“I am everyone everything whose being-in-the-world affected was affected by mine. I am anything that happens after I’ve gone which would not have happened if I had not come. To understand me, you’ll have to swallow my world.” Salman Rushdie, Midnight’s Children
My name is Damini Sud. I was born 33 years ago in a small Himalyan town in India called Shimla. I pursued an education in humanities and social sciences as I believed that it would help me to look at the world in a more nuanced humanistic way.
After completing my Bachelors and Masters, I started my career by working for non-profit organizations, moved to social enterprises and finally to leadership development consulting. The common purpose that I followed throughout my career was to be able to contribute to individuals, teams and organizations that could have a far larger impact on the world than I could individually have on my own.
While I passionately followed my dream of contribution, I felt that there was a massive gap in my default way of looking at the world and how the world appeared to be functioning. Pursuit of market based capitalism was what was thriving in the world. Businesses to me seemed to be impacting the world in ways that I did neither fully understand nor felt skilled enough to impact.
This attracted me to study business management at IMD that is teaching me core MBA syllabus but additionally is focusing a hell lot on making me a better leader behaviorally and ethically. I love the fact that I am working with a leadership coach and a psychoanalyst throughout my MBA. Also, that I have ‘Business and Society’ as a core MBA subject.
I believe the most important question to ask yourself in pursuing anything is to ask yourself “why”. Once one understands the “why”, the “what” and “how” can quickly be deciphered and mastered.
I am discovering my most pressing “why” in my new role as a mother to a 11 months old Adi. Mothers who are MBA students are rare. I often delve into questioning whether I am being brave or selfish in pursuing this MBA with a young child. Then again, I tell myself that I owe a multi-layered responsibility to my son. My responsibility is to psychologically give him a better mother everyday by working on myself. Secondly to be able to be employable to my best potential and financially provide for him. But additionally, and most importantly, strive to be a business leader and contribute positively to the world of tomorrow that my son will find himself in.
