Employee development is something that BankBazaar takes very seriously. And to help its employees connect with its management team and gain insights from, the company regularly hosts ‘Leadership Initiated Development’ sessions also known as ‘LID Talks’.
In the most recent ‘LID Talk’, BankBazaar CEO Adhil Shetty spoke about what a person can do to be the best version of themselves, giving real examples drawn from his own experiences. Here’s what he had to say.
Be prepared, keep things structured
Adhil started his talk by telling us a little bit about his recent interaction with Prime Minister Modi at the Champions of Change conference hosted by Niti Aayog. Here, the PM spoke about using technology, like Aadhaar (which aims at preventing the wastage of subsidies) and online tender bidding (instead of using paper) to solve difficult problems in India – not too far away from what BankBazaar is doing in the financial services space. The key takeaway from this interaction was that the Prime Minister came to the conference with a certain point to make. He came prepared and with a structured agenda. Irrespective of whether it was a 5-person discussion or a widely televised broadcast, the same structure held throughout. He also observed that the Prime Minister was a good listener and was physically fit. We could all learn a thing or two from our Prime Minister.
Additional Reading: The Aadhaar Ecosystem And IT
Be positive
Adhil moved on to the second point he wanted to share which was to be positive. He drew on examples from his work to drive this point home. He said that when BankBazaar was first conceptualised, the founders had the vision to build a successful company that would take financial services to the next level. Although it was easy to give in to the idea that something like this was not possible and difficult to do, Adhil had a clear sense of ‘we can do it’ and that was the first step. Before anything else, being positive is what’s important. Today, that positive attitude has paid off with transactions on BankBazaar becoming unit economic positive in March 2017!
Another example he used was when he spoke about BankBazaar providing its customers with a completely paperless application process when they applied for a financial product like a loan or Credit Card or invested in Mutual Funds. For a country that relies heavily on paper documentation, the idea that loans and other financial products could be processed online without any physical documentation seemed quite an ambitious one. Our CEO never stopped being positive and it has paid off! Today, all you have to do is log on to the BankBazaar website, pick a partner that provides you with a paperless application process for a loan or Credit Card, and enjoy a completely paperless experience. All this from the comfort of your home.
Additional Reading: BankBazaar Goes Paperless! Get Loans In A Day
Be solution oriented
There are always going to be challenges in a person’s life. When you’re single, there are challenges. When you’re married, there are challenges. When you’re being recognised at work, when you aren’t being recognised – this list goes on. According to Adhil, the important thing to remember is that whatever your situation, whatever your circumstances, it’s important to be solution oriented. Nothing can change what has already happened so the best thing to do is to find the way forward with a solution.
For example, for Adhil, with all the travelling he was required to do as CEO of BankBazaar, going to the gym started to become difficult, if not impossible. Rather than bemoan his lot, he tried to think of a solution and hit upon the idea of running instead. He could carry his running shoes with him anywhere he went. A simple, positive solution to a problem.
Another work-related example was with respect to a prospective investor for the company. Unfortunately, the deal fell through at the last minute. But, rather than complain or worry about it, the BankBazaar team brainstormed to find a solution. Soon enough, Amazon came on as an investor and the rest, as they say, is history. So, the question we need to ask ourselves is, are we problem solvers or complainers?
Give it your best shot
The final example that Adhil shared with us was advice that he got from his boss at his first job. His boss told him that whatever he decided to do, he should give it his best shot or he would never stand out. This is the same advice that Adhil passed on to us. Attitude makes all the difference. We don’t know the future but we do know the present. And right now, if you’ve signed up to do something, do it to the best of your ability.
To prepare for a great future is to be the best at whatever you’re doing today.
Adhil ended by giving us a little insight into what he’s currently doing to be the best version of himself. He said that he spoke to his colleagues to find out what he could do to improve himself. The feedback he got was that he could be a little more humorous. He pointed out that the one thing he remembered about people he admired was that they always made the people around them laugh. This is something he’s working on!
The session ended with questions from the audience and a few closing words from BankBazaar’s General Counsel & Head of Compliance Parag Mathur and Chief Delivery Officer Iype Isac.
It was a great session overall which left the audience feeling inspired and introspective, ready to be the best version of themselves that they possibly could be.
Want to know more about Adhil and how he and the other co-founders started BankBazaar? Read this – A Leap Of Faith That Paid Off