pros and cons, talk over it, listen to everyone’s perspective, think about them and then conclude. This definitely helps to reach a better conclusion and also teaches you to think from other perspectives. Although, this depends given the circumstances.
My biggest learning has been that you shouldn’t shy away from new ideas, from the fear of failure. Always have a backup plan, but if you have a new idea or maybe an improvement on the prior method, give it a shot. Unless you don't try, how will you grow? In fact, I think even ‘failure’ at times is a learning for the future and a path to ‘grow’.
My biggest learning has been that you shouldn’t shy away from new ideas, from the fear of failure. Always have a backup plan, but if you have a new idea or maybe an improvement on the prior method, give it a shot. Unless you don't try, how will you grow? In fact, I think even ‘failure’ at times is a learning for the future and a path to ‘grow’.
4. What are your career goals and how is what you are doing is going to help you with that?
I am currently working towards pursuing a career in finance / consulting in the long term. From my time at the society, I have developed several transferable skills and have built a confidence that I can face any challenge/hurdle head-on. Working at the society has given me the opportunity to network not only with students in my college but with students across the DU circuit and helped me develop my communication skills.
Working for years, with different teams, has made me a better team player. These are skills I believe that no matter whatever profession you pursue, are always going to be there to help you out. Apart from that, it has also developed in me discipline for work and improved upon my ideation skills.
5. What's your message to encourage students to do internships and attend conferences?
College life is the time when students have the freedom and the liberty to do different things. But, as one of my seniors says, “Freedom comes with Responsibility”. You cannot just while away your free time, rather you should make the best use of it to explore, experiment, and learn new things. While working towards your goal / becoming self-aware is essential but the time to explore at college is also to experiment, to learn things you might never have (eg. Graphic designing), and to more holistically develop yourself.
Conferences and Internships provide you just the right platform to help explore yourself and to grow. Conferences help provide you hints that lead you towards the right direction while internships give you that hint of practical exposure you need, to get a deeper and better understanding of not only the work involved but also about organization cultures, and eventually help you discover a little more about yourself.
Apart from the knowledge, the most important thing for which I stress upon the fact of attending conferences and internships is ‘networking’. There is no better way to learn and grow, than to network. Interacting with people from different backgrounds, cultures, and mindsets, exposes you to a wide pool of perspectives, and this only helps you to widen your knowledge, develop your connections and most importantly, improve your ‘communication skills’.
Conferences and Internships provide you just the right platform to help explore yourself and to grow. Conferences help provide you hints that lead you towards the right direction while internships give you that hint of practical exposure you need, to get a deeper and better understanding of not only the work involved but also about organization cultures, and eventually help you discover a little more about yourself.
Apart from the knowledge, the most important thing for which I stress upon the fact of attending conferences and internships is ‘networking’. There is no better way to learn and grow, than to network. Interacting with people from different backgrounds, cultures, and mindsets, exposes you to a wide pool of perspectives, and this only helps you to widen your knowledge, develop your connections and most importantly, improve your ‘communication skills’.
- Nayan Nahata
Interview by - Gurleen Kaur
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