No Filters — Amazing people whom I met in my Career Journey

Dec 4th 2000 — I was still a student, selected as an intern to Siemens health care. Being the first day at a big corporate office, I was truly thrilled. The only other time I had been to a corporate was when I visited Infosys campus for industrial visit during the final year of studies.

I had arrived at HR Longue early in the morning and I had finished all my joining formalities on time by 9 AM. I was told to go to a different floor to meet my project sponsor. I was informed that he is in meeting and asked to wait . I got seated on a couch In front of a meeting room (for me, it then looked like a closed room) where people continued to move in an out. Some wondered who this little girl was, as time went by some had sympathy on face, some curious eyes, some wanted to get into a conversation but hesitated. Also, as time went by my enthusiasm also started fading slowly. At around 1:00 PM some one comes out of a cabin nearby and asked me whom am I waiting for. I told my story and he said “hmm, Come with me”. I followed him, he made some calls and within minutes my project sponsor was changed, I met my new project sponsor and he has introduced me to the team and the day has started for me. I wondered who the person was ,who met me and made some quick actions to ease out a new joiner like me. I asked someone whom I met later in the evening “who is the person who is sitting in that Cabin”(I know all vague descriptions but that was what I knew at that time). He said “oh you don’t know that’s our Global head for Health care”. I was heavily impressed by his concerns to a fresher like me !

That day, I have learned my first leadership lesson from him “Empathy — be genuinely interested”. You will not only gain excellent people to work under your vision but also their hearts and commitment. I had practiced this value always in my career to listen and be connected to all. Hierarchy never mattered to me. I have learned many more lessons from him as I have worked in different projects at Siemens. And it may not be pure coincidence that I have left Siemens after he has moved out of the organization.

#No Filters#1 — Empathy, Be Genuinely Interested