Lessons learnt in Kindergarten: Bullying has a positive aspect

There is no secret ingredient to being successful in life. Each of us will have our own story to tell. By observing other successful people and from my own life story, one thing is definite, getting to the top is not only about achievements. On the contrary, it is a life full of disappointments and challenges and to stay at the top, it requires double the effort of getting there. What is important is the ability to bounce back from adversities, to come back stronger, and to believe in yourself. Success does not come easy. If you keep this in mind, combined with a bit of luck, you will move up the ladder of success.

I was born and educated in India and started my school life when I was two – not because I was a child prodigy but because my mother just wanted me out of the house! She now tells me that I was incorrigible and impossible to handle and that she needed the peace and tranquility which only descended when I was out of the house. As the normal school starting age was above 4 years old, with me being just 2 years old, I was always the smallest in my class. This meant that I was bullied from the very start which continued right through my school life. As a result, I learnt how to face physical and mental challenges at a very early age. I also learnt to back myself and not be intimidated by the size of my opponents because, as the popular saying goes, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight that counts, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” Over time, the physical fighting morphed into tackling life’s day-to-day challenges where my grounding in fighting “above my weight” provided me with the ability to take on projects and jobs which, looking back now, paved the way for success in my career.

I was born into a family of bankers and as expected, followed my father and brother into the field of banking. My first mistake was to join the bank where my father worked and held a senior position because, while I received the best grounding in banking, many of my colleagues attributed any successes to nepotism and not to my own efforts. My advice to anyone finding themselves in a similar position is to try to make it on your own, if not, you will constantly be wondering whether you are good enough or if your success has been due to other factors.

After six years, I decided to leave the shelter of my father’s umbrella and strike out on my own. At the time, many called me foolish and irresponsible because not only did I leave India and a stable job, I went overseas to seek my fortune. I now realize that my later accomplishments were only possible because I took the risk and broke out of my comfort zone and I have repeated this many times in my 33-year career with Standard Chartered Bank.

At Standard Chartered, our strategic intent is to be the world’s best international bank, leading the way in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. We are encouraged to lead by example and our brand promise is to be the right partner to our customers, colleagues, regulators, communities, and suppliers. The bank’s values are to be courageous, responsive, international, creative and trustworthy. So, how do I live and demonstrate my commitment to the Company’s values?

Courageous: I speak up when the need arises but balance this by avoiding the perception of aggression or cynicism.

Responsive: I demonstrate that responsiveness should be part of our day-to-day business attitude in our dealings with customers, staff and the general public.

International: Using my international background and experience, I bring international best practice to how our business is run in the Philippines.

Creative: I challenge tradition and innovate by adopting and promoting new and unconventional approaches to business and market practice.

Trustworthy: I always try to earn the trust of staff and customers and win the confidence of the business community through demonstration and transparency.

In 2006 I received the CEO Excel Award from the International Association of Business Communicators. In my acceptance speech I said that I personally have one rule for communication and that is to “listen, think and then act” in that order. Effective communication means that we should listen more and interrupt less because it is only by listening that we can respond effectively. To me, the more you say, the more you confuse people. I therefore keep my messages short. Effective communication is to “say what you mean and mean what you say.” I encourage my team to be decisive when they act. If you are afraid or hesitate in making decisions, others will make the decision for you. These others are called, “leaders”.

I am frequently asked about my views on work-life balance for which there are no rules or principles covering this highly personal matter. You must be very careful however that your work should not become your life. It is very easy to fall into the trap of working long hours which is very addictive because, when you are working late or on holidays there are very few interruptions and you feel that you can get a lot more done. However, it is counter-productive because you will become habituated to spreading your workload over a longer period of time. Also, avoid taking work home. It is a surefire recipe for a breakdown in your “family-life balance”! Finally, to succeed in life, you must have a sense of humor and the ability to laugh at yourself. Remember, “laugh, and the world laughs with you. Cry, and you cry alone”.