~ IIM Ahmedabad launches the Distinguished Alumni Lecture Series to facilitate a dialogue and exchange of ideas between the Institute’s alumni, students, and the community
July 20, 2024: The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) launched the Distinguished Alumni Lecture Series today with an inaugural talk by the iconic voice of Indian cricket, journalist, and IIMA’sPGP 1985 alumnus - Mr Harsha Bhogle.
Delivering a heart-to-heart talk in a jam-packed Ravi J Mathai Auditorium, Mr Harsha Bhogle shared some of the most inspiring gems and anecdotes from his life and experience, many of which are also part of the book “The Winning Way – Learnings from Sport for Managers”, written by him and his wife Mrs Anita Bhogle.
Encouraging the young generation to believe in themselves, no matter the days of low self-confidence and low self-esteem, which he also passed through when he started his career in broadcasting, Mr Harsha Bhogle said, “The easiest thing to do is to be obsessed with what you cannot do. You may spend your lives thinking about who you are not and often you are defined by that, but some days you get a realisation that for all the things you cannot do, there is always something that you can do, and you must focus on that. Do not let what you cannot do come in the way of what you can do. Fight your weaknesses and try to find things that you can do because determination is far stronger than talent. Work hard and give your 100% to the work you are doing even when nobody is watching. If you have prepared well in advance, you will be ready when the opportunity comes knocking.”
Sharing a couple of anecdotes from his experience, Mr Bhogle advised students not to focus on the outcome, which is not in their control and rather practice excellence in everyday life. He said, “Even if it is your big day and you are under pressure to perform, pretend in your head that it is just another day because when you are worried about the outcome, you ruin your present and subsequently your performance. Let the outcome be a byproduct of your skill and excellence and accept that on some days we will fail. Life is a test match, and you always have a second chance.”
Mr Bhogle also exhorted future corporate leaders to follow work ethics, and honesty, embrace diversity and humility, enjoy the small pleasures of life, and never stop dreaming. Underlining the importance of continuous learning and staying relevant, he said, “The current generation is lucky that you are on the right side of the relevance curve at present. But it can change in the twinkling of an eye in these changing times. One must constantly reinvent and upskill themselves and never stop learning from anyone or anywhere. When you become successful, never fall into the trap of overconfidence, complacency, and ego. Be the leader who nurtures talent and celebrates diversity.”
Earlier in the event, Professor Sunil Maheshwari, Dean (Alumni and External Relations), IIMA, welcomed Mr Harsha Bhogle and gave a brief introduction about the Distinguished Alumni Lecture Series initiative by the Alumni and External Relations Office of the Institute. The Series aims to invite distinguished alumni of IIMA to the campus, who have significantly contributed and made an impact in various fields in India and globally, to address and engage with the institute community, faculty, and students. The initiative celebrates the excellence and achievements of IIMA’s rich alumni fraternity and will facilitate a dialogue and exchange of ideas between the Institute’s alumni, students, faculty members, and the community. The event ended with an enthusiastic Q&A session with the audience.
The lecture can be accessed through the following link: https://youtube.com/live/B34uTR_MZaU?feature=share
About IIM Ahmedabad:
The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) is a premier, global management Institute that is at the forefront of promoting excellence in the field of management education. In more than six decades of its existence, the Institute has been acknowledged for its exemplary contributions to scholarship practice and policy through its distinctive teaching, high-quality research, nurturing future leaders, supporting industry, government, social enterprise and creating a progressive impact on society.
IIMA was founded as an innovative initiative by the Government, industry, and international academia in 1961. Since then, it has been consolidating its global footprint and today it has a network with over 80 top international institutions and a presence in Dubai. Its eminent faculty members and more than 44,000 alumni, who are at the helm of influential positions in all walks of life also contribute to its global recognition. Over the years, IIMA’s academically superior, market-driven, and socially impactful programmes, have earned high reputation and acclaim globally. It became the first Indian institution to receive international accreditation from EQUIS. The Institute is also placed first in the Government of India’s National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), India Rankings 2023. The Institute has been ranked 43rd globally in the Financial Times (FT) Executive Education Rankings 2024. The renowned flagship two-year Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP) is ranked 43rd in the FT Masters in Management Ranking 2023 and the one-year Post Graduate Programme in Management for Executives (PGPX) has been ranked 41st in the FT Global MBA rankings 2024.
IIMA offers consultancy services and more than 200 curated executive education programmes in customised, blended, and open enrolment formats for a diverse audience comprising business leaders, policymakers, industry professionals, academicians, government officials, armed forces personnel, agri- business and other niche sector specialists and entrepreneurs. To know more about IIMA, please visit: https://www.iima.ac.in/
To know more about IIMA, please visit: manager-comm@iima.ac.in and pr@iima.ac.in | +91 9979776306
