The Undergraduate

Once, there was an undergraduate. She did not possess the qualities of a 'good' student - she was impatient and was never passionate about being in school. So, she hurried through the system and made her way into the workforce. She was in such a hurry she did not attend her own graduation. "Just mail me my certs!", she said.

Her first job was a sales job, where, possibilities were endless and the sky's the limit, right? Well, that didn't work out. Her commission did not come in promptly, colleagues judged her for being a newbie to the industry, and potential clients dismissed her as young and inexperienced.

Soon, she quit. Next, she took a job that allowed her to report directly to the big guy, and this job was going to give her the most exposure in the shortest amount of time. She went on to become a personal assistant to a CEO of a conglomerate. She lasted for a while, where every weekend was an official workday, and being on standby 24 hours was part of the job scope. As a PA, if your boss missed his connecting flights in LA, he would call you. In the event of an important call, you would stand by to remotely orchestrate - remember the star-shaped Poly phone? She realised that while she did get close to those important stuff, she was never going to be directly involved.

One day, a question changed the course of her career. “Do you prefer to deal with numbers or people?” It didn't take her long to say, “definitely people.” She was offered a job as an HR executive, and the rest was history. What ensued after was a series of first life and career lessons. Because one person, a stranger, decided that she was the right fit for the job. This person went on to become her first leadership figure, mentor, and would have been a lifelong friend today, had he still been around.

I was that undergraduate. This experience became a fundamental part of my beliefs as a human being and a leader. I believe in taking chances on people. In my years as a manager and being in HR, I believe that some people deserve a shot at things, be it with candidates or those who wishes to transition into a new role. With my own team members, I provide a platform for them to shine and make mistakes.

My then 20-something self thought that the world was expecting me. I was wrong. The world wasn’t interested. All it took was for someone to believe in me before I did. Some might attribute it to fate, others to luck. I say, let's not forget about leadership.

Leadership and foresights are things that we as leaders today, can control.

Take a chance on someone whose potential you can see, especially if they are your own team member, even if it means putting yourself in a tight spot. Because, the decisions we make today as leaders do not only impact somebody’s career; they impact the future, one that our children will be a part of.