How learning from everyday life can shape you into a successful leader

Vikram Talwar, founder, EXL Services

Self-help bestsellers hadn't become the rage they are today back in the 70s, and so ex-banker-turned-entrepreneur Vikram Talwar relied on experience and home for inspiration. "The biggest lesson I learnt as a young man: How to work with people. Both of my parents worked when I was growing up, which was rare in India at that time. I learnt by their example— how to deal with co-workers in a way that is real and natural." Since there is no mathematical formula to dealing with people, mistakes are bound to be committed. But with those mistakes are lesson learnt.

"They also guide you to being happier at work."

A hot shot banker at 25, arrogance almost came with the job. "It was easy to be reckless." It is easy to get distracted and lose patience and purpose in your goals. As successes built up for Vikram, he noted that being humble was central to winning in life. Later when he went from being a banker to an entrepreneur, took risks and built a business, such early learnings from his banking career went a long way in supporting his growth.

Adi Godrej

Source: Reuters

His mom Jai Godrej was a big influence in Adi's desire to see the world and encouraged him. "My mom was an educationist and she was very encouraging. That was key to building my confidence and independence." Adi's mother put him on a tight budget early in his life to manage his everyday affairs. As a teenager, Adi convinced his mother to let him travel throughout India by train in the early 1950s. Trains back then were the transport of choice and as Adi recalls, a great equalizer of society. Although the trains themselves were segregated into different classes, the upper class tickets were so expensive at the time that only the elite in India could afford them. Although Adi clearly belonged to this privileged group, he took his mom's advice and always travelled third class. This was to stay within the budget to manage his expenses that his mother had put him on. "I used to always travel third class. I would try and draw in friends on such trips to make it fun." But in this budgeting were born Adi's early business lessons on how to watch costs and where to cull indulgence. "It brought me a great sense of planning and behavior." This managing of expenses also helped him while away in America where he went to pursue his further studies.

Zia Mody

Zia Mody knew she would have to work for becoming a lawyer. She evokes the scenes of her early days. "We had no frills. We had to dress up soberly and know our place, so to speak. And arguing or trying to open your mouth in a courtroom when there were almost 99% men—this is how things were. I would wonder if I was making a fool of myself and always being paranoid if I had missed a case the night before. So yes, our time was very different. But in a way this was very good for confidence building. If my facts were with me and my law was with me, I was good." These early lessons and style of working prepared Zia for anything even as matters and deals changed for India Inc and companies went big on cross border deals.

Today, this woman of steel is known as much for her impressive acumen in corporate law as for her leadership qualities. She is admired for the proclivity in breaking new ground. Along this lawful journey, Zia is also redefining ways in which legal profession engages with women who are often forced to balance body clock, business, and life at home. Growing up, Zia got interested in her father's occupation. What was it like to be Soli Sorabjee's daughter in his profession, I asked her. "I didn't have the constant shadow of daddy over me, yet he was just a phone call away. I obviously benefited from his reputation. People sometimes may have given me chances because I was his daughter, but people can only give you one or two chances and not the third and the fourth." And that's why Zia remains very confident and proud of her achievements. Zia started a small proprietorship called Chambers of Zia Mody around 1995 with a few lawyers. Later it transformed into what's a most successful AZB & Partners.