Travails of returns - Part 17

My 17th in a series documenting traits to start a business in India, and how we tackled them early at @OfBusiness and @Oxyzo.

I remember when I was a young upstart in Cuttack ‘93, I had moved from a fairly low school in the town to a more recognized one (SCB Medical Public School), my maths teacher, on my very first day, asked me where I was from. On hearing where I’d came from, he blessed me good luck on passing the exams. I don’t remember what happened to me then exactly but some latent energy drove me then on. 3 years later, I topped the school.

A few years later my mother was taking us for a stroll in Ravenshaw College. She (a distinguished alum of the college) took me around its lawns and asked me to breathe in the fresh air as I may not make it there. Admissions were tough and seats were less. I ended up being the same like at school.

Same happened to me later in my academic and professional careers too. Not being boastful, I am pretty sure that many of us have had such challenges that drove them, early in their journeys. The best stories I remember reading on the subject are Ferrari challenging Lamborghini in ’63, Tony Greig challenging the West Indians in the mid ‘70s and Edison challenging Tesla before the war of the currents in the late 1800s.

From all these, I have learnt but just one thing. That when on the field, all advantages go away, everyone starts from ground zero and only the performances thereafter speak. And when you are equal, a wounded or a poked tiger can be hungrier than the rest.

This is a lesson that I believe is true for all start-ups institutionally and for us working in start-ups. There will be challenges thrown from all sides, both at the institution and on the people within it. You will be told you are wrong, you are not good enough, you just don’t have what it takes. But how we overcome them by drawing out that latent energy is key.

In our times, we have seen that institutionally, there are 4 traits which make people draw that latent energy better.

1st is a risk-free culture. A junior can challenge a senior, people can do that across functions and geographies. People can do at any time or place they desire. They wont be charged.

2nd is a culture of positive challenges. Not meant to be thrown out in malice. And recognizing any trendline when the person challenged is trending upwards.

3rd is that the challenged person should not feel/ be left alone. He should know that the company is by his side as he attempts to win the challenge. In all respects.

4th is how we practice at the top. How the top management reacts cascades fastest.

#lifeatofbusiness
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