Why Mentorship Matters In Career Growth

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Today on the podcast, I’m answering your question about career growth. So if you’re a professional looking for ways and means to grow, then today’s podcast episode is for you. But I also think that the way this episode will go, I think, even if you’re not a professional, and let’s say you have some other challenges you have got going, I think you will get some value from this. So I got a question A while ago, from someone asking about growing up the career ladder and going from an individual contributor to a CTO, like the highest position on that ladder. I get that question. Some different variations of the question, but this was in my inbox for a long time. And finally, on October 26, I answered that question. So it’s, they’re here on the podcast, you can go back to October 26. And listen to that, how, listen to the question and, and kind of see how I approached what I would do to grow the ladder. Now, prior to answering the question, I think this was on October 14, I went on my radio show, and I position this question to all the listeners, you know, if it is what I know, the majority of my listeners are all amazingly accomplished, meaning accomplished, I think all of them are accomplished. But some of them articulate their problems and their solutions better than I can articulate my problem and my solutions. That’s what I think amazing, amazing listener. So, I knew that somebody might be listening and they could answer this question better.

So, I went to the show, and I positioned this question multiple multiple people call them and today I want to specifically play the answer from a listener by the name of Rajiv, he called into the show and he responded to the question, what does it take for somebody to go from being an individual contributor to the highest title highest responsibility in that ladder? And the incredible answer, I want you to listen to this. And when we come back, I have something to add to this. Let’s go to it. Yeah.

Hi, my name is Rajiv and I am a first-time listener, thank you, I was pretty intrigued by your comment Hi. So, I am not in the IT space, but I am in the manufacturing space and to whoever asked you the question they asked all I can say is, I am the vice president of my company. I could say without a doubt that having a good mentor somebody who has achieved success and who could kind of guide you and show you the way helps with surrounding yourself with people who know more than you and who have been around success is I believe one of the topmost ingredients 111 should have a water shortage you know, although I believe to have a lot of good communication skill and people skills, where you can kind of be a good leader you can be anybody can be a good engineer or a worker but to be a good leader. It takes a little bit more than what you learn in college it is it comes down to your character as a person your appetite for risks, your crisis management skill set your communication skill set, and above all you know your people skills and how likable you are as a person. I believe it is I don’t think this can be taught in books by either surrounding yourself with people or doing some reading I guess. Right right. Some people have God-given gifts.

Wonderful, wonderful. Rajiv, My time is running out but I want to make a comment, but I have to make the comment offline Rajeev. So I did make a comment offline toward the end of the show. And here is the comment I made. You see, Rajeev pointed out an incredible thing. We all are a byproduct of the environment. It’s important that we associate ourselves with the right tools, the right information, the right resources, the right skills, and most importantly right people and that is where he calls out a mentor. And as I was answering as I was wrapped Bring up the show, I said, I gave this example of this Japanese fish called Koi, which I have given multiple times on this podcast. There is a fascinating element to this fish Koi, which is if you put it in a small fishbowl, it will grow about three inches. If you put it in a large container or a small pond, it grows up to 10 inches. If you put it in a large pond, it grows up to a foot and a half. And if you put it in a large lake, it can grow up to three feet. So clearly, an individual’s growth is equal to the size of the world that they live in. That they exist. And that world is defined by mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and financial category area, whatever you want to say unless you do not expand what you are, you will always have what you got. That’s the point I was driving on the show. And I couldn’t get enough time to do it.

So I thought I would respond to that in a different way altogether. Today. As a part of the podcast, I went back and pulled that question from the recording. And I just wanted to make sure that I give the context. And then I wrap up my thought and present this idea in a more meaningful way such that anybody can learn from this not only a professional, as I said at the beginning of the podcast. So the message here, if I had to sum it up is to work on expanding your world. And that includes you have to start thinking it starts with a thought. Then you start expanding your act. You start expanding your accumulation, knowledge information, all that you start expanding your acceleration like literally accelerate, right? And then and then you start also expanding the advancements you’re making just don’t get stale, or just don’t become complacent to everything that you have, and keep trying to advance everything. That’s the summary. That’s the message. Have a wonderful Saturday, this weekend. And I will catch up with you as early as tomorrow, Sunday right here on successfully Srini you have a question for me? All you have to do is call the podcast support line. The number is 888-818-0404. You call and you leave me your question. I promise you, I’m gonna answer it. That’s all for now. You take care of yourself. I’ll talk to you soon. Keep listening.

Why I Speak, Teach & Train: What Got Me Here?

