Learning from Your Life Story

MGMT 614 Short Writing Assignment #1 Learning From Your Life Story Aashima Mutneja Gamma 5 Date of Submission: 22nd Jan, 2013 A. Think back over all of the leadership experiences in your lifetime. Choose the leadership experience of which you are the proudest. In this exercise, put yourself back in that time and describe it as if it were happening to you right now. Describe your proudest leadership experience, starting with the specific events. Consider the following questions in your description: What happened? What was the history or climate of the organization/group you were in?

What triggered the experience? What caused you to step up and lead? What was the outcome? What changed in the people in the organization as a result? How did you feel… Before stepping up to lead? When you first stepped up to lead? When facing the challenges of the situation? After the results were in? (Do not limit yourself on space for this section. ) Proudest Leadership Experience I graduated from the University of Mumbai in 2009 with a lucrative job offer as a financial trainee for one of the leading financial software companies in India.

Additionally, I was fortunate that few of my close friends were going to join the firm along with me. However, few weeks before our official start we were notified of an indefinite deferment in our joining date. Most of us were finance enthusiasts and were disheartened at this development. We faced a series of disappointments as we tried to find a financial position at the peak of the financial crisis with no prior finance experience or education. Most of us eventually joined jobs related to our major in industrial engineering. However not being able to switch to finance added a lot of dissatisfaction in our current roles.

My key strength, as pointed to me by the MBA program is restorative which means to have an innate knack of solving problems quickly and efficiently. I couldn’t agree more with this analysis and true to my nature I quickly started gathering and analyzing information related to careers in finance. I reached out to industry professionals and understood that the most desired qualification for finance professionals was a CFA charter. This answered my question on how to break into the field of finance. A CFA certification required passing three extremely difficult examinations, which meant grueling late night studying.

I understood that the process would be highly stressful and hence decided to form a study group to ensure that there was a level of discipline, focus and support as we decided to endure this demanding journey. My next challenge was to convince people to get on board. My first choice was to approach my finance oriented friends. As expected, most of them were uncertain about the time and commitment required for this examination. The plan was to finish each level within six months as opposed to 12 months suggested by the program.

I understood their apprehensions and tried to address all their questions and concerns patiently. To convince them to agree to give the CFA, I knew I would have to show them the benefits of holding a CFA charter. So I arranged a meeting with one of the CFA charter holders who got us excited about CFA and we started our journey towards a charter. My next challenge was to bring discipline and a routine to our studies. Exhausted after long hours of work, I kept the enthusiasm high by reminding them about the final result or simply by taking more frequent coffee breaks.

Even though we finally established a routine, the frustration of studying and working together was taking a toll on all of us. Compromising on time with family and friends, missing out on our favorite activities including watching our favorite games, made us question if it was even worth it. At that time the only question I asked to myself was if not finance than what? I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else, I was confident that this was the career option that best fit my interests and skills. I felt that my nner drive and perseverance was an inspiration to my friends and we fed of each other’s energy to carry forward. After twelve months of extreme hard work, we cleared two levels of the CFA examination as planned and the final third level twelve months after that. Fortunately, after completing two level of CFA all of us were able to secure a respectable job within the financial services space. I did not receive an award for it and maybe it did not make a difference to anyone else’s life. However I had the determination and focus to make a difference to my life.

I could lead change within me and those around me. It has been one of the most difficult and challenging phase of my life but I have also felt the most driven and alive in those moments of struggle. This was my first real experience with leading others and me towards a goal. B. What things did you just learn about your leadership as you told that story? 1. Accountability 2. Patience 3. Self-discipline C. What leadership qualities did you bring to that leadership experience? 1. Determination 2. Patience 3. Focus 4. Initiative 5. Passion D.

How did those qualities contribute to the outcome? Link an outcome to each of the qualities you listed above. Leadership Quality| Its Effect on the Outcome| 1. Determination| It helped me to stay focused on the goal during difficult times| 2. Patience| It helped me to adjust with different personalities and try to understand their perspective while trying to achieve an outcome in a team setting. | 3. Focus| It helped me rise above a disheartening situation and start developing the action plan to achieve my goal. | 4. Initiative| It helped me take actions to change he current state of affairs for the better and encourage guide other people to do the same. | 5. Passion| It helped me be determined and focused during difficult times and also made the entire process enjoyable and the final outcome worth the effort. | E. Now, be your own mentor. Turn back to the story again and look at it from the perspective of what you know now. If you were mentoring yourself at that time, what advice would you give? Mentoring Advice In retrospect, I would advise myself to be more composed as I work towards my goals.

I was focused and determined but compromised on my lifestyle, which I feel would not be sustainable in the long run. Having spent twelve months under constant stress and pressure made me lose sight of the bigger picture and made me a more paranoid person in general. I heard time and again during those trying times to “take it easy” as it was not the end of the world, while I would advise myself to stress myself too much, I would not like to have a “take it easy” attitude. I struggle to find the right balance of working and relaxation; a key component of a happy and successful life.