“A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes.”
Mahatma Gandhi
What makes me different?
It’s been years since I last updated this section. What I wrote back then no longer reflects who I am today. After having spent nearly 20 years in branding and advertising I can say that what makes me different from others around me is my ability to adapt! It’s probably because I have seen a lot of b*****t (haven’t we all?) but somehow I have found a way to filter through it and move on. I feel most people struggle with change, struggle to live with things they cannot control. For some reason that doesn’t bother me. I can easily separate the unchangeable from the stuff that can be actioned upon. In the process I adapt new tools, new ideas and new people. I mean all kinds of people! It helps to get on top of things faster, to think clearly and move forward! All praise to God!
What am I good at (or at least I think I am)?
Getting the job done no matter what it takes! Earlier in my work life it was about me working alone, burning the midnight oil to meet that deadline. Now it’s about my team, my peers, and my partners. Energising them all forward and enabling them to deliver together is what I do.
Going forward I want to be known for just three things: Leadership, Branding and Technology. However my journey to this point in my career is enriched with more than just that. Some of those areas are:
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- Colas, Teas, Juices and Milk (and a whole lot of other beverages)
- Household Care to Personal Care (mainly Unilever and Henkel)
- Technology and Telecom (I think I am quite good at this!)
- Food stuffs ( Nestle, Knorr, Frito-Lays, Best Foods, Walls and many more!)
- Automotive & Aviation (VW, Hyundai, Daihatsu, Emirates)
- Media (BBC mainly and some others!)
- Commodities (Sugar and Rice mainly!)
- Real Estate (Emaar and a bunch of others!)
- Service (Hotels and Resorts)
- Industrial (Oil Marketing, Cable, Cement etc.)
- Government Stuff (Health, Tax, National ID)
Till about 2013 I was all about ideas and creativity – the process, writing briefs, developing strategies, thinking 360, working with creative teams to develop creative concepts and so on! Working on the corporate side (or shall I say the dark side) it’s been less about that. It’s not just about ideas anymore, that’s the easy part. It’s about championing an idea through an organization and getting others to take action. The magic lies in the execution. If an idea doesn’t see the light of day then it’s not really making an impact in the world is it?
What do I suck at?
As time goes by, you’d think I’d get better at the things I’m not so great at, right?But to my surprise – I’ve discovered that I now struggle with even bigger things! One of those is office politics. Call me a simpleton when it comes to navigating agendas, but the truth is, I just can’t handle it – or rather, I choose not to. In fact, I’m happy sucking at it!