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Happy Friday morning to you welcome back to Success with Srini. Today on the podcast, I’m answering a question that I’ve gotten multiple times from a lot of people over the years. And sometimes I have also gotten this question from my own self to me. So I have worked very hard to answer this question. And today, I want to share this with you. Because recently, about two weeks ago, I was on a radio show. And there was a guy named Aditya who called into the show and very thoughtfully asked me a question, which I want to, I want to kind of you know, that’s that kind of became the source of today’s podcast episode. I’m going to play a bit just question you in a second here. But the question that I had been asking myself, is I speak I teach I train I coach. And a lot of people have asked me this question, why you? And a lot of questions. A lot of people have also asked me this question, how different are you? And I, at the very beginning, and somewhere a lot along the way, I’ve also asked this question to myself, Why me? What’s so unique, so different about me? Who will listen to a podcast if I start the podcast, take that as an example?

So 2011, I wanted to start the podcast, did not do anything till 2016, and never took it very seriously. 2020 had a false start this podcast in 2021. And kind of became really serious, from January 1 of 2022. Effectively speaking, after 10 years of doubt, and indecision, nothing happened, honestly. So if you really get analyze the performance of 10 years of this podcast, and this desire to start a podcast, you will see deep within this question, how will I be different? Why would somebody listen to this podcast? And what is that? I’m going to say that others are not saying. I’ve been? I struggled with that question. And I get this question all the time. So the reason why I’m starting today’s podcast with this kind of this frame, or this narrative is that this might have happened to you, you see the profession that you are in the things that you are doing. Has it ever crossed your mind what’s unique about you? What’s so different about you that you will be paid more, or you will be loved more, or you’ll be acknowledged more, or you’ll be given more of more? It should if it has not crossed your mind. So here is my observation. See, if you listen to this podcast every day, let’s say let’s make the assumption that you are listening to this podcast whenever you can.

The reason why you’re listening to this podcast is not that I’m a good speaker. Not because I’m a good trainer, or I’m not that I’m really good at what I do or not. Do I claim that I’m better than anybody else? I think you listen to this because you listen to yourself. Simple I don’t think anybody listens to this podcast because I’m monotonous. I become repetitive. I ramble. A good speaker, good. the orator should not ramble. I do. So that it’s not about my English. It’s not about where I speak. It’s not about you know, any of that. So, recently, two weeks ago, I was doing a show. And Andre on the radio we were talking about, had a question for the listeners. I said, what, you know, the question about career, and I said, How did you get to where you got to? Something like that? And what’s your secret to your professional success? Something like so, Aditya, and listener of the radio show called in? Apparently listening for the very first time did not listen to me. So this was on October 14, I was doing the show and a Friday evening for the very first time. So he calls him and he asks a question, which I want to play that question and I want you to listen to my answer also. And Once we come back, and we’ll add a few things to it, here it is.

My question to you is, how did you reach here and what challenges did you face?

That’s a good one. How long you have been listening? Did you say?

Since 15 minutes, your first time? Sure started first-time listener to the show, correct? Yes. Never heard myself before doing the shows. I used to do shows on Tuesdays prior to this, but you know,
I’m very new to this in the Bay Area. Wow. Okay. And I just discovered the channel. Okay. Wonderful.

Wonderful. Thank you for listening to Bollini 2.3. FM. Welcome to the Bay Area. Where did you come from Aditya?

I’m coming from Cincinnati.

Wonderful. Wonderful. So on behalf of everybody, of all residents of the Silicon Valley Bay Area, I welcome you. I wish you whatever. Whatever success you are here to create, I wish you all that to you. It’s a long question. And I’ll make it very short. Your question was, how did I get here to do radio shows? Or how did I get to where I am? Is that your question? No. My question is you have been saying that you know, we have all stapling challenges. You have these to a point, you know, you have kind of getting over those challenges. And today you are teaching? No, how did you get here? Not at all, of course, to get here.

Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate your comment. And I know you’re coming from a very good place in your heart. See, the thing is, just because I happened to be saying this doesn’t mean that I have already succeeded in dealing with my challenges, you know, every step of the path every step of the way, I do not know what I will be encountering no idea. But what has happened is that at least I have built tenacity and strengthened my risk-taking. And there is a bone that we all have within us, which is, you know, the way we react to fear the way we react to the unknown. That part gets better over time with a lot of exposure and experience. So it’s and luckily for the work that I do, I get to spend a lot of time with people and see their problems. So it has improved. I’m not saying that I’ve gotten to a point where I can celebrate not at all, I don’t think this will happen in this lifetime. But there is no shortcut to this very clearly, this is hard work, focus, and stay in believing in what you’re doing. That’s all there is to this, there is nothing, you know, I’m a compulsive optimist, I wake up every morning thinking that this day is gonna be amazing. I lead with a simple principle that, that everyday morning is the Benjamin Franklin principle, by the way, I used to wake up in the morning. And, and, and used to ask, you know, I got this day, what should I do with this day now that I’ve gotten this day, and used to end the day thinking that, you know, I was given this day did I accomplish what I thought I would accomplish today? So two questions used to ask one in the morning, one in the evening, and this principle I’ve been falling for the last 11 years, hopefully, is helpful. I don’t know if I’ve answered your question, but I tried. Thank you. You did Thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you. Wonderful. Okay.

