The Philosopher’s Corner

This Month’s Philosopher: Ankit Mahadevia, WG'08  
To learn more about Ankit, click here.

 

LIFE LESSONS

If I knew then what I know now, I would have...

tried a lot less to over-engineer a long-term career path. The reality is that each of us know a lot less than we think about how we will grow as people, how we do our best work, and what will be the best use of our talents. Trying to predict and plan all of this takes energy and mindshare from the contributions we can make today.

If I knew then what I know now, I would NOT have...

tried so much as an introvert to fit into the extroverted personality mold that I thought was expected of me as an emerging leader. We think of extroverts when we think of leadership, and the well-meaning advice I had gotten over the years was to “get out there” and “speak up more.” Once I started focusing more on authenticity and less on conforming to that norm, I began to see the results as a leader that I had been hoping for and that my constituents expected of me. People ultimately respond to others who are what they say they are and do what they say they will do.


FAVORITE QUOTES

  1. “Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway.”
    ~ Mother Teresa
  2. “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.”
    ~ Sun Tzu
  3. The reason there's no modern-day Shakespeare is because he didn't have anything to do except sit in a room with a candle and think.
    ~ Chris Cornell


RECOMMENDED READING 

  1. Antifragile: Things That Gain From Disorder (Incerto) by Nassim Nicholas Taleb – The idea that rare but transformative events shape our world has given me a new lens into work and life.
  2. The Cure by Geeta Anand – captures the inspiration of bringing new medicines to patients
  3. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius – offers a frame of mind for all of the twists and turns within a growing organization
  4. Quiet by Susan Cain - helped me understand the “why” of why introverts are who they are
  5. Quiet Leader Loud Results: How Quiet Leaders Drive Outcomes that Speak for Themselves by Ankit Mahadevia - I hope it helps fellow introverts be effective and still be true to themselves. 


Contact Ankit at: [email protected]