First of all, I want to thank Aditya for asking that question. And as you heard me say, he asked that question from a very good place. And because there was, this is on air and there was some noise and all I couldn’t really catch his question. So he was attributing, you know, some level of success to me, he said, you got there. And that is why you are teaching I want to become like you if you know, I did not catch that when I was answering his question. As I said, I don’t teach because I know, or I know it all. That’s not my mindset. My mindset is, is I want to share, I want to have something that I have received, that I want to give. That’s my mindset. My mindset is that I have a secret. And that I want to put myself in an authority position or none of that. I’ve gotten that question multiple times over the years. So this is a desire to express and the listeners or do people come to my seminars, and workshops. My mindset is not that they are coming in because they do not know the answer. I don’t think even you are listening to this podcast because you do not know the answer. I think a majority of our learning is about our unlearning. So people know everything and there is information everywhere. My job in my mind is to attach the right emotion to that information. And if podcasts or the seminar or the workshop through which I can do it, great, works awesome. And that’s how I think. And again, I don’t think that I’m a great speaker, or I can present an idea better than somebody else, or have some credentials that others do not have, or I know it all, or a study at all, none of those things are true. And I truly mean it. None of those things are true, and there is no basis for that thinking at all. I think that if somebody commits to this process called self-improvement, if somebody commits to acquiring knowledge, if somebody commits to learning something, they will do it anyway, regardless of whether there is somebody teaching them, or somebody is making an attempt, to share something with them, I think people will learn regardless. It’s a privilege a long time ago, this was Rumi, who I believe said this. And I talked about this on this podcast also in one of the episodes, Rumi, whom we all now know as one of the greatest philosophers to walk the face of the earth. Rumi’s teacher appeared. For only three years, Rumi was not Rumi. Its teacher appeared for only three years, I think, in his lifetime. And nobody knows where his teacher went.

So they’re just saying a teacher. When the student is ready, the teacher appears. And the second part of that saying, which nobody says and talks, is a teacher disappears when a student is ready. Or when a student is ready, the teacher disappears. I don’t expect every listener to listen to this podcast ever. Because some are here for situational reasons. Some are listening because they have time because they have a desire, or they have a goal that they want to accomplish somebody some listen because they’re going through some pain or suffering. But I do not believe they are going to be perpetual listeners for the rest of their lives of my life. I do not think that way some people do. I don’t. I also keep telling to all the listeners on my radio shows, and here on this podcast if you really are seeking help, it’s available everywhere. For a seeker, the answer is everywhere.

For a nonseeker, the answer is nowhere. You can go to the best therapists, coaches, and mentors, if you don’t have it in you cannot do anything. So there is no miracle that a coach or a mentor does. So key takeaway from today’s podcast is to do anything that you want to do not because you are the best. Because you want to really impact you really want to make a difference in somebody’s life, you can make a difference with $1. And you cannot make a difference even with 100 million dollars. And this philosophy has to be understood, this is the truth. You can win over people. You can win over circumstances, and situations with the right heart in the right mind. You cannot win over anything, despite all the power and your position, your title, all of that put together you cannot. So do whatever you are planning to do. Don’t wait for anything. Don’t ask questions. Don’t overthink this. Whatever things you have in your mind. Just do it along the way, and you will become better. I do what I do not because I want to look good. I do what I do because I feel good. This podcast, my coaching, my seminars have done more to me I have taken more away from my seminars, my workshops, and everything that I do, than any other participant and listener or attendee, this is my experience. Why?

Because I have to read more. I have to study more, I have to do more, I have to add more. I have to achieve more, you know, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually before I can show up and do. So I want to stay ahead of my acquisition, such that I can give more than what people are expecting, or at least what I’m expecting. That’s the mindset. Love the question. Thank you for being a listener. Thank you for participating and asking questions. You know, Socrates said it right. The answer isn’t the question. But a good question is something that it always should lead to a better question or a bigger question, or a mightier question. So every question has an answer, but every answer should lead to a question of amazing philosophy. Wherever you want, be safe. Thank you for listening. And I’ll be with you as early as tomorrow. Stay tuned.

The 4 Parts of My Daily Life Philosophy

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Welcome back, happy Thursday morning to you something about me that when I meet people for the very first time, and usually if I’m introduced to someone who knows me, but I do not know the kind of, you know, you know, a friend’s friend who I do not know, something like that, usually five or 10 minutes into the conversation, I get questions like, What’s your understanding of life? What’s your observation of life? Some reason I get those questions, no broad questions about life, philosophy, meaning, and all that. And this has happened along for a long time if you have been listening to this podcast. last several months, I have done several podcasts talking about, you know, people asking me questions about life and philosophy. And so today is not that different, again, a conversation where somebody asked me about what my philosophy is when it comes to leading life. So what I did with them, I kind of gave them a broader understanding, or at least, I represented the answer differently than what I’m going to do on the podcast right now. And I want to do it in a way that you can take and apply it to the day to day living. So if you listen to a concept here on this podcast, and you cannot apply, then there is no fun, at least, you know, there is no, there is no value that you are getting out of this. So this is something that I do on a daily basis. And that are affirmations that are no different from things that I do as a part of my morning routine. I have talked about my morning routines here. But this four-part philosophy of life is what I go through, literally every day when I wake up.

So I’ll share this with you, here is my request to you, I want you to apply this and tell me what kind of a change or improvement you are seeing in your overall being. Do this for a month or two. And let me know. There are four parts to this, the first part is called part. The first part is called Pot. Pot means that when I wake up in the morning, my mind is I’m a part of the proceedings of life. I belong to life, I’m here. So I don’t see myself as anything different. If something is happening to someone, it will happen to me. If something is not happening to someone, it’s not what happened to me. So there are many parts to the nature of this universe. And I’m just a part of it. So nothing is specifically happening for me. It’s just that I’m just a part of it. So I have to do something about myself if I want to get something out of it. So nothing wrong is happening. Nothing great is happening here. So let me belong to this. That’s the first step in my thinking. The second step of thinking is I want to import. You see, all these years I have been around I have gotten some understanding of life, and I learned a few things. I have accumulated a few ideas, a few thoughts, and a few materials, nonmaterial, whatever things I have accumulated. And I want to impart that to the next person who sees herself or himself as a part of this nature. So for example, think a teacher teaching a student, not necessarily I’m a teacher, I don’t think that way, but I’m just giving an example. So on maybe a mentor, training a mentee, or a coach, training a performer, something like that. So along those lines, I want to share something, I want to give something, someone imparts something to someone. And then the third part in this four-part series, is I want to be a part of my mindset, so I don’t want to attach myself.

So I want to stay apart as much as I want to be a part. But I want to stay apart. Why? Because when you stay apart when you have setbacks when you have heartbreaks when you have something that otherwise can step on your emotion, which happens quite a lot. When you stay apart the damage is less, the emotional damage is less, and the mental spend is less. So I want to stay apart. I want to stay engaged, but I’m apart. The reason why I want to be a part is that this lends itself to the last part, which is sooner or later, I know I will depart. Soon sooner or later I know I’m done. So this is not a game that I’m playing for good. This is not perpetual. This is not going to be forever like this. One day, I’m going to lose this consciousness. One day, all that I think I have is not going to be mine anymore. One day, this light is going to become dark. And if that is true, then why don’t I acknowledge that now you see this, these are the four walls of my thinking. And these are the four walls of the room. And now I start my day putting stuff into it. These are this is the container. I want to be a part I want to stay apart.

I want to import but I will be departing. That’s not a sequence of how it plays out though. So pot in a pot a pot, the pot. I came up with this philosophy of with this thinking this four-step thinking nearly 16 years ago. And I never really understood the first part, which is the part. And over the years, I kept on life experiences, observations, working with people, and leading life in different aspects of it strengthened this philosophy. And I’m not saying this is the final one. I don’t know what it’s going to look like, you know, a year or six months from now, I do not know. But today, this is how it looks. So I shared this with my friend. And my friend’s friend yesterday. And his first question was did you mention this on your podcast? I said no, I did mention this in different flavors of this I did talk about but I don’t think ever talked about this specifically this way. He liked it. He insisted I should share. And here I am sharing this with you. So give this thinking some space in your mind. And see if you can act with these four walls. Set up your container mind and everything that you put in every act, every engagement, every interaction, every word that you speak, every individual you meet, everything that you experience, everything comes into this container. It’s amazing. It’s amazing when you at the end of the day how you have I’ll tell you it’s incredible. It’s a feeling that I just cannot explain. I’ll tell you ever since this even though I came up with this 16 years ago, I really started experiencing the power of this report 10 years ago, and ever since this has been solid, literally solid.

So if you’re looking for an affirmation, you’re looking for a frame to start your day, you want to contain your thoughts, you want to be centered, this is how I do it. And now you have it. That’s all for now you take care of yourself. I will be talking to you as early as tomorrow. Before even you know it. I’ll be here with you. Keep listening. And thank you for all your questions. Love it. Bye